Georgia's Commercial Construction Activity Surges in June

McGraw-Hill Construction reports that the value of Georgia’s June construction starts totaled nearly $1.2 billion in June, an increase of 34% compared to the same period of a year ago.

A surge in commercial starts fueled the increase. Nonresidential contracts totaled nearly $676.8 million, or 72% above last June’s total of $393.9 million. Residential contracts also moved up, with the latest total of $366.9 million representing a 19% gain from the year-ago period. The nonbuilding sector, which includes infrastructure projects, experienced a 21% decline for the month, with about $152.3 million in new contracts.

For the year-to-date, McGraw-Hill Construction estimates Georgia’s total new contracts figure at just over $5.2 billion, or 12% below the year-ago total of $5.9 billion.

Through June, residential is the lone positive sector, with a six-month total of $1.8 billion that is 1% ahead of 2010’s pace. Nonresidential starts are estimated at nearly $2.6 billion, or 3% below the amount recorded halfway through 2010. Nonbuilding starts remain mired in the deepest slump, however. This sector’s total of roughly $766.5 million is 45% below last year’s pace.

Scott Judy is Deputy Editor for Regions, and editor of ENR Southeast, one of Engineering News-Record's 10 Regional publications. His roughly 27 years as a construction journalist began with an 11-year stint covering Midwest construction projects. In 2000, Judy helped launch the publication now known as ENR Southeast. He often delves into controversial aspects of the construction industry such as bankruptcies and fatal accidents, and wishes he would never have to cover another accident but suspects that he might.