The Vancouver Regional Construction Association (VRCA) has reported non-residential building investment was up 16.8 per cent last year over 2007, setting a new record and marking the sixth consecutive annual spending increase.

Total non-residential investment spending in the Vancouver Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) reached $3.38 billion last year, up from $2.9 billion in 2006. This was largely on the strength of commercial building investment spending, which was up 30 per cent (to $2.36 billion). Industrial building investment, on the other hand, rose 1.7 per cent (to $241.1 million), while institutional/government spending actually went down 7.3 per cent to $780.3 million.

Since 2001, investment spending in and around the Vancouver area is up 133 per cent.