Seattle Has Most Construction Cranes for Second Consecutive Year
For the second consecutive year, Seattle boasts more cranes than any other city in the U.S., as the construction boom shows no signs of letting up. Seattle Times reports that though other cities around the nation are experiencing a decline in crane counts, dropping an average of “8 percent over the past six months,” the number in Seattle as of early July was a staggering 58, unchanged compared to last year and “60 percent more than any other U.S. city.” Seattle’s numbers give it a 22-crane lead over second place Los Angeles, though the city is still behind other North American cities such as Toronto, which currently has 81 cranes.
Given the vast number of new construction projects in the region, it’s no surprise that cranes and construction workers are booked out months in advance as “50 major projects are scheduled to begin construction this year” with “an additional 99 developments” slated for future years. Though much of the new construction revolves around apartment buildings to accommodate our growing population, “there are also several new office buildings popping up around town – fueled primarily by the unrelenting growth of Amazon and expansions for tech companies like Google and Facebook. A few large hotel and condo projects are under way, as well.”