Nonresidential building, at $190.6 billion (annual rate), retreated 8 percent in June, as weaker activity was reported for the majority of the structure types. The commercial building group fell 13 percent following its 17 percent increase in May. Both stores and warehouses weakened in June, dropping 9 percent and 53 percent respectively, while hotel construction slipped 11 percent from its heightened May amount.

Despite its May decline, hotel construction in June did see the start of several large projects, including a $411 million hotel resort in Lahaina, Hawaii, and a $97 million hotel in Charleston, S.C.

Office construction in June ran counter to the other commercial structure types, advancing 11 percent from the previous month. Large office projects that reached groundbreaking in June were $575 million for the office portion of the $618 million Manhattan West project in New York, a $202 million office building in Denver, and a $95 million office building on Roosevelt Island in New York as part of the Cornell NYC Tech Campus development.

Manufacturing plant construction in June bounced back 86 percent from a weak May, and included such projects as a $600 million refinery expansion in Texas and a $200 million ethanol plant upgrade in Nevada.

The institutional building group in June settled back 9 percent, as all the structure types except educational facilities experienced weaker activity. Healthcare facilities dropped 10 percent from its elevated May pace, although June did see groundbreaking for several large healthcare projects, such as a $520 million hospital expansion in Houston, a $230 million hospital in Lakeland, Fla., and a $220 million hospital in Fremont, Calif.

The amusement-related category dropped 21 percent, yet June did see the start of such projects as a $102 million sports arena upgrade in San Antonio and a $100 million expansion to the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.