Sabrina Bocaranda | Capital Analytics Associates

James Fox, President, Maddox Group

By Max Crampton-Thomas

2 min read October 2019 — To be successful in the construction industry, a company needs to be flexible and cognizant about the sector’s constant state of change. A construction company also needs to be wary that even with new technologies in the market, at the end of the day, there is no way to control unforeseen issues and challenges. James Fox, president of Maddox Group in Boca Raton, discussed these ideas with Invest: as well as how his company is ensuring it remains as recession proof as possible in preparation for an eventual economic dip.

With which business sectors are your services most in demand?

The sector where we’re seeing the most demand is, first and foremost, corporate interiors. Second would be medical offices, then industrial and finally retail. The demand for medical offices seems pretty self-explanatory: retired people relocate to Florida and enjoy the weather, which ultimately increases the need for more medical services. In regards to the demand for more corporate offices, the trend seems to be going toward Palm Beach County due to the simple fact that, in comparison to Miami, there’s more land and more opportunity here now.

How have you seen the demand for office types change?

Traditionally a typical build-out would consist of new ceilings, new flooring, new lighting and specified work stations. Today’s young entrepreneur is building offices that aren’t really offices; rather, they are 360-degree workspaces where there isn’t an emphasis on a desk or workspace belonging to any one individual.

How has new technology changed the construction industry?

In our industry there are always new technologies popping up to make construction quicker, but at the end of the day it’s still construction. The fact is that you’re building things, and issues are going to arise that are out of anyone’s control. What we do is tell our clients that this is our schedule and barring any unforeseen challenges you’ll be able to move in by this date. But like I said, things happen, and technology can’t always help avoid them.

How do you best protect your business in the case of another economic slowdown?

Everybody wants to talk about when things are going to come back to reality in the construction market. People can theorize but no one actually knows. My thought process is to stay recession proof. Doing interior build-outs has been the key to this. When the economy dips, businesses don’t have the capital to relocate and build a new office; instead, they will take the space they are working out of and change the interior. Instead of going out into the market and claiming we do 20 different things, we focus our efforts on interiors and it works for us.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit:

https://maddoxgc.com/

The Unsolved Mysteries of the Everglades

By Sara Warden

2 min read October 2019 – The Everglades is a sprawling wonder of nature – over 1.5 million acres of swampland that is home to 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish, 40 species of mammals, and 50 species of reptiles, as well as several protected animal species. Coming in just after Yellowstone as the third-largest national park in the United States, its vast and difficult-to-navigate terrain has swallowed up many an unprepared traveler. Here are just three of the unsolved mysteries buried deep in the swamplands.

1. The Lost Patrol

South Florida lies just at the tip of the Bermuda Triangle, and is not exempt from its fair share of missing aircraft, especially in the deep swamps of the Everglades. One such case that remains unsolved today is that of The Lost Patrol in 1945. As World War II was coming to a close, a training flight of five Grumman Avenger aircraft left Fort Lauderdale Naval Air Station and were never seen again.

A wreckage was found in 1989 but this was later attributed to a later crash, in 1947. But a research team led by entrepreneur Andy Marocco is convinced that, rather than flying east out of Fort Lauderdale and getting lost in open water over the Atlantic, the flight went down over the Everglades. As it stands, there are no known unexplained wrecks of Avengers in or near Florida, and the Lost Patrol remains to be found.

2. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401

In 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 took off from New York to Miami but crashed over the Everglades, killing 101 of the 176 on board. Among the dead were pilot, Bob Loft, and flight engineer Don Repo. The crash was found to have been caused by a minor technical fault, which was then fixed by Lockheed. Some of the parts of the downed craft were able to be salvaged for use in other airliners.

But pilots, flight officers, even a vice president of Eastern Airlines, later reported seeing the two on flights that had reused the components from the crashed aircraft. The Eastern Airlines VP reportedly had a conversation with someone he assumed to be the captain, but as soon as he realized it was Loft, the apparition vanished. On board one aircraft, a galley oven was mysteriously repaired despite the insistence of the plane’s engineer that he did not carry out the repair and there was no other engineer on board. A flight attendant sighted a man that resembled Repo seemingly carrying out repairs on the oven.

But one of the most startling incidents happened on the Tri-Star 318, where flight attendant Faye Merryweather saw Repo’s face staring out from a galley oven. Two more witnesses backed her claims, and all three heard Repo say “Watch out for fire on this airplane” before he disappeared from sight. Later in the flight, the plane encountered serious engine trouble, and the last leg had to be canceled. Interestingly, the galley oven had originally been aboard Flight 401.

