Data Centers��Drive Growth, Institutional Planning Broadens It��

BOSTON, MA –��August��6, 2026��—��The ����Vlog Momentum Index (DMI), issued by����Construction Network,��grew��6.9% in��July��to 291.7��(2000=100) from the upwardly revised��June��reading of 273.0. Over the month, commercial planning��expanded��4.1%��and��institutional planning grew 13.1%.����

“Data centers and broad-based growth across key institutional sectors supported stronger planning activity in July,” said Sarah Martin, Director of Economic Research at ����Vlog. “Sustained planning activity should bolster construction in��late��2027, though real growth will prove more constrained as inflationary expectations are priced into project costs.”��

After a brief pause in June, data center planning momentum steadily picked up in July. Meanwhile, office, warehouse,��retail��and hotel planning��slowed��pace. Within the institutional��portion��of the index, planning momentum was more broad-based. Education, healthcare, recreational,��religious��and public building planning��all��accelerated in July. Most of the strong month-over-month��gain��can be attributed to education and public building starts, with the latter expanding over 100% in the last two months.��Year-over-year, the DMI was up��11.7% when compared to��July��2025.��The commercial��portion��of the index was up��13.8%��and��the institutional��portion��was up��7.6% over the same period.��When removing data centers, the commercial segment would be��down��16.2% from year-ago levels, given the surge in activity seen last July.����

A total of 59 projects valued at $100 million or more��entered��planning throughout June. The largest commercial projects included the $500 million Data Center Campus in Petersburg, Virginia, the $500 million DFW20C Data Center in Fairfield, Texas, and the $500 million Google Data Center (Project Avalon, Building 2) in Buffalo, West Virginia. The largest institutional projects to enter planning included the $351 million Northwestern Memorial Hospital Cancer Center in Chicago, Illinois, the $300 million��BeOne��Medicines Research and Development Facility (Expansion) in Pennington, New Jersey, and the $300 million Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Agricultural Complex in Houston, Texas.����

The DMI is a monthly measure based on the three-month moving value of nonresidential building projects going into planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year to��18 months.����

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Data Center Growth Cools from Record Pace, Planning Activity Remains Strong��

BOSTON, MA – July 8, 2026��—��The ����Vlog Momentum Index (DMI), issued by������Vlog��Construction Network, fell 1.9% in June to 271.7 (2000=100) from the upwardly revised May reading of 277.1. Over the month, commercial planning declined 6.8%��and��institutional planning momentum grew 10.9%.����

“Despite June’s pullback, nonresidential planning remains on solid ground,” said Sarah Martin, Director of Economic Research at ����Vlog. “Data center activity continued to drive the Index, but its pace moderated from the extraordinary levels seen in recent months and drove the��DMI��to pull back over the month. Otherwise, planning activity accelerated across��nearly every��other sector.”��

Within the commercial��portion��of the Index, slowing data center planning momentum drove this month’s decline.��Meanwhile, planning activity for traditional office buildings, warehouses, retail stores and hotels improved.��On the institutional side, healthcare planning continued to accelerate in May, alongside recreational,��government��and religious building activity.��Educational planning slowed down for the second consecutive month.��Year-over-year, the��DMI��was up 21.8% when compared to June 2025. Both the commercial and institutional segments were up also 21.8% over the same period. When removing data centers, the commercial segment would be up 7.6% from year-ago levels.����

A total of 59 projects valued at $100 million or more��entered��planning throughout June. The largest commercial projects included the $500 million��Stak��Energy AI Data Center Campus in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, the $480 million Project Swan Data Center Complex in Lakeland, Florida, and the $456.8 million Parcel A Data Center in Manassas, Virginia. The largest institutional planning projects included the $437 million��DCSO��Correctional Facility (Replacement) in Nashville, Tennessee, the $320 million Cone Health Hospital in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and the $303 million El Camino Health Hospital in Los Gatos, California.����

The��DMI��is a monthly measure based on the three-month moving value of nonresidential building projects going into planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year to��18 months.����

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Planning Activity��Broadens Beyond Data Centers

BOSTON, MA��–��June��5,��2026��—��The ����Vlog Momentum Index (DMI), issued by ����Vlog increased��5.9%��in��May��to��275.7��(2000=100) from the��downwardly��revised��April��reading of��260.4.��Over the month,��commercial planning��expanded 6.9%��and��institutional planning��momentum��grew��3.1%.����

