 |
Healthcare construction spending grew at a compound rate of more than 10% for seven years through mid-2008, but has stalled since then. The stall, however, still represents better growth than almost any other construction market during the recession, which deepened as a result of the fall 2008 credit freeze.
During the stall, hospital construction spending increased 9% from the period before the credit freeze, while spending for nursing homes and other residential care facilities dropped 20% and spending for specialized medical office buildings fell 17%. Hospital construction spending is projected to remain steady through 2010, rising only as a result of higher project costs.
Hospital managers are enjoying a steadily rising revenue stream from patient care, but offsetting that are concerns about possible cuts in fees from states for “free care” and cuts in Medicaid and Medicare. As a precaution, some projects have been trimmed back or deferred.
The recent slowing trend for medical offices and residential care buildings parallels trends in other developed financed sectors, although the slowdown began later and so far has been less severe. Some developers lost credit access because of weakened income and balance sheets. Others lost credit access because lenders are concerned about cash flow coming from new capacity in a depressed economy. Bank examiners have also been steering regional and local lenders away from nonresidential mortgages. As a result, those two small commercial healthcare sectors will continue to decline, along with other commercial properties, through the winter. Following that, they will decline further because spending for other commercial properties will have begun to expand and projects in the pipeline will have fallen substantially.
Look for healthcare construction spending to return to a 10% annual growth pace in 2011, reflective of the usual cyclical surge after a recession. The rebound for hospital construction spending results from delayed stimulus plan funding and the resumption of work that was put on hold while healthcare was debated in Washington. —Jim Haughey, BD+C economist
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
Proposed EPA regulations threaten thousands of jobs, says Portland Cement Association
A proposed hazardous air pollutant regulation for the cement industry undermines the balance between environmental protection and economic viability, according to statements the Portland Cement Association (PCA) is issuing this week at a series of public hearings.
| Aug 11, 2010
Construction employment shrinks in 319 of the nation's 336 largest metro areas in July, continuing months-long slide
Construction workers in communities across the country continued to suffer extreme job losses this July according to a new analysis of metropolitan area employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. That analysis found construction employment declined in 319 of the nation’s largest communities while only 11 areas saw increases and six saw no change in construction employment between July 2008 and July 2009.
| Aug 11, 2010
Skanska, Turner most active in U.S. hotel construction, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 50 Hotel Contractors based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Architecture Billings Index bounces back after substantial dip
Exhibiting a welcome rebound following a 5-point dip the month prior, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) was up almost 6 points in July. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the July ABI rating was 43.1, up noticeably from 37.7 the previous month.