3. The Everglades Ghost Ship

According to the legends, the Everglades Ghost Ship was originally a pirate vessel in the 18th or 19th century, which targeted a merchant ship to pillage. The merchant ship led the pirate ship on a lengthy chase, and when it was finally caught in Cape Florida, the pirates were so incensed that they made every man aboard walk the plank to their death in the murky swamp. But having been forced to watch the slaughter of the crew, the wife of the skipper reportedly cursed the pirates and immediately an enormous tidal wave dragged the pirate ship far inland. To this day, it is doomed to roam the twisting waterways and labyrinthine swamplands of the Everglades, searching for a way back to sea. Natives, locals and hunters have all reported seeing the spectre of the rusted ship wandering aimlessly through the depths of the swamps.

5 Spooktacular Halloween Attractions You Can’t Miss in Charlotte

By Felipe Rivas

2 min read October 2019 – Charlotte is attracting companies, large businesses, and families looking to enjoy everything it has to offer. This Halloween, the Queen City will likely attract pirates looking to loot the area for candy, as well as its fair share of roaming ghosts, ghouls, superheroes and villains ready to enjoy the many events happening in the area. From kid-friendly activities to parties to fear-induced screams, here are our favorite creepy attractions happening this Halloween.

The City of Concord and its merchants will open the doors to its bite-sized residents during its Candy Crawl 2019. The little ones can enjoy a safe environment as they strut their favorite costumes and parade down Union Street in Downtown, Concord, looking for their favorite pieces of candy. Local merchants will provide trick-or-treating and a family-friendly environment for an evening of fun for the entire family. The Candy Crawl is happening Thursday, Oct. 31 from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.

This Halloween, Charlotte will be filled with so many frightening sights sure to scare the sleep out of most, including Freddy Kreuger. For those wishing to take a break from the fright, a bar crawl is a sure bet to relax and enjoy Charlotte. The Nightmare on College Street is Charlotte’s largest bar crawl and on Halloween guests can enjoy six outings to local bars for one price. The night starts at Lucky’s Bar & Arcade then it is off to Vida Vida, Blackfinn,Whisky River Rooftop 210 and Suite for a night of spooky fun. Registration starts at Lucky’s Bar & Arcade from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Undoubtedly, petrifying monsters will control Charlotte this Halloween and Petra’s Piano Bar is looking for the scariest of them all. All monsters should head to Petra’s Annual Halloween Bash as they might leave $100 richer. Petra’s is hosting its famous costume contest with a cash prize for the scariest monster of them all. Live music, dance party and cocktails will be part of the celebration. It takes place Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019, from 8 p.m. – 2 a.m.

If you believe you have a strong bladder, this place will put it to the test … and they are waiting for you. Located in Mooresville, Scarrigan Farms turns its 170-acre farm into one of the scariest haunted trails in the Charlotte Metro Area. Filled with clowns, hockey-masked machete-wielding psychopaths, and countless other frightening sights, Scarrigan Farms makes it their mission to scare the pee out of their visitors, really. Their motto: “ If someone hasn’t peed in their pants by the end of the night we know we haven’t done our job.” Do you dare to find out? Bring a diaper just in case.

Aside from the fun, candy and parties and haunted houses, Charlotte offers a rich history for sleuths and thrill-seekers to discover. Carolina History and Haunts presents Beyond the Grave, a lantern guided tour that explores sites where they say past inhabitants are still seen lingering around. The tour takes the valiant and curious through Charlotte’s most famous and infamous landmarks as it recounts hair-raising tales native to the Charlotte area. The tour is open year long but it takes special courage to experience it during Halloween.

To learn more visit:

Candy Crawl 2019: https://charlotte.kidsoutandabout.com/content/candy-crawl-2019-concord-nc

The Nightmare on College Street: https://luckycharlotte.com/

Petra’s Annual Halloween Bash: http://petrasbar.com/event/petras-annual-halloween-bash/

Scarringan Farms: http://www.scarriganfarms.com/

Carolina History & Haunts: https://www.carolinahistoryandhaunts.com/Charlotte_home.html

Top 5 Haunted Happenings in Tampa Bay

Writer: Max Crampton-Thomas

4 min read October 2019 — The month of October is known for seasonal change, pumpkin-spiced everything and the nationally celebrated horror day, Halloween. While the actual day is regarded as a time for candy, treats and Halloween scares, the weeks leading up to it have been appropriately dubbed “spooky season.” This is an exciting time for thrill seekers and Halloween enthusiasts in the Tampa Bay area as there are a variety of haunted happenings and spooky activities to experience. The following are five of the best and scariest events and places to make this Halloween a memorable one.