“Nonresidential planning continued to stabilize throughout May,” said Sarah Martin, Director of Economic Research at ����Vlog. “Growth in the DMI continued to be led by data center activity, but key sectors – such as healthcare, retail stores and offices – gained momentum as well. Nonetheless, the broader outlook remains cautious, as persistent labor constraints, elevated material costs and ongoing supply chain pressures weigh on owner sentiment in the near term.”��

Over the month, planning activity for traditional office buildings, data centers,��and retail stores improved, while��warehouse,��hotel and parking garage��planning slowed down.��On the institutional side,��healthcare planning continued to accelerate��in May, alongside government and religious building activity. Meanwhile,��educational��and recreational��building momentum��slowed down.��Year-over-year, the DMI was up��33.8% when compared to��May��2025. The commercial segment was up��41.2% (+6.6% when data centers are removed) and the institutional segment was up��17.7% over the same period.����

A total of��29��projects valued at $100 million or more��entered��planning throughout��May.��The largest��commercial projects��included��the��EDCAUS11 and EDCAUS12 data centers in Bastrop, Texas, each valued at an estimated $437 million.��Additionally, the $432 million Wallace Jackson Industrial Park Data Center (Building 4) in Griffin, Georgia entered the planning queue.��The largest institutional��planning��projects were the��$400 million Coast Guard Training Center (TRACEN) modernization project in Cape May, New Jersey, the $400 million Fisk University Innovation Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and the $241 million Harborview Yesler Terrace Medical Office in Seattle, Washington.����������

The DMI is a monthly measure��based on the three-month moving��value of��nonresidential building projects��going into��planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year��to��18 months.����

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Data Centers Prop Up Planning, While Most Sectors Fall Back��

BOSTON, MA��–��April��7,��2026��—��The ����Vlog Momentum Index (DMI), issued by ����Vlog increased��1.8%��in��March��to��250.5��(2000=100) from the��downwardly��revised��February��reading of��246.2.��Over the month,��commercial planning��grew��7.0%��and��institutional planning��momentum��declined��8.8%.����

“Planning momentum in March was powered almost entirely by data center projects, with most other sectors easing back,” said Sarah Martin, Associate Director of Forecasting at ����Vlog. “For some categories, this reflects a natural reset after the outsized growth��in late��2025. But for others, elevated macroeconomic��risks��are��likely��beginning��to feed into��planning��decisions.”��

On the commercial side,��planning momentum slowed across all commercial sectors apart from��data centers.��Institutional planning saw widespread weakness, with only education and public buildings moderately gaining traction.��Despite recent declines, the��DMI��remains��elevated.��Year-over-year, the��DMI��was up��25.8% when compared to��March��2025. The commercial segment was up��28.5%��(-12.7%��when data centers are removed)��and the institutional segment was up��19.6% over the same period.����

A total of��54��projects valued at $100 million or more��entered��planning throughout��February.��The largest of those projects included 17 individual buildings, each valued at $500 million, for the Amazon Data Center Campus in Hamlet, North Carolina. Similarly, ten individual buildings, each valued at $250 million, entered planning in relation to the Microsoft Data��Center��DSM50��in Dallas, Iowa. The largest institutional projects were the $245 million��MCLJ��Outpatient Pavilion in��San Diego, California, the $183 million Orlando Health Viera Hospital (Phase��1B) in Viera West, Florida, and the $175 million Bachelor Enlisted Quarters renovation project at Camp Pendleton North in San Diego, California.����

The��DMI��is a monthly measure��based on the three-month moving��value of��nonresidential building projects��going into��planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year��to��18 months.����

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Nonresidential Planning��Continues to Normalize

BOSTON, MA��–��March��6,��2026��—��The ����Vlog Momentum Index (DMI), issued by ����Vlog declined 7.3% in February to 250.0 (2000=100) from the downwardly revised January reading of 269.8. Over the month, commercial planning fell 8.9%, and institutional planning momentum slowed by 4.0%. ��

“Planning momentum��continued��to normalize��in February��after��a surge in activity��in the back half of 2025,”��said Sarah Martin, Associate Director of Forecasting at ����Vlog. “Elevated risks around costs, labor, and geopolitics will continue to constrain��builder��confidence in the near-term but the robust planning pipeline suggests an acceleration in construction spending in 2027.”��

On the commercial side,��planning momentum slowed across all commercial sectors apart from��warehouses.��Within institutional planning,��all sectors slowed down with public buildings facing the largest contraction.��Despite widespread declines, project momentum for retail stores, recreational buildings, data��centers��and healthcare facilities��remain��elevated.��Year-over-year, the DMI was up��18.7% when compared to��February��2025. The commercial segment was up��12.3%��(+4.4%��when data centers are removed)��and��the institutional segment was up��34.0% over the same period.����

