Metro area construction contracts jump in August

The value of contracts for future construction in the metropolitan area rose 105 percent in August compared with a year earlier, as both nonresidential and residential activity increased.

Dodge Data & Analytics, an industry information service, reported this week that contracts worth $5.9 billion for future building were awarded last month for a 23-county region centered on New York City that includes Long Island. That’s up from $2.9 billion in August 2016.

Last month, nonresidential contracts for commercial properties such as offices, hotels, factories and warehouses climbed 188 percent to $4.1 billion, year over year.

Residential contracts totaled $1.8 billion, a gain of 25 percent from August 2016.