Matt Kunz
Vice President and General Manager
Turner Construction Co.

Construction firms in Columbus and Central Ohio are busy, with many reporting a backlog of opportunities, says Matt Kunz, vice president and general manager for Turner Construction Co. in Columbus.

“The construction market is very active and will remain so for the foreseeable future,” he says.

One area that appears to be a priority for local leaders and taxpayers alike is public transit. In November 2024, voters endorsed an increase in the sales tax levy to help pay for enhancing public transportation in the city. The move increases the levy to 8% from 7%, with the additional revenue going to the Central Ohio Transit Authority.

“The levy enabled the LinkUS/Rapid Bus Transit System to move forward, which will result in billions of dollars of investment in the coming years,” Kunz says.

The goal is to invest about $8 billion over the next 30 years in development of bus rapid transit corridors and other infrastructure improvements, including sidewalks, bikeways and trails to support multimodal transportation.

Another transit-oriented improvement is the Capital Line, a $100-million, two-mile urban pathway in downtown Columbus that also is moving forward. It will start in 2025 with the transformation of Gay Street. The pathway is expected to increase connectivity by linking green spaces, employment centers and residential neighborhoods.

In addition to improving connectivity and public transit, the region has numerous other significant projects in the pipeline including data centers for Meta, Amazon, Google and Vantage; several major projects for Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Ohio State University, Ohio Health and Mount Carmel Health; and the renovation of the 360-acre Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds.

Turner is taking part in the construction of a $200-million manufacturing facility, Project Sunrise, in New Albany, Ohio, for Pharmavite that will produce gummies for Nature Made and MegaFood brands and be the site of the company’s Gummy Innovation Center of Excellence, which includes product research and development.

Another large project recently announced in Columbus is Arsenal-1, a hyperscale manufacturing facility to be built by Anduril, a defense manufacturer.

The company said it chose Ohio for its first Arsenal factory because of its “robust infrastructure to support Anduril’s unique needs, a highly skilled and diverse manufacturing workforce and a legacy of leadership in aerospace and defense.”

The company is investing nearly $1 billion in the project.

The Capital Line will feature a pedestrian path with public art, street furniture and landscaping.
Rendering courtesy of Downtown Columbus Inc.

Even with such upbeat news, rising costs are always a concern. Kunz notes that construction costs in central Ohio have risen at higher levels than the national average but nonetheless are remaining more affordable than peer markets.

“Over the next year or so, we anticipate this rate of escalation to settle into historical norms,” he says.

As throughout the U.S., Kunz says the major issue now facing the AEC community is the availability of labor.

“Sustained and robust investments in data centers, advanced manufacturing, pharmaceutical, health care and aviation have kept labor demand at higher levels—most notably for MEP trades,” he says.

Turner employs various strategies to cope with the labor shortage.

“Early engagement, offsite prefabrication, self-performing work with our own labor, workforce development programs and introducing new trade partners have been helpful in mitigating this risk,” Kunz says.

deal with any supply chain issues, he says Turner relies on its in-house supply chain management company, SourceBlue, which seeks to mitigate project risk and guarantee lead times on significant pieces of MEP equipment and architectural and lab systems.

Looking to the future, Kunz anticipates that the regional AEC sector will continue to meet the demands placed on it as new projects and development occurs.

“The industry has been able to grow and respond to this increase in activity,” he says.