MEMO: CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY RISES

Total construction activity in Missouri was up 6 percent in August, and up 8 percent for the year.

The F.W. Dodge Division of McGraw-Hill, an authority on the construction market, reported construction for September at $483,277,000, up from $456,285,000 for the same month in 1994.

Nonresidential construction during the month, which includes commercial, manufacturing, and other buildings not designed for shelter, was reported at $150,965,000, up 23 percent from the $129,650,000 figures of September 1994.

Residential construction for the month was $202,919,000, down 7 percent from the $218,328,000 in September 1994.

Nonbuilding construction, which includes streets, highways, bridges, river and harbor developments, airports and a few other projects, was reported at $120,393,000 for September, up 11 percent from the $108,307,000 of September 1994.

Construction for the first three quarters was up 8 percent. Overall totals through September were $4.7 billion, compared to $4.3 billion a year ago. Nonresidential construction for the first nine months was reported at $2 billion, up 31 percent from the $1.6 billion the first nine months of 1994; residential construction was reported at $1.8 billion, down 14 percent from the $2 billion of 1994; and nonbuilding was reported at $949 million, 23 percent more than the $769 million in 1994.