Nonresidential construction spending has now declined during each of the year’s first three months, according to a May 1 report by the U.S. Census Bureau. In March, nonresidential construction spending fell 0.1% on a monthly basis, though the pace of spending is still 4.7% higher than at the same time one year ago. Spending for the month totaled $611.8 billion on a seasonally adjusted, annualized basis. Spending estimates for both January and February were upwardly revised—the estimate for February construction spending rose from $611.5 billion to $612.4 billion and January's estimate was revised from $611.9 to $613.1.“Up until six months
For the second consecutive month, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) indicated a modest increase in design activity in March. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lead-time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects reported the March ABI score was 51.7, up from a mark of 50.4 in February. This score reflects an increase in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 58.2, up from a reading of 56.6 the previous month.“Business conditions at architecture firms
New construction starts in March retreated 13% from the previous month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $633.3 billion, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. The decline followed strong gains in January (up 9%) and February (up 17%), when construction was lifted by the start of several massive projects valued each in excess of $1 billion, including four liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal projects, a petrochemical plant and a solar power facility. While the March statistics did include the start of a $2.3-billion highway project in Florida, the boost coming from projects in excess of $1 billion was substantially
The Census Bureau released in late March its population estimates for July 2013 to July 2014 for U.S. counties and metro areas. The statistics “suggest a renewed growth in outer suburban ‘exurban’ counties, propelled by domestic migration,” said William Frey of the Brookings Institution on April 8. “The growth is perhaps a sign that the housing market is luring young adults out of the urban core, and it raises the possibility that the attraction of cities—registered for the last three years—may not be as permanent as some assumed,” Frey said. “Using a Brookings classification of counties associated with urban cores
The construction sector began to show signs of life at the end of 2014 and those trends remained steady for the most part across the southwest in February of 2015. There were gains of 4,000 jobs relative to last year across the three state region according to data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Related Links: Southwest Construction Employment Is Strong Year-Over-Year, But Hits Speed Bump In January Arizona and Nevada both saw growth compared to February of last year, with New Mexico being the only state of the three to post a loss in the construction sector.
Phil Washington, general manager of Denver's Regional Transportation District since 2009, is leaving the agency to become the head of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the third-largest public transit system in the U.S. Washington has earned praise for managing construction of RTD's $5.3-billion FasTracks program, which is building 122 miles of new commuter rail lines and dozens of stations across the Denver area. Related Links: Washinton to Leave Denver's RTD for L.A. Post Architectural Record Lakewood, Colo.-based civil and structural engineering firm Martin/Martin Inc. has promoted two associates to principal. Firm principal Jerry May is a
Prices for inputs to construction industries expanded 0.8% in March, the largest monthly increase in more than two years, according to the April 14 producer price index release by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices have now expanded for two consecutive months after declining during the previous six; however, input prices are down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. March marks the fourth consecutive month that year-over-year input prices have declined, the longest such streak since 2009. Crude petroleum prices fell 4% in March and have fallen in eight of the previous nine months.“Although overall construction materials prices rose for the
In the coming months, the Regional Transportation District and the Colorado Dept. of Transportation will mark several milestones as the U.S. 36 Express Lanes project nears completion. An express lane is currently being added in each direction on U.S. 36 from Federal Boulevard to Table Mesa between Boulder and Denver. RTD’s bus rapid transit service and high-occupancy vehicles (HOVs) will operate in the express lanes. Single-passenger vehicles may choose to use the express lanes and pay a toll. In addition, there will be two free, general-purpose lanes in each direction for drivers who do not wish to pay a toll.While
Large transportation infrastructure projects led the list of top starts in the Mountain States region for 2014, as Denver and Salt Lake City officials are working to meet the needs of a fast-growing population in both metro areas. Related Links: Denver's Cherry Creek North Booming CDOT Opens New I-70 Eastbound Tunnel Salt Lake International Airport's $1.5-billion Terminal Redevelopment Program topped the list. The TRP is building 4 million sq ft of new facilities at the airport, including a new terminal and concourse and a connecting parking deck. The project also will improve and rehabilitate other structures, roadways and overpasses. Construction
Water will begin running uphill—and north—along Colorado's southern Front Range next year when the $841-million Southern Delivery System goes on line. Related Links: SDS Pipeline Working Its Way West Ground Broken on SDS Water Project SDS is one of the largest water projects under construction in the Western U.S. and the biggest project undertaken by owner Colorado Springs Utilities in decades. The project will convey Arkansas River water stored in the Pueblo Reservoir to the cities of Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security and Pueblo West.Program manager MWH of Broomfield, Colo., has teamed up with Colorado Springs Utilities to build the multi-phased
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