Tampa Theatre

Regarded as Tampa’s most historic and most haunted movie palace, the Tampa Theatre has embraced its haunted lore for this year’s spooky season. The theater is known for haunted happenings involving former employees whose spirits seem to have never left the theater, like the theater’s old projectionist Foster “Fink” Finley whose footsteps are thought to still be heard from time to time. Not only has the theater showcased 14 nights of frightening films from Oct. 18th until Oct. 31, it is also featuring ghost tours and a special Halloween-themed happy hour event called PAUSE-O-WEEN on Oct. 31.

For more on Tampa Theatre visit: https://tampatheatre.org/

Howl-O-Scream

Carrying the title as Tampa Bay’s No.1 haunted attraction, Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has been a staple of the community for 20 years. Not only does the event offer horror-heads the opportunity to walk through terrifying “scare zones,” it also features multiple haunted houses, access to many other twisted terrors and some of Busch Gardens most iconic rides. This weekend event runs from Sept. 20 to Nov, 2, and promises to “twist daydreams into nightmares.”

To read more about Howl-O-Scream visit: https://buschgardens.com/tampa/events/howl-o-scream/

Undead in the Water

Undead in the Water is an annual haunted house with a twist. It is the only authentic nautical haunted attraction in the region and takes place on the historically famous 1945 WWII vessel the American Victory Ship. Thrill seekers will rejoice in the challenge of venturing through the multiple decks of this historic vessel as they avoid consumption by an infected zombie hoard onboard the ship. Undead in the Water is infamous for being one of the scariest annual attractions that the region has to offer. This event runs every weekend from the beginning of October until Nov. 2.

For more on Undead in the Water visit: https://www.undeadinthewater.com/

Ybor City Ghost Tour

While it is known for being a National Historical Landmark District in Tampa Bay and one of the preeminent spots for tourists and residents to frequent, Ybor City is also known as one of the top destinations for hauntings. With a deep rooted history in the development and emergence of the Tampa Bay region, Ybor City has seen its fair share of diverse demographics settling in the region and calling it home. According to urban legend some of these souls just decided to never leave, which is why Ybor City is home to the critically acclaimed Ybor City Ghost Tour. Rated as the No. 1 haunted tour in the United States by US City Traveler and rated in USA Today’s 10 best lists, this tour promises an informative and scary walk through the ghostly history of Ybor City.

For more information on the Ybor City Ghost Tour visit: http://www.yborghosttour.com

Cuban Club

Located in Ybor City, the historic Cuban Club has a history that spans over a century and includes shows by world-renowned entertainers, weddings, parties and the occasional haunting. The club itself is a wonderful multipurpose rental facility with amenities like a grand ballroom, theater and courtyard. With numerous reports of ghostly sightings and paranormal activity, it is not a surprise that this location was named by The Travel Channel as one of its Top 10 most haunted places. The Club leaves it up to guests to decide whether they believe it to be haunted or not as stated in the FAQ on its website: “We are reputed to be haunted, but we will let you make up your own mind on this subject…”

To see more on the Cuban Club visit: http://cubanclubybor.com/

Spotlight On: Courtney Orr, Ybor Development Manager, Ybor City Development Corporation

Writer: Max Crampton-Thomas

2 min read October 2019 — Founded in the late 1800s, Ybor City is not only a staple in the Tampa Bay region but in the entire state of Florida. While it is not geographically large, Tampa Bay’s National Historic Landmark District has quite a large economic impact on the region. Invest: Tampa Bay recently spoke with Courtney Orr, the Ybor development manager for Ybor City Development Corporation, who discussed the impact of changing demographics on the district, respecting Ybor City’s history in light of ongoing development and the vital role young professionals play in the future of Ybor.

How have the changing demographics of the region impacted Ybor City?

The dynamics of Ybor City are shifting as we see an increase in the residential population, office users and one-of-a-kind restaurants and retailers. What’s most notable though is the influx of residents wanting to call Tampa’s National Historic Landmark home. Ybor has long been known strictly as an entertainment district and that mindset is changing with the current progressive shift underway.

