Office construction starts declined 44 percent, the manufacturing category slipped 39 percent and the number of starts for transportation terminals fell 24 percent, according to reports by McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Cos.
Those decreases were offset by the 45 percent increase in educational construction starts and the 48 percent jump in health care. Both of those sectors had meager starts in January.
"While somewhat slower than the brisk pace last fall, the level of construction contracting can still be viewed as healthy," says Robert A. Murray, vice president of economic affairs for McGraw-Hill Construction. "Nonresidential building in February showed some of the strength that’s expected to take hold this year, and residential building has yet to see much in the way of a slowdown."
Nonresidential building construction increased 6 percent in February. Also contributing to February gains were hotel construction, up 69 percent; store construction, which increased 18 percent; amusement related projects, up 14 percent; public buildings, up 13 percent; warehouses increased 4 percent; and churches, up 3 percent.
Residential building construction was up slightly in February at 2 percent. Single-family housing was unchanged, but multifamily housing increased 14 percent from January as a result of five large condominium projects, all in separate markets across the U.S.
Residential building construction in February by region was as follows: Northeast and West — up 7 percent; South Central — unchanged; and South Atlantic and Midwest — down 2 percent.
