North Central

Construction in the North Central region highlights the urban-rural divide.

Higher interest rates, fluctuating material costs, and labor shortages—partly due to workers moving to larger cities—have slowed construction in states like the Dakotas. Nevertheless, these states are benefiting from federal initiatives promoting green energy. With 100 to 200 days of sunshine each year, this part of the country is ideal for solar power plants.

In larger cities, like Chicago, Minneapolis, and Columbus, demand for affordable housing and federal spending on infrastructure projects have driven growth in the local construction market. Chicago remains the region’s largest city and most active market. The Chicago metro area is home to nearly nine million people and hosts seven of the region’s ten largest construction projects.

City officials are pushing for adaptive reuse, primarily along the LaSalle Street corridor (home to Cumming Group’s Chicago office). Additionally, the proposed new Chicago Bears stadium has garnered a lot of attention. Although the team has been keeping its specific plans under wraps, it is clear that the project will include a new, larger stadium alongside a commercial and residential district. This could add billions to the local economy, and firms across the city are already competing for the anticipated work. Farther South, there is a new quantum computing facility going up on land that was once a steel plant.

* Other structures include religious buildings, amusement, government communications, and public recreation projects.