A total of��23��projects valued at $100 million or more��entered��planning throughout��February.��The largest commercial projects��included��the $500 million��CyrusOne Data Center in Whitney, Texas, the $448 million TX12 Data Center in San Antonio,��Texas��and Buildings 5 and 6 of the QTS DFW2 Data Center in Wilmer, Texas – each valued at $290 million.��The largest institutional projects to enter planning were the��$400 million Orange County Convention Center Grand Concourse expansion��(Phase 5A)��in Orlando, Florida,��a $254 million school replacement project in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and the $250 million Langley F-22 Dormitory Building in Mclean, Virginia.����

The DMI is a monthly measure��based on the three-month moving��value of��nonresidential building projects��going into��planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year��to��18 months.����

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Planning activity flattens over the month.

BOSTON, M.A. – March 12, 2025 — The ����Vlog Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Construction Network, grew 0.7% in February to 225.6 (2000=100) from the revised January reading of 223.9. Over the month, commercial planning increased 3.3% while institutional planning fell 4.6%.����

“Planning momentum moderated in February, after a few months of stronger growth,” stated Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at ����Vlog. “Data centers continue to prop up growth in the overall index. Without them, the DMI would have decreased 2% this month. Increased uncertainty around material prices and fiscal policies may begin to weigh on planning decisions, but for the time being, planning activity is largely continuing to move forward.”����

On the commercial side, data center, traditional office building, and retail planning led this month’s gains, while weaker education planning brought down the institutional portion. In February, the DMI was up 27% when compared to year-ago levels. The commercial segment was up 43% from February 2024, while the institutional segment was up 2% over the same period. The influence of data centers on the DMI this year remains substantial. If we remove all data center projects between 2023 and 2025, commercial planning would be up 12% from year-ago levels, and the entire DMI would be up 8%.����

A total of 26 projects valued at $100 million or more entered planning throughout February. The largest commercial projects included the $500 million Tract Data Center Park in Chester, Virginia, and the SAT93 and SAT94 Microsoft Data Center projects in San Antonio, Texas – each valued at $350 million. The largest institutional projects to enter planning were the $329 million Burlington High School in Burlington, Massachusetts, the $300 million T-Mobile Arena renovation in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the $300 million North Dakota State Hospital in Jamestown, North Dakota.����

The DMI is a monthly measure of the value of nonresidential building projects going into planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year.��

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Planning activity sees widespread growth over the month.

BOSTON, M.A. – February 7, 2025 — The ����Vlog Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Construction Network, grew 5.6% in January to 225.7 (2000=100) from the revised December reading of 213.6. Over the month, commercial planning increased 4.2% while institutional planning improved 8.7%.����

“Nonresidential planning activity saw diversified growth in January, with every vertical experiencing positive momentum,” stated Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at ����Vlog. “Uncertainty over fiscal policies, ongoing labor shortages and elevated construction costs will continue to be headwinds to the construction sector. However, further monetary easing and the sizable number of projects in planning should support construction spending in the back half of the year.”��

On the commercial side, data center, traditional office building, and warehouse planning led this month’s gains. Education and healthcare planning supported the institutional portion, especially on the hospital side. In January, the DMI was up 26% when compared to year-ago levels. The commercial segment was up 37% from January 2024, while the institutional segment was up 9% over the same period. The influence of data centers on the DMI this year remains substantial. If we remove all data center projects between 2023 and 2025, commercial planning would be up 13% from year-ago levels, and the entire DMI would be up 11%.��

A total of 33 projects valued at $100 million or more entered planning throughout January. The largest commercial projects included the $500 million Amazon Data Center in Jeffersonville, Ohio, and Phase 1 of the Hunter’s Ridge Data Center in Mclean, Virginia. The largest institutional projects to enter planning were the $407 million Memorial Hospital expansion in Colorado Springs, Colorado and the $300 million AdventHealth Hospital expansion in Parker, Colorado.��������

The DMI is a monthly measure of the value of nonresidential building projects going into planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year.��

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Commercial planning bounced back strongly over the month.

BOSTON, M.A. – January 8, 2024 — The ����Vlog Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Construction Network, grew 10.2% in December to 212.0 (2000=100) from the revised November reading of 192.3. Over the month, commercial planning increased 14.2% while institutional planning improved 2.5%.��

“Commercial activity rebounded strongly in December, thanks to a re-acceleration in data center and warehouse planning activity,” stated Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at ����Vlog. “Overall, the strong performance of the Momentum Index this past year is expected to support nonresidential construction spending throughout 2025.”

