2011 West North Central Regional Forecast

This region is quietly recovering from the recession with a mix of downtown redevelopment, wind farm construction and a housing market moving in the right direction. Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn., have a $957 million light-rail system underway, and Omaha, Neb.’s downtown is alive with construction cranes at the new ballpark now being built for the College Baseball World Series and the $130 million TD Ameritrade headquarters. Kansas City, Mo., broke ground on a retrofit of the National Nuclear Security Administration and General Services Administration (GSA) facilities and is enjoying a resurgence downtown with the construction of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and the expansion of the Power & Light district. Being located in the nation’s Wind Belt has its advantages, as this year at least five major wind farms broke ground in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and North Dakota.