'Mini megacities' to watch for commercial construction: Columbus, OH

Source: Smart Cities Author: Jenn Goodman Published: Jan 23, 2020

When it comes to construction, Columbus, OH is hot and getting hotter.

For nearly a decade, the capital of the Buckeye State has enjoyed an influx of employers and residents that culminated in a year of construction like none other in the city’s history. Construction starts in the metropolitan area were estimated at $6 billion in 2019 — 18% more than the year before — and industry watchers say they could go even higher for 2020.

The jobs driving this growth come from a range of well-known public and private sources: Ohio State University, Google, Facebook and corporate headquarters for companies like Victoria's Secret, Cardinal Health and Nationwide Insurance.

Gutknecht Construction Co.

The metropolitan area’s population has grown by nearly 11% in the past decade, and an additional 1 million residents are expected in the next 30 years, according to the Building Industry Association of Central Ohio.

The area also is seeing a massive uptick in office and bank construction and highway and bridge jobs, said Barton Hacker, president and CEO of the Associated Builders and Contractors Central Ohio Chapter. 

But most notably, Columbus and its suburbs are transforming into a logistics and technology hub, thanks to massive data facilities from Facebook, Google and Amazon. "It's changing the landscape of the city," Hacker said.

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