Top 9 Commercial Construction Projects of August 2025

Top 9 Commercial Construction Projects Break Ground in August 2025

The U.S. construction industry saw a mix of growth and slowdown in August 2025, as Dodge Construction Network reported a slight rebound in total construction starts despite a cooling pace in several categories.

According to Dodge, total construction starts increased 1.7% in August, reaching a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.23 trillion. The rise comes after a sharp 10% decline in July.

“Construction activity continues to present a mixed picture,” said Sarah Martin, associate director of forecasting at Dodge Construction Network. “Large-scale megaprojects continue to support overall activity, but with mounting signs of economic softness, the pace of growth is beginning to moderate.”

Commercial and Manufacturing Challenges

Nonresidential building starts dropped 5.4% in August, following a sluggish July. Commercial starts took the largest hit, falling 12% as every major subsector saw declines. Warehouse starts plummeted 25.3%, while retail projects slid 11.3%.

Manufacturing construction continued its downward trend, dropping 24.4% in August, following an even steeper 84.8% decline in July. Despite this, year-to-date nonresidential starts are still up 3.4% compared to 2024. Commercial projects rose 7.6% over the first eight months, though institutional projects—such as education and healthcare—dipped 0.7%.

Over the past year, however, the longer-term trend remains positive: nonresidential starts climbed 4.8%, with commercial up 17.4% and institutional up 6.1%.

Infrastructure and Residential Outlook

Infrastructure construction showed signs of strain as highway and bridge projects declined 5.6% in August. Still, overall nonbuilding starts rose 9.3%, supported heavily by a nearly 40% surge in utility-related projects. Over the 12 months ending in August 2025, total nonbuilding groundbreakings were up 12.1%.

On the residential side, activity improved modestly. Housing starts increased 2.4% in August, boosted by a strong 15.5% gain in multifamily projects. Single-family housing, however, continued to lag, leaving total residential starts down 1.2% year-over-year.

The 9 Largest Projects of August 2025

Despite some cooling in the broader market, several high-profile projects moved forward last month:

1. Woodside Louisiana LNG Facility – $5.1 billion, Sulphur, Louisiana.
2. Cheniere Corpus Christi LNG Facility – $2.9 billion, Gregory, Texas.
3. Kingston Energy Complex with Battery Storage – $1.8 billion, Kingston, Tennessee.
4. Geisinger Medical Center Tower – $880 million, Danville, Pennsylvania.
5. Fort Meade East Campus Office Building – $666 million, Fort Meade, Maryland.
6. Kuilei Place Mixed-Use Residential Tower – $619 million, Honolulu, Hawaii.
7. UM Shore Medical Center – $540 million, Easton, Maryland.
8. 120 Brickell Residences – $413 million, Miami, Florida.
9. Coles Street Mixed-Use Development – $383 million, Jersey City, New Jersey.

These projects highlight the diverse range of U.S. construction activity, from energy and infrastructure investments to healthcare expansions and high-rise residential towers.

Even as the pace of new groundbreakings fluctuates, industry analysts note that large-scale projects are helping stabilize overall construction momentum heading into the final quarter of 2025.

Originally reported by Sebastian Obando in Construction Dive.