Planning activity for US nonresidential construction projects increased 6.8% month-on-month in June, Kallanish learns from data gathered by Dodge Construction Network.

The Dodge Momentum Index spiked to 225.1 from a downwardly revised reading of 210.9 in May. Commercial planning grew 7.3%, and institutional planning was up 5.7%. 

The index, which is up 20% from the June 2024 level, is a monthly measure of the value of nonresidential building projects going into the planning stage. It is an indicator of construction spending for nonresidential buildings in approximately a full year.

“Nonresidential planning steadily improved in June, alongside strength in warehouse, recreational and data centre planning,” Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at Dodge Construction Network, states in the monthly press release. “Planning momentum in other key sectors – like education, hotels and retail stores – was more subdued. Expectations for weaker consumer spending and travel demand, as well as volatility around funding, are likely contributing to the weaker momentum of projects entering the planning queue for those sectors.” 

The Dodge organisation identified 40 projects valued at $100 million or more entering the planning phase in June. The most-valuable commercial project is the $500m Meadow Brook Technology Park Data Center Campus in Middletown, Virginia. Next-largest are the $300m Project Blue Data Center (Phase 3) in Tucson, Arizona, and the $300m Data City Data Center in Laredo, Texas.

The largest institutional projects to enter planning in June is the $340m Cleveland Clinic Avon Campus Expansion in Avon, Ohio; the $150m McKinney Amphitheatre Building (Phase 2) in McKinney, Texas; and the $135m Harold Simmons West Overlook Park Buildings in Dallas, Texas.