How are you working to improve Ybor City for the future while still respecting its history?

Safeguarding Ybor’s historic features and history, especially the cigar industry from which Ybor City was built, is fundamental to the neighborhood’s success. The city of Tampa’s Barrio Latino Commission provides oversight to historic preservation by reviewing all development projects to ensure Ybor’s charm stays intact. We participate by offering a commercial facade grant to inspire historic preservation. This grant, along with other separate ones we offer, has made a tremendous difference throughout the historic neighborhood. Altogether, it helps breed additional private investment that enhances the district and ultimately will forever maintain Ybor’s charm.

Fortunately, Ybor draws very unique restaurant concepts here. Copper Shaker is one example of a successful restaurant opening its second location on 7th Avenue by the end of the year. New establishments like it preserve Ybor’s distinct vibe and with all the new residential development online, retailers are sure to follow.

What role do young professionals play in the development of Ybor City?

Young professionals play a big role in the overall Ybor scene. They love the area’s walkability and many are willing to forgo their cars. They tend to favor smaller living quarters, if it guarantees them a certain quality of life in a stimulating neighborhood. As more young professionals move in so will office users to gain access to that creative talent, not to mention to enjoy all that Ybor has to offer too.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit:

https://yborcityonline.com/

Our Pick: 5 Scariest Halloween Attractions in Philly

By Yolanda Rivas

2 min read October 2019 — Philadelphia is a city of firsts, from its rich history to its famous Philly cheesesteaks, the city excels in numerous areas. There’s no doubt that Philadelphians also know how to throw a spooky Halloween event. Here are our favorite scary attractions you can’t miss this Halloween.

Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary

What once was the most famous and expensive prison in the world, is now the perfect setting for a haunted attraction. Featured in many TV shows and horror movies, Eastern State Penitentiary’s six haunted attractions will take your breath away. Starting in the 1940s, officers and prisoners reported mysterious visions and eerie experiences within the 30-foot high castle-like walls, which has driven many people to believe the place is haunted. Terror Behind the Walls is consistently ranked among the nation’s top haunted attractions and will be open through Nov. 10.

PennHurst Asylum

After being abandoned for 25 years, former PennHurst Asylum reopened its doors a few years ago as one of the state’s scariest haunted destinations. Visitors can experience four terrifying attractions: the main Asylum, the Morgue, Containment and Mayflower After Dark. Events and tours include a photography tour, a daytime history tour and overnight paranormal investigations. You won’t sleep, literally, during the overnight paranormal investigations, which give access to all four floors of the haunted Mayflower Hall and the underground tunnels of Philadelphia, Devon, and Rockwell from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. PennHurst attractions will open through Nov. 4.

Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride

Arasapha Farms’ three main attractions, the Bates Motel, the Haunted Hayride and the Haunted Trail, have been consistently recognized with top national awards. It has been called the “best haunted house in America” by CNN Travel and one of America’s scariest haunts by the Travel Channel. Bates Motel brings a close and personal level of horror, with high-tech special effects, digital soundtrack, lighting and astonishing realism. The Haunted Hayride is a 25-minute ride through the dark forest of Arasapha Farm with scenes featuring a 100-foot-long, 40-foot-tall drive-thru insane asylum, a New England church, a 200-foot-long cave and a Headless Horseman. Finally, the revenge of the Scarecrows Haunted Corn Trail will give you the chills with a terrifying walk through a tall corn field, filled with walk-through buildings, sets and animatronic monsters. Arasapha Farm attractions will be open through Oct. 31.

Fright Factory

This adult-themed haunted house is located inside a 120-year-old factory. It has been featured on the Travel Channel as one of the scariest haunted attractions in America and called “scariest haunted attraction in Philadelphia’’ by FOX29. The factory offers three themed attractions: Fright Factory Unholy, Industrial Nightmare and South Side Sanatorium. Through this year’s partnership with Scream Cams, visitors now have the option to be recorded through the scariest parts of the haunted house. Fright Factory will be open through Oct. 31.

Ghost Tours of Philadelphia

Of course, you wouldn’t want to miss a touch of history while in Philly. Ghost Tours of Philadelphia’s 90-minute walking tour has been named one of the top 15 “must see” attractions in the United States. The tour is based on the book Ghost Stories of Philadelphia, PA and walks visitors along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence National Park, Old City, and Society Hill. Although Halloween is the perfect time to enjoy a ghostly experience, this tour is offered year round.

To learn more, visit:

Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary: https://www.easternstate.org/halloween/node/3

PennHurst Asylum: https://pennhurstasylum.com/

Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride: https://thebatesmotel.com/

Fright Factory: http://frightfactoryphilly.com/

Ghost Tours of Philadelphia: https://www.ghosttour.com/philadelphia.html

Spotlight On: Chuck Hurchalla, President, Evolution Energy Partners

By Yolanda Rivas

2 min read October 2019 — Energy efficiency and sustainability are hot topics of conversation across all industries and organizations, public or private. Numerous organizations are now embracing eco-friendly alternatives to reduce their impact on the environment and reduce operational costs. During the last few years, full-service energy engineering and consultancy firm Evolution Energy Partners has helped hundreds of clients achieve their goals around utility spend, energy consumption and long-term energy management. Chuck Hurchalla, president of Evolution Energy Partners, recently spoke with the Invest: Philadelphia team about the rapid growth of Philadelphia’s energy sector.

What types of services or areas of business are seeing the most demand in Philadelphia?

There is high demand in the commercial, industrial and institutional sectors for our energy efficiency and energy procurement services. For example, commercial real estate is one of our largest and continuously growing customer segments, particularly hospitality, office, multifamily, senior living and data centers. Regardless of industry though, we address inefficiencies across our customers’ mechanical, HVAC and lighting systems and we also help our clients significantly improve their internal processes.

As a professional design-build energy consultancy, customization based on customer needs and the specific property’s energy profile are key. For example, a stellar guest and resident experience is paramount for our hotel and apartment complex owners, respectively. Our considerable experience in these verticals and our customization abilities allow us to implement a large number of fast payback, customized projects that greatly improve light quality, increase HVAC efficiency, and improve air quality for the benefit of ownership and their guests and residents.

To what do you attribute the rapid growth of Philadelphia’s energy sector?

The opportunities in Philadelphia’s energy sector continue to grow rapidly for a few important reasons. First, businesses and institutions are increasingly recognizing the need to establish and then accomplish sustainability goals to address their corporate environmental concerns and the environmental concerns of their customers.

Second, organizations’ decision-making processes around energy have historically been, and still are, based on the economic benefit derived from those decisions. As utility costs and related charges continue to increase, the financial bottom lines of businesses and institutions are becoming more and more sensitive to utility rates and energy consumption. Understanding that the utility cost center is one of the larger line items on an organization’s income statement, it becomes obvious as to why more and more companies and institutions are focusing on increasing energy efficiency and reducing their energy spend.

Lastly, Philadelphia is quickly moving forward with various energy regulations that will require property owners to benchmark their energy usage and to improve their energy efficiency. One benefit of recent Philadelphia-related regulations is the adoption of C-PACE financing. C-PACE, or Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy, financing allows a property owner to finance energy efficiency and renewable energy projects with no up-front cost. The property owner then pays the costs back over an extended period of time through a voluntary property tax assessment, which leads to increased project adoption and improved cash flow for the property.

What makes Evolution Energy Partners unique?

Evolution Energy Partners is unique in the industry because of our ability to evaluate a facility’s energy cost center from an owner’s perspective in order to positively impact the three critical areas of commodity prices, energy consumption, and long-term energy management. This approach has become even more powerful and more critical to our customers as environmental sustainability has become increasingly integral and imperative to our customers’ shareholders and to society as a whole.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit:

Evolution Energy Partners: https://evolutionep.com/

Spotlight On: Lisa Scott-Founds, President & CEO, Winterfest Inc

By Max Crampton-Thomas

2 min read October 2019 — The Broward County community is spoiled for choice when it comes to events in the area, as there is seemingly something happening every week, even in winter. The seventh-largest spectator event in Florida is the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade, to be held this year on Dec. 12. Invest: spoke with President and CEO of Winterfest Inc Lisa Scott-Founds about the importance of innovation to the event, how they ensure safety and the role the Boat Parade plays in the tourism economy of Broward County.

How important is consistent innovation to the success of the event?

We always want to integrate the newest technology into our event, like the use of holograms, which we hope is a real possibility for this year. As a nonprofit organization, we are always searching for unique additions to our event that are not cost-prohibitive. We are always asking people, “What is something that you’ve never seen us do before?” We take their suggestion, develop a budget to execute the idea and bring it to our board and possible sponsors to help with underwriting the “new wow-factor idea.” It’s amazing what can happen when you bring together creative minds and supporters in the business community. The entertainment value is the most important element for our success to ensure we continue to be the “Greatest Show on H2O” and the seventh-largest spectator event in the state of Florida.

How do you ensure safety at an event like Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade?

We work with all our law enforcement officials — the United States Coast Guard, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Lauderdale Marine Patrol, Fort Lauderdale Police Department and the Fire Department. When putting on an event of this caliber, safety is the No. 1 priority. Those who participate in the parade are educated on all our safety procedures. We send them messages on a daily basis to always be conscious of how important it is to keep safety first when you are on the water. As a parade on water, Winterfest needs to have proper procedures in place. Unlike a land parade; you can’t just hit a brake on a boat to stop. Spectators within our Grandstand viewing area see signs directed toward their safety as well.

What role does the Boat Parade play in the tourism market within Broward County?

There is nothing like the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade in the entire world. The beginning of December is a little slower for tourism, as opposed to other months when tourism in South Florida sees a boom, so we feel a responsibility to bring people into the region and put heads in beds. Our success is due to collaboration with organizations like our Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau and working with area hotels. Tourists should experience a Winterfest weekend, a show at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, eat at our restaurants and immerse themselves in our community. There is just so much to do in Fort Lauderdale, and in Broward County for that matter.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit:

https://winterfestparade.com/

Spotlight On: Gary Gagnon, President & CEO, Gagnon Development

Writer: Yolanda Rivas

2 min read October 2019 — Gary Gagnon’s family has been involved in the real estate industry since the 1930s. Gagnon decided to follow in his family’s footsteps by creating Gagnon Development, LLC and Gagnon Real Estate Investments, LLC. He also specializes in commercial income producing property in Central Florida. In an interview with Invest:, Gagnon described the benefits and strength of Orlando’s real estate sector.

How would you describe the strength of Orlando’s real estate sector today?

Orlando’s real estate sector is stronger than most, since it is somewhat in a protective bubble because of being mostly tourism-driven, though we are actively trying to attract more tech-related businesses. Our unique location and economy protects us whenever there is a slowdown or recession. With low interest rates and prices increasing for commercial and residential real estate, fear is beginning to spread and people are starting to question if it is time to sell. Luckily, if the whole country takes a hit, I think Orlando is somewhat protected and should not be as harmed as much as the rest of the country would be.

Lenders are starting to get over their fears and they are starting to have a hunger to loan but are still being cautious and require larger down-payments or cross collateralization. Development is booming and we are seeing a high amount of capital in A-class products. However, the growth of new office space in Orlando has been historically stagnant and there is not enough large office space available. Orlando has several new office projects in the works, which should help satisfy the demand for new office space. Many of our international clients are choosing to build new office space instead of renting since it is less expensive than leasing at current rates. Orlando also provides an opportunity for investors to generate high cash flow with less investment dollars when compared to other cities such as Miami and New York.

Which markets are seeing the most demand in Orlando?

Apartments continue to see great demand. E-commerce and big chain retailers transitioning to or expanding their online sales footprint have created an increased demand for large industrial space. We usually do build-to-suit projects specifically for a client’s needs, but we recently worked on a speculative flex space project with a client. That project consisted of smaller spaces with an office and showroom in the front and warehouse in the back. Along with the client, we were able to sell five of eight units before completing construction. A trend we are seeing in industrial is the smaller the square footage you build, the faster you lease or sell it. There is a demand for flex space and we are looking to expand in that area. Warehouses are in high demand, too. Many larger investors are looking for warehouses that have rail access. Office building is just now hitting its stride. Public storage is keeping up with supply and demand but we don’t see above average growth in that sector. Overall commercial real estate in Orlando is in very high demand and there is more demand than there is supply.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit:

Gagnon Development LLC: http://www.gagnondevelopment.com/

Return to Invest: Orlando

James Fox, President, Maddox Group

The Unsolved Mysteries of the Everglades

5 Spooktacular Halloween Attractions You Can’t Miss in Charlotte

Top 5 Haunted Happenings in Tampa Bay

Spotlight On: Courtney Orr, Ybor Development Manager, Ybor City Development Corporation

Our Pick: 5 Scariest Halloween Attractions in Philly

Spotlight On: Chuck Hurchalla, President, Evolution Energy Partners

Spotlight On: Lisa Scott-Founds, President & CEO, Winterfest Inc

Spotlight On: Gary Gagnon, President & CEO, Gagnon Development

Recent Posts

Stay in touch with us