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BEDFORD, Mass. — At a sea- sonally adjusted annual rate of $424.7 billion, new construction starts in Au- gust advanced 8%, according to Mc- Graw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The gain followed a 10% decline 56 • NOVEMBER 2011 • WORLD FENCE NEWS The Dodge Report Coming off a poor July, construction starts rise 8% in August in July, and continued the fluctuating pattern that's been present in recent months. The pickup for total construc- tion in August was the result of greater activity for each of construction's three main sectors – non-residential build- ing, residential building, and non- building construction. For the first eight months of 2011, total construction on an unadjusted basis was reported at $274.8 billion, down 6% from the same period a year ago. The August statistics lifted the Dodge Index to 90 (2000=100), up from July's 83. "During the first five months of this year, total construction had trended downward, but over the next three months an up-and-down pattern has emerged," stated Robert A. Mur- ray, vice-president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction. "This suggests that construction starts are beginning to stabilize after the earlier loss of momentum. "At the same time, total construc- tion remains on track to register a moderate decline for 2011 as a whole, after leveling off in 2010. While Au- gust showed some improvement for institutional building and public works, each of these sectors will be subject to funding cutbacks at the fed- eral and state levels of government," he said. "Single family housing con- tinues to see homebuyer demand re- strained by the sluggish economic environment and more restrictive lend- ing standards. And, what appears to be the early signs of recovery for com- mercial building may well end up being deferred by rising investor con- cern about employment growth and the near term prospects for the U.S. economy." Non-residential building in August Is your business or association positioned for the changing economy? Do you have the strategy in place to put you and your staff/members in the best position to succeed? If the answer to the above questions is anything other than a solid "YES", then contact us to discuss possible ways we can help you to improve your overall operations and to help put you and your business or association in a better position to succeed. MANAGEMENT MOTIVATIONAL ASSOCIATES, INC. 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(Jim) Lucci Management Motivational Associates, Inc. 18 Hansome Place • Freeport, NY 11520 • MMAJandJ@aol.com Please call me. I'm interested in____________________________________________________ Telephone________________________________ Convenient time________________________ Fax Number _____________________________ E-mail: ________________________________ Name __________________________________________________________________________ Name of Business/Organization_____________________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________________________________ City________________________________ State ______________ Zip _____________________ grew 7% to $153.6 billion (annual rate). The institutional side of the non- residential market showed a strong gain for healthcare facilities, which jumped 107%. Lifting the healthcare total in August was the start of a $385 million U.S. Army medical center at Fort Hood, Tex. Additional support came from the start of two large hospital projects in California, valued at $270 million and $164 million respectively, and a $220 million hospital project in Maine. The public building category climbed 55% in August from its low July level, reflecting the start of a $115 million courthouse building in Philadelphia. The amusement-related category in August increased 18%, helped by the start of a $45 million sports arena in Bangor, Me. and a $45 million con- vention center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Heading downward in August was the educational building category, which fell 7% despite groundbreaking for a $95 million high school in Mary- land and an $86 million biomedical re- search facility in Minnesota. Also retreating in August were churches, down 11%; and transporta- tion terminals, down 8%. The commercial side of the non- residential market showed a mixed pattern by project type. Hotel construction surged 125% from a weak July, helped by the start of a $154 million convention center hotel in Nashville. Warehouse construction grew 30%, with the push coming from the start of a $150 million distribution cen- ter in Martinsburg, W.V., while store construction advanced 18%. Moving in the opposite direction was office construction, which fell 18% in August. A steeper decline was reported for the manufacturing build- ing category, which retreated 62% from July which included the start of a $1.5 billion semiconductor plant in Arizona. Residential building, at $128.0 bil- lion (annual rate), increased 4% in Au- gust. Most of the upward movement came from multifamily housing, which rose 15% in August, continuing the trend that has been present for much of 2011. Large multifamily projects that reached groundbreaking in August in- cluded the $362 million Gotham West apartment complex in New York, N.Y., a $137 million apartment complex in Marina Del Ray, Calif., and a $90 mil- lion apartment building in Boston. "What appears to be the early signs of recovery for commercial building may well end up being deferred by rising investor concern about employment growth and the near term prospects for the U.S. economy." – Robert A. Murray Through the first eight months of 2011, the top five metropolitan areas in terms of the dollar amount of multi- family projects were – New York, N.Y., Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Single family housing in August managed to edge up 1%, as the pattern of recent months suggests that activity is stabilizing at a low volume after the declines witnessed earlier in 2011. The pace for single family hous- ing in August, in dollar terms, was still 2% below the average monthly pace that was shown during 2010. Non-building construction in Au- gust climbed 13% to $143 billion, making a partial rebound after plung- ing 23% in July. The dams and river/harbor development category surged 283%, reflecting the boost coming from $1.5 billion for work on the Olmsted Dam in Kentucky, as well as $260 million for the Calaveras Dam replacement project in California. Sewer and waste disposal con- struction was also strong in August, contin ued on pa g e 58