The $115 million University of Connecticut construction is seen as a bright spot in an otherwise soft construction market nationwide for educational facilities. A report on nationwide construction shows educational construction down 20 percent from August while overall construction was down 5 percent.
According to Dodge Data & Analytics, UConn’s Hartford project, the $300 million Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles California, and a $130 million preparatory school in New York N.Y., were the major construction projects that saw construction commence in September.
The downtown campus will open for classes in fall 2017, according to UConn, with about 2,300 students and 250 faculty members. Construction includes the addition of a new attached five-story building, while retaining the iconic Beaux-Arts façade of the 95-year-old Hartford Times structure.
Nationwide, the overall construction market is expected to show declines. “The exceptional amount of nonbuilding construction starts in the first half of 2015 was not sustainable, and activity is now proceeding at a more moderate pace. Going forward, the performance of nonbuilding construction will be affected in large measure by the progress made by Congress in passing the next multiyear federal transportation bill,” said Robert A. Murray, chief economist for Dodge Data & Analytics.
The commercial building group in September improved 4 percent, regaining some ground after a 24 percent plunge in August. Office construction climbed by 20 percent while warehouse construction grew 18 percent.
