Dive summary:

• Gilbane Building Co. has issued its summer analysis of the nonresidential building market, and its says things should look up in this half of the year, but it also notes that rising interest rates mean construction will only be more expensive going forward.
• Three indicators – the Dodge Momentum Index, McGraw Hill New Construction Starts and the Architectural Billings Index – all signal that the second half will reverse a slowdown in the first six months.
• Not to get too optimistic, the report predicts there will have been a 5% rise in construction spending when Dec. 31 arrives, but residential building will account for all of it.

From the article:

“Supported by overall positive growth trends for year 2013, I expect margins and overall escalation to climb more rapidly than we’ve seen in five years,” says Ed Zarenski, the report’s author and a 40-year veteran of the construction industry. ...