On the commercial side, data center and warehouse planning drove much of the growth this month, while stronger healthcare and education activity supported the institutional portion. In December, the DMI was up 19% when compared to year-ago levels. The commercial segment was up 30% from December 2023, while the institutional segment was flat over the same period. The influence of data centers on the DMI this year has been substantial. If we remove all data center projects in 2023 and 2024, commercial planning would be up 8% from year-ago levels, and the entire DMI would be up 5%.

A total of 32 projects valued at $100 million or more entered planning throughout December. The largest commercial projects included six phases of the $1.6 billion Powerhouse 95 data center in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and four phases of the $1 billion Brambleton Data Center at Tech Park in Ashburn, Virginia. The largest institutional projects to enter planning were the $226 million OhioHealth Outpatient Cancer Center in Columbus, Ohio, and the $220 million county jail in Peoria, Illinois.��

The DMI is a monthly measure of the value of nonresidential building projects going into planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year.

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Most commercial sectors continued to fall back throughout the month.

BEDFORD, M.A. – December 6, 2024 — The ����Vlog Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Construction Network, decreased 2.3% in November to 191.5 (2000=100) from the revised October reading of 196.0. Over the month, commercial planning fell 4.6% while institutional planning improved 2.5%.����

“Throughout 2024, we’ve seen robust growth in nonresidential planning activity – but labor shortages and high construction costs have prevented those projects from moving through the planning process at a normal pace. The current backlog may be constraining demand for commercial planning in the short-term,” stated Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at ����Vlog. “Uncertainty over new tariff and immigration policies under President-elect Trump’s administration may also generate some pause with developers, although it’s a bit too early to tell if that’s the primary factor here. Overall, easing monetary policy will help alleviate the backlog of projects in the planning queue throughout 2025 and spur more demand for projects in the coming months.”��

On the commercial side, slower data center, office, warehouse and retail planning drove much of this month’s decline, while strong growth in education planning informed much of the growth on the institutional side. The institutional portion of the DMI has grown in 5 of the last 6 months.��

In November, the DMI was 12% higher than year-ago levels. The commercial segment was up 13% from November 2023, while the institutional segment was up 8% over the same period. The influence of data centers on the DMI this year has been substantial. If we remove all data center projects in 2023 and 2024, commercial planning would be down 6% from year-ago levels, and the entire DMI would be down 1%.��

A total of 17 projects valued at $100 million or more entered planning throughout November. The largest commercial projects included $350 million Bally’s Hotel Tower and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and the $312 million Accokeek Data Center in Stafford, Virginia. The largest institutional projects to enter planning were the $465 million student dormitory at UC Berkeley, California and the $323 million Intensive Treatment Tower at Texas Health Presbyterian in Plano, Texas.����

The DMI is a monthly measure of the value of nonresidential building projects going into planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year.��

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Slower planning across several segments drove weaker activity this month.

BEDFORD, M.A. – November 7, 2024 — The ����Vlog Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Construction Network, decreased 5.3% in October to 197.2 (2000=100) from the revised September reading of 208.2. Over the month, commercial planning fell 6.7%, and institutional planning declined 2.0%.����

“In addition to data center planning normalizing, a moderate pullback in the number of planning projects for several other nonresidential sectors also contributed to the decline in the ����Vlog Momentum Index for October,” stated Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at ����Vlog. “Regardless, owners and developers remain confident in next year’s market conditions, and the planning queue remains poised to spur stronger construction activity in 2025, following deeper rate cuts by the Fed.”����

Most commercial categories faced declines throughout October, aside from hotel planning – which continued to gain momentum. On the institutional side, education and public planning activity expanded, offset by weaker activity in healthcare, recreational, and religious projects. ��

This month, the DMI was 13% higher than in October of 2023. The commercial segment was up 18% from year-ago levels, while the institutional segment was up 3% over the same period. The influence of data centers on the DMI this year has been substantial. If we remove all data center projects from January to October, commercial planning would be down 4% from year-ago levels, and the entire DMI would be down 2%.��

A total of 18 projects valued at $100 million or more entered planning throughout October. The largest commercial projects included $450 million EdgeCloudLink Data Center in Houston, Texas and the $410 million GFT Hotel in Arlington, Texas. The largest institutional projects to enter planning were the $300 million Kellogg School Building at Northwestern University and the $270 million Primrose School of Stevens Ranch in San Antonio, Texas.����

The DMI is a monthly measure of the value of nonresidential building projects going into planning, shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year.��

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