PHOENIX — The latest number of cranes counted in downtown Phoenix is a significant jump from the low number seen over the past two years even as the Valley experiences the effects of continued construction cost increases.
The new Rider Levett Bucknall Crane Index shows that central Phoenix had nine construction cranes operating in the first quarter of this year within a six-mile radius of the Central Avenue and Washington Street intersection.
This was a big increase from the two or three cranes tallied in the past three counts in Phoenix and a return to the higher number of cranes seen in 2020 and the beginning of 2021. The third quarter of 2020 had the highest number in recent years at 16 cranes in Phoenix.
The six additional cranes added since last fall are there because of mixed-use, health care and mostly residential projects in the downtown area, the report said, adding that most of the construction tends to be in the residential sector. Tower cranes are typically required for constructing building at least five stories tall.
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