Construction starts in the third quarter rose about 3% year-to-date despite a 9% decline in both August and July, with several large projects getting underway, according to Dodge Data & Analytics.
Commercial building and public works are current drivers of growth, says Bob Murray, DDA chief economist and vice president. Office construction is up 7% through the first eight months of the year, triggered by project starts such as the Spiral tower at Hudson Yards in New York City, a 1,031-ft-tall skyscraper estimated to cost up to $3.7 billion.