building materials co. inc.

WHOLESAIE DISIRIIUIORS l22O PRODUCE STREET, LOS ANGELES 21, CALIF. TRinity 53O4

PRO'IAPT DETIVERY IN tos ANGELES-ORANGE_RIVERSIDE AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES

Record Construction Seen in 1957

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1956 and 1957 is anticipated from increased constructiorr activity by the public utilities, and advances in all types of nerv nonresidential building except commercial building, r,vhich is expected to remain unchanged from last year's record level.

Outlays for commercial buildings rvill probably total $3.3 billion, with an increase for office buildings offsetting a decline in expenditures for new stores and other mercantile buildings. Demand for additional ofEce space is still high, as indicated by the continued lorv office-building' vacancy rate. On the other hand, declining contract al':rrcls volume and the cornpletion of tnany ncu' shopping centers suggest that store-building demancl is begirrning to tapcr off.

An anticipated slight rise in farm construction, reversing a 4-year downtrend, is based chiefly on recent advances in farm income. Religious and private educational building, each of which achieved more construction put in place in 1956 than in any previous year, will likely expand still more in 1957.

Highway construction probably rvill reach a uew high ol $51 billion, or about 8/o above last year's level, principally because of the expanding program of Federal aid to highways. State toll-road constructior-r may decline

Somervhat. as u'ork on new and continuing projects rvill not compensate for major completions in 1956.

To provicle essential community services to new housir-rg developments and continually growing suburbs, record expenditures of nearly $2.9 billion for public school building appear likely in 1957.

Construction work at military bases is scheduted for