Above-average activity drives DMI to record highs

BOSTON, MA – August 7, 2025 — The Dodge Momentum Index (DMI), issued by Dodge Construction Network, grew 20.8% in July to 280.4 (2000=100) from the upwardly revised June reading of 232.1. Over the month, commercial planning grew 14.2% while institutional planning expanded 35.1%. Year-to-date, the DMI is up 27% from the average reading over the same period in 2024.  

“Planning data skyrocketed in the month of July on the back of several large projects entering the planning queue for data centers, research & development labs, hospitals and service stations,” stated Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at Dodge Construction Network. “Combined with more organic momentum in planning for hotels, warehouses, and recreational projects, cumulative activity drove record highs in the DMI. After months of wait-and-see due to tariff uncertainty, owners and developers have begun to move forward with projects and assumed higher costs for them. As economic and fiscal uncertainty remains prevalent, volatility in planning activity will remain elevated.”   

On the commercial side, all sectors gained momentum over the month, notably led by strength in data centers and warehouses. MassDOT also entered over $700 million in planning towards the construction of several service plaza projects throughout the state. Most of this month’s growth took place on the institutional side, with education, healthcare, and public projects seeing substantial growth in planning activity. For example, the Hospital Corporation of America announced a slew of hospital projects in July, driving very strong growth over a single month. In July, the DMI increased by 41% compared to the same period last year. The commercial segment increased by 24% from July 2024, and the institutional segment rose by 85% over the same period. If all data center projects between 2023 and 2025 are excluded, commercial planning would be up 26% from year-ago levels, driven by an uptick in warehouse planning.  

A total of 47 projects valued at $100 million or more entered planning throughout July. The largest commercial projects included the $500 million Fairview Connections Data Center in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, the $500 million Jabil AI Data Center in Salisbury, North Carolina, and the $460 million Peabody Union Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. The largest institutional projects to enter planning were the $459 million ASM Campus research and development lab and office in Scottsdale, Arizona, the $398 million research and development lab in San Diego, California, and the $380 million PPV Unaccompanied Housing/Navy Dormitory project in Norfolk, Virginia.  

The DMI is a monthly measure of the value of nonresidential building projects entering the planning stage, which has been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year.

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