Dive Brief:

• Construction of nonresidential buildings continued its roller-coaster ride in April, with the number of projects in the works rising slightly—by 0.8%—after dipping by 2.15% in March, according to Dodge Data & Analytics’ Momentum Index.

• The index is a predictor of spending on nonresidential buildings as far out as a year.

• April’s index number was up 8.5% compared with April 2014, and the analysts who compile the index have predicted commercial-sector building will “see a more sustained upward trend as 2015 progresses.”

Dive Insight:

Commercial-sector building has improved as vacancy rates in office buildings have dropped, and the institutional sector has profited from the passage of recent bond measures.

Also, planning of three large projects began in April: a $500 million expansion of the JW Marriott & Ritz Carlton Hotel in Los Angeles; a $300 million Loews Sapphire Falls Resort in Orlando, FL, and a $100 million warehouse and office building project in Santa Fe Springs, CA, Dodge reported.