Total KC metro construction down in May

Increased residential construction locally was not enough to overcome a slide in commercial activity, dropping the Kansas City area total so far this year to about $1.1 billion, according to a new report. That’s down 9 percent from a year ago.

McGraw Hill Construction, a national trade publication, reported Friday that residential work was up 2 percent through May in the metro to $653 million compared to the same period last year,. But non-residential construction was down 20 percent to $434.1 million.

For the month of May alone, non-residential work plunged steeply with $101 million in contracts issued, 52 percent less than May 2013. Residential work was up 17 percent from last May reaching $147 million.

The McGraw Hill numbers reflect what Kansas City home builders have been reporting. Earlier this week, the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City reported 1,685 single-family permits issued through May, 4 percent ahead of the same period a year ago.

The strong apartment construction boom continued in May, with 445 multifamily permits issued, according to the Builders Association. So far this year, there have been 1,604 multifamily permits issued, the most since 2001.

McGraw Hill describes residential construction as single-family and multifamily construction. Non-residential work includes office, retail, hotels, warehouses, educational and religious buildings.

This story was originally published June 27, 2014 at 11:52 AM.