Despite the value of its nonresidential building contracts dropping to a level that is less than half of last year’s, the greater Atlanta metropolitan area is still leading the Southeast’s pack. According to the latest information from McGraw-Hill Construction, publisher of Southeast Construction, Atlanta recorded more than $1 million in new nonresidential construction contracts, for future construction, during the first five months of 2009. That’s 56% below 2008’s pace of nearly $2.3 billion.

The Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach area closed the gap on Atlanta, compared to the same period of a year ago, with nearly $971.8 million in new nonresidential contracts through May. That’s 45% behind that area’s 2008 pace.

Most of the large metropolitan areas showed similar, steep declines within the nonresidential market. Orlando, Fla., experienced a drop of 39%; Tampa, Fla., is 28% behind 2008; Jacksonville, Fla., fell 38%; and Charlotte, N.C., fell by 58%.

Three smaller population centers saw their nonresidential markets improve, however. Fayetteville, N.C., experienced am 83% improvement in nonresidential contracts to rank fifth. The Columbus, Ga., area’s 6% improvement was enough for eighth place. Gainesville, Fla., roared into the top-10 list with a 313% increase in the value of its nonresidential contracts.

Southeast Region’s Top Metros
Nonresidential Construction (Thousands of Dollars)
Rank Metropolitan Area 5 mo 2008 5 mo 2009 % Chg
1 Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, GA 2,284,924 1,000,479 -56%
2 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, FL 1,765,899 971,788 -45%
3 Orlando, FL 1,109,179 671,539 -39%
4 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 759,698 547,491 -28%
5 Fayetteville, NC 242,653 444,602 83%
6 Jacksonville, FL 656,284 408,693 -38%
7 Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, NC-SC 818,059 342,186 -58%
8 Columbus, GA-AL 291,094 309,636 6%
9 Jacksonville, NC 242,875 212,291 -13%
10 Gainesville, FL 48,383 199,925 313%

Top Metropolitan Markets for U.S. Nonresidential
Construction Starts (Thousands of Dollars)
Rank Metropolitan Area 5 mo 2008 5 mo 2009 % Chg
1 New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA 8,072,898 3,649,864 -55%
2 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 4,093,152 2,607,575 -36%
3 Las Vegas-Paradise, NV 1,642,245 1,826,939 11%
4 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 2,605,910 1,739,608 -33%
5 Houston-Baytown-Sugar Land, TX 3,260,453 1,477,431 -55%
6 Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, IL-IN-WI 5,932,988 1,158,588 -80%
7 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 1,316,532 1,124,412 -15%
8 Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH 2,284,640 1,123,928 -51%
9 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA 3,039,327 1,121,125 -63%
10 Pittsburgh, PA 862,939 1,054,958 22%