Here are the top Pennsylvania construction stories this week:
Pennsylvania Unveils Longterm Housing Action Plan: The biggest construction-related story this week is Gov. Josh Shapiro’s announcement of Pennsylvania’s first comprehensive Housing Action Plan — a multi-year strategy aimed at jumpstarting housing construction, rehabilitation, and affordability across the state. The plan calls for:
- A $1 billion initiative to support homebuilding, infrastructure, and related projects.
- Modernizing planning and zoning rules to cut red tape that slows construction.
- Expanded renter protections and homebuyer support to increase housing access.
- A goal of building hundreds of thousands of new housing units by 2035 to address the state’s housing shortage.
This housing plan initiative is intended to boost construction activity statewide — especially in the residential sector — and tackle long-standing affordability and supply bottlenecks that have constrained new build. READ MORE.
Local Data Center Rezoning Blocked – Impacts Construction Planning: In Montour County, local regulators voted to deny a rezoning request for a planned data center development near an existing energy plant — a decision that could reshape how technology-related construction projects proceed in the state.
- The plan was tied to facilities that would support large tech infrastructure and AI-oriented construction.
- Opposition from residents and officials over environmental and utility concerns played a key role in the rezoning denial.
While this isn’t traditional “building construction” like housing or commercial buildings, data center infrastructure is one of the fastest-growing segments of construction and can involve large-scale campuses with extensive planning, zoning, and utility requirements, so this decision is significant for the industry. READ MORE.
2026 Pennsylvania Construction Hike For Hope: The KCA is proud to announce it will once again partner with the Master Builders’ Association of Western PA to bring the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Construction Hike For Hope to Pennsylvania. As part of this effort, the KCA and MBA will jointly host the 2026 Pennsylvania Construction Hike For Hope on Saturday, May 16, with two locations across Pennsylvania:
- Settlers Ridge, Pittsburgh, hosted by the MBA – TEAM MBA Information
- Memorial Lake State Park, Lebanon County, hosted by the KCA – TEAM KCA Information
- 2026 Pennsylvania Construction Hike For Hope Homepage
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