Development | Capital Analytics Associates

Charlotte Rising to Tech Challenge Related to Emerging Workforce

By Felipe Rivas

2 min read October 2019 – The business world was abuzz earlier in October when American conglomerate Honeywell broke ground on its new global headquarters at Legacy Union in Uptown Charlotte. Honeywell, a diversified engineering and technology giant, is the latest example of a large company flocking to the Queen City looking to expand and grow, and local leaders are doing their part to ensure success. As the economy in the Charlotte Metro Area continues to diversify, educational and economic development leaders are working to equip the workforce to thrive in the tech-based jobs coming to the area.

Historically, Charlotte has been the second-largest banking capital of the United States, but that is broadening, said Queens University of Charlotte President Daniel Lugo. “The most exciting part is the growth of the technology sector. Charlotte is a hotbed for technology right now,” Lugo told Invest: Charlotte. “Those with strong technical skills, with an understanding of how to use data in powerful ways, how to visualize data, and how to use data to predict outcomes are going to have huge advantages,” he said.

The university is placing a keen emphasis on producing talent that has a robust understanding of coding and data analytics. “The city and area is creating tech jobs at double the national rate and we want to be at the forefront of working with those businesses,” Lugo said.

That means taking a community-first approach in its efforts to empower talent with tech-based skills. Its program, Digital Charlotte, aims to reduce the area’s digital divide by connecting community members to the internet and increasing their web literacy. “We are perfectly positioned to be the preeminent private university of the city and of this region, building a talent pipeline to meet the needs of a growing city’s changing economy,” Lugo said.

In Gaston County, 30 minutes away from Charlotte, economic development leaders are already experiencing spillover from Charlotte’s growth and preparing its workforce for incoming manufacturing and tech-based jobs. “For Gaston, it’s all about the Charlotte market, tapping into it and knowing what their needs are,” said Gaston Regional Chamber CEO Steve D’Avria.

“The biggest set of industries coming in are the advanced manufacturing sectors because our labor is more affordable,” D’Avria told Invest: Charlotte.

The chamber is focusing on education by supporting accelerated college programs for Gaston County’s high-school students, as well as programs at Gaston College centered on business and information technology career tracks and certificates. “Education has been one of our focuses,” D’Avria said.

Connecting students and workers to jobs to practice their tech skills while they are in school is another chamber priority. “Around 60% of our members are small businesses, so we’re a connector of resources in the community,” D’ Avria said. “We’re also expanding into the co-working space in Gastonia. In Belmont, we have a program called Gaston Tech Works, and it’s all technology-focused.”

To learn more about our interviewees, visit:

https://www.queens.edu

http://www.gastonchamber.com

Miami BIDs Put Customer First, Profits Later

By Sara Warden

2 min read October 2019 — As commercial real estate evolves and retail stores move online, Miami’s authorities are addressing vacancy rates with an innovative business improvement district (BID) program that unites private business and local store owners to take back Main Street.

A BID is a legal mechanism that has successfully been put in place in Miracle Mile, Coconut Grove, Lincoln Road and Wynwood, and most recently was established in South Miami. The South Miami BID provides a budget of $200,000 annually to provide services to businesses and commercial properties that include “enhanced safety, marketing, advocacy, promotions, and maintenance,” which are provided by the City Commission in addition to basic services.

Lincoln Road is one BID that, rather than focusing on vacancy rates, is focusing on creating a community for the public to attract foot traffic to the area. “I look at Lincoln Road differently,” said Lyle Stern, a member of the Board of the Lincoln Road BID to RE: Miami Beach. “I’m trying to encourage all of us who live in Miami Beach to look at Lincoln Road differently.” He believes that vacancy rates are the concern of individual property owners and that by creating an attractive environment, people will come.

Despite a significant hole being created right in the middle of Lincoln Road by the collapse of shopping giant Forever 21, the BID is planning a $67 million makeover, with Miami Beach authorities contributing to the cost of construction. The private business owners in the area will foot the bill for the promotional events by increasing their own taxes.

The idea behind the BID is not directly to attract investment to a given area, but to nurture the area so that investment comes as an added bonus. The Wynwood BID has taken a look at what the public really wants, and one of its priorities was to re-open the beloved shuttered O Cinema. “O Cinema is a cultural icon in South Florida and a home for independent cinema,” said Albert Garcia, chairman of the Wynwood BID to the Miami Herald. “We were just as blindsided by the news of their closing as everyone else. As a long-time property owner in Wynwood as well as a member of the BID, it was important to me to see how we could keep O Cinema here.”

As the age of e-commerce dawns, BIDs are a way for traditional store owners to tune into the desires of the public, who now want more than just a traditional shopfront. Not only is investment being made in the community, but new business models are emerging that evolve with real demand.

“Nespresso has a very successful store on Lincoln Road,” Stern said to RE: Miami Beach. “As a company they’ve decided they don’t need cafés in the stores. They’re expensive and you have to maintain employees.” Instead, Lincoln Road’s Nespresso is downsizing from 4,500 square feet premises to 2,500 square feet, but staying on the same street, allowing it to maximize its value and provide its customers what they really want.

To learn more about our interviewees, visit:

https://www.southmiamifl.gov/563/Business-Improvement-District-BID

https://lincolnrd.com/lrbid/

https://wynwoodmiami.com/

Top 5 Tourism Drivers for The Palm Beaches

By Max Crampton-Thomas

4 min read October 2019 — With more than 8 million visitors to Palm Beach County in 2018, it’s no secret that tourism is the driving force behind the economy in The Palm Beaches. Last year, these visitors generated $7.4 billion in economic impact and are the reason for over 70,000 tourism jobs. While the appeal of a relaxing beach vacation may seem like the obvious tourist magnet, there are so many different and unique facets of the county that drive the economic behemoth that is the tourism sector. Here is the Invest: Top 5 tourism drivers for The Palm Beaches

BEACHES

Palm Beach County is bordered by 47 miles of Atlantic coastline that offer some of the state’s most attractive beaches. These include Boynton Beach Ocean Park, Coral Cove Park, Juno Beach Park and many more, with a large portion of these beaches offering resort amenities and marine activities. The Palm Beach County coastline was also nicknamed Florida’s Gold Coast after gold was recovered from Spanish galleons that sank off its shores. A fitting nickname for beaches that are like gold to the Florida economy. Invest: spoke with Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO of Discover The Palm Beaches, who touched on the importance of the beaches to the tourism industry in the county. “Leisure remains the most crucial tourism driver for The Palm Beaches, with meetings and conventions continuing to gain momentum. Within the leisure tourism market, our beaches are the biggest draw for not only those seeking to relax and rejuvenate, but also those interested in activities such as boating, fishing, scuba diving, kayaking and paddleboarding,” Pesquera told Invest:.

You can learn more about the county’s best beaches here: https://www.thepalmbeaches.com/blogs/best-beaches-are-palm-beaches

ARTS & CULTURE

Home to cultural institutions like the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, The Palm Beaches are an arts and culture hub that drives many cultural travelers to the area. Invest: discussed with Judith Mitchell, CEO for the Kravis Center, how this increased interest from out-of-town visitors has positively affected her business as well as those in the surrounding area. “Our strong programming and marketing teams ensure that we continue to bring the best of Broadway and other diverse performances that attract audiences from outside the state and from cities north and south of the Center. In 2018-2019, the Center saw an increase in out-of-county audience members by nearly 50%. This also has a positive economic impact on the surrounding hotels, restaurants and shops as these nonresident guests choose to dine, shop and stay overnight before or after attending a performance.”

For more on the various arts and culture destinations in the county, visit: https://www.palmbeachculture.com/

SPORTS

For an area that doesn’t have a major professional sports franchise, the county’s tourism market has a strong driver in the sports tourism market. It helps that among Palm Beach County’s various monikers, one of the titles held most proudly is “The Golf Capital of Florida,” boasting more than 150 public and private golf courses. It also doesn’t hurt that Major League Baseball teams, namely the Houston Astros, Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals, call Palm Beach County their home during spring training. For those who prefer alternative sports, The Palm Beaches are also the location of polo and equestrian events, including a variety of International Polo Club tournaments.

Interested in learning more about sports offerings in The Palm Beaches? Visit: https://www.palmbeachsports.com/

ECO-TOURISM

When a county boasts 110 parks and recreation facilities paired with 35 natural areas that make up more than 31,000 acres of environmentally sensitive lands, it is bound to attract eco-tourists. This form of tourism may seem obscure from an outside perspective, but it not only can provide visitors with a memorable experience, it also provides health benefits as well. Invest: recently sat down with Deborah Drum, department director of Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management, who spoke to this tourism driver and its benefits. “We have conducted economic studies of our natural areas. We have over 300,000 visitors just to the natural areas in our county. These are remote areas that offer more passive types of recreation, including hiking, fishing or bird-watching. We have done a study with the University of Florida on this passive connection and we have determined that these visitors are coming for that purpose. There have also been a number of studies about the connection between mental health and time spent in natural areas or spent outside. There is a positive relationship between the reduction in mental health issues with more time spent out in nature,” Drum explained.

Check out more on Palm Beach County’s Natural Areas Map: http://discover.pbcgov.org/erm/Pages/Natural-Areas-Map.aspx

MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS

There is a direct correlation between the increase in business tourism to The Palm Beaches and the economic and business growth that the county is enjoying. The beneficiaries from this driver of tourism are a wide range of business types, from hotels to restaurants and even retail. Discover The Palm Beaches’ Pesquera highlighted just how significant this is to the tourism market. “On the meetings front, we’ve seen a 567-percent increase over the last several years in groups booked at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. Unlike our good friends in Miami and Fort Lauderdale — where there is a clear and established epicenter of tourism activity — The Palm Beaches are truly a collection of midsize to small cities and towns that altogether deliver an exceptional vacation or meeting experience,” Pesquera told Invest:.

For more on this and the tourism industry in Palm Beach County, visit:

www.thepalmbeaches.com/

It’s Go Big or Go Home for Miami’s OZs

Writer: Sara Warden

2 min read October 2019- When the Opportunity Zones (OZs) were created by the federal government in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, they were focused on 8,764 across the 50 states covering almost 35 million Americans. The program was designed to direct investment to regions with an average poverty rate over 32%, compared with the national average of 17%.

“We anticipate that $100 billion in private capital will be dedicated toward creating jobs and economic development in Opportunity Zones,” said US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin in a press release. “This incentive will foster economic revitalization and promote sustainable economic growth, which was a major goal of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.”

Florida is home to 427 of these OZs and Miami-Dade houses 68 of them. “The creation of these new Opportunity Zones provides new investment opportunities for some of Miami’s economically distressed areas,” said Michael Finney, president and CEO of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council, in another press release. “This means greater consideration will be given to investing and providing jobs in areas of the county where they are needed most.”

The program works on the basis of deferral of taxes until either the property is sold or Dec. 31, 2026, whichever comes first. Investors can claim a 15% tax reduction if they invest over the entire 10-year period.

But the program is still new, and many investors are struggling to work out the best way to obtain returns. “Every real estate developer in the country is trying to figure out their Opportunity Zone strategy,” Reid Thomas, principal at NES Financial, told the Miami Herald. “Some are deciding it’s not worth the hassle, (and) that they’re not going to bother doing this kind of development.”

But those that do bet are betting big. Developer Russell Galbut closed a deal for the final piece of acreage from Northeast 29th to 32nd streets, and Northeast Second Avenue to Biscayne Boulevard. The $4.9 million purchase of 2901 Northeast Second Avenue brings Galbut’s total investment in the project to over $37 million. The site will house a major mixed-use development built by Galbut’s company Crescent Heights. It plans to build 800 residential units and use over 600,000 square feet for retail and office space.

Galbut told Miami-based real estate magazine The Real Deal that the OZ incentive was “some of the smartest legislation that has come out of Congress in a long time,” adding that his company is buying properties in all markets across the OZs.

But some investors saw the virtues in the Miami real estate market before the OZs arrived, and now there’s an added bonus to their investments. Developer BH3 invested $60 million in a retail and showroom and the space happened to be placed in one of Miami’s OZs. “The fundamentals, economics, and merits must stand on their own, whereby the tax benefits are purely an added bonus. A bad deal with good tax benefits is still a bad deal,” Greg Freedman, principal and founder of BH3, told the Miami Herald.

Although some are sceptical that the OZs will provide tangible benefits to anyone other than the investors, Neisen Kasdin, managing partner at law firm Akerman LLP, told the Miami Herald the zones are still in their infancy. “At the end of the day, these neighborhoods will benefit the most when people invest money in them,” he said. “Whether it’s a real estate development, or a capital-intensive project or businesses…You have to start with the assumption that investment in neighborhoods [that have] only seen disinvestment is a good thing.”

To learn more about our interviewees, visit their websites:

https://www.miamigov.com/Home

How Broward is Solving its Transportation Troubles

By Max Crampton-Thomas

4 min read October 2019 — For over a century, the car has been America’s top transportation choice when getting from point A to point B. As the population in the United States has grown exponentially year over year, so has the dependency on these vehicles, which has led to worsening transportation issues like congested roads, air pollution, traffic accidents and in some cases fatalities. Throughout South Florida, in this case Broward County, the negative effects of the population’s dependency on single-occupancy vehicles are rampant throughout the region. While these issues pose a major challenge to Broward, there is hope as the younger generations are looking to avoid the stress of car ownership, and many community leaders and organizations are making a push toward better mass transit and alternative transportation options.

While these are not all new ideas, in the last couple of years the emphasis for Broward has become truly exploring and executing these ideas. This starts with the 30-year Penny For Transportation Surtax that was passed last November and is set to generate billions of dollars toward improving transportation and mass transit options throughout the county. Invest: recently spoke with Monica Cepero, deputy county administrator for Broward County, who discussed what the community could expect from the revenues generated by the tax. “This sales tax is set to generate about $16 billion over the next 30 years, and will be used in the more immediate future to improve and modernize public transit services. Our long-term plan for those funds is focused on creating connectivity, extending roadway capacities, multimodal improvements and improving transportation facilities and service.”

Invest: also spoke with Gregory Stuart, executive director of Broward MPO, about the near-term changes that could be expected from the revenues collected from the tax. “Realistically, the immediate changes aren’t going to result in construction; we are focusing on enhancing the traffic signalization program. This includes a coordination between the traffic lights, people’s vehicles and installing smart communication equipment. Another immediate change that has happened already but which we’re not going to notice for about another year, is the county transit agency’s purchase of another 130 buses. Considering they are operating a fleet of about 300 buses right now, this is a one-third expansion and a significant increase in the bus system,” he told Invest:.

While the tax is going to be a huge benefit for transportation in the region, a change in mindset is another factor impacting how people get around. One option is the Tri-Rail, which is celebrating its 30th year servicing the South Florida community. Tri-Rail Executive Director Steven Abrams spoke about how it is benefiting from the changing mindset toward mass transit in the area. “South Florida is a tourist and service-related economy, and these individuals, like waiters or construction workers, cannot work from their homes. We have people coming from all over the world who are used to rail transportation in their countries, and they are feeding into our system. Our roads are also just becoming so congested. It used to be that our ridership would principally, and almost exclusively, fluctuate with gas prices, but now that gas prices are stable and dropping, we still have people riding our system because ultimately it is the overabundance of cars on the road that is urging them to seek alternative transportation.”

Abrams also spoke to how Tri-Rail has improved and updated its operations over the years to encourage use by a larger population. “Over those 30 years, we have improved our service, added more trains, added weekend and holiday service and added connections to the three airports. We are a transportation system that has become popular over time and we have really embedded ourselves in the tri-county area.”

The other popular train in South Florida is also the newest mass transit option for the region, Virgin Trains USA. Running through the three counties of Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, the train is looking toward the future by connecting the three counties with Orlando and an eventual Tampa Bay stop as well.

Patrick Goddard, president for Virgin Trains USA, discussed with Invest: how it wants to be a catalyst for transit change in South Florida. “We are reinventing train travel in America, so there are always going to be challenges, but none that we have not been able to overcome so far. The advent of this project has awakened a desire and a curiosity within the municipalities to recognize the full potential for mass transit in South Florida. We are solving the challenge in Florida of medium-haul travel. Airlines take care of long trips, while rideshare, motorized scooters and buses take care of short ones. There has always been this gap with the 200- to 300-mile distances that are too short to fly and too long to drive. By introducing an option like this, it encourages people to leave their cars at home and start using a more environmentally sustainable means of transit.”

A key factor in remaining economically sustainable is having good transportation and mass transit options. As Broward County continues to develop into an economic powerhouse so to must its transportation, and with changing mindsets and push from community leaders the future looks bright.

To learn more about our interviewees, visit:

https://www.tri-rail.com/

http://www.browardmpo.org/

https://www.gobrightline.com/

https://www.broward.org/

Healthcare Sector Rapidly Expanding in Orlando

Writer: Yolanda Rivas

2 min read October 2019 — Orlando’s population has increased rapidly over the last few years, making it one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the United States. As the city continues to grow, local healthcare organizations are immersed in numerous expansion and improvement efforts.

The region’s main health providers have been expanding their partnerships, free-standