Figures recently released by the Real Estate Research Council ofSouthern California at California State Polytechnic University inPomona indicate that construction costs and the level ofnon-residential permits authorized for the first half of the yearhave continued to rise year-to-year for several years now.

Measured in terms of estimated construction costs, the council'ssecond quarter 2000 Real Estate & Construction Report revealsthat total building valuations for non-residential permits,consisting of office, retail, industrial and hotel/motel buildings,reached $2.15 billion. This is a slight increase from the almost$2.1 billion in valuations for the first half of 1999, but a steadyincline from the $1.6 billion for the same period of 1998 and the$1.5 billion in 1997.

"It's hard to tell what's going on, on a quarterly basis," saysMichael Carney, executive director of the council. "You need tolook on a year-to-year basis."