For the second year in a row, the city of Seattle has more cranes than any other city in the U.S., as the Emerald City construction boom shows no signs of slowing down. As a recent Seattle Times article outlines, many cities around the country are seeing a decline in cranes, dropping an average “8 percent over the past six months,” yet the number seen in Seattle as of early July is at 58, which is “60 percent more than any other U.S. city” and unchanged when compared to cranes in Seattle this time last year. Seattle’s count gives it a staggering 22-crane lead over Los Angeles, the second place city, though other North American cities such as Toronto are soaring high above Seattle, currently at 81 cranes.
As the number of new construction projects in the region is increasing, so too is the demand for skilled laborers and cranes, as companies are booked out months before they can take on new projects. According to Seattle Times, there are roughly 50 major projects set to break ground in 2017, with “an additional 99 developments” slated for future years.
Though much of the construction is devoted to apartment buildings or mixed-use retail spaces, there are a couple of projects promising homeownership for would-be buyers. By the end of this month, SKANSKA, the contractor for NEXUS condominiums, will add its tower crane as construction continues on the 378-unit high-rise at 1200 Howell Street slated for occupancy in mid-2019. Additionally, RSIR recently announced the KODA Condominium project, a proposed mid-rise by Da-Li Development currently designed as 18 stories and 200+ condominiums with a targeted ground breaking in early 2018 and occupancy by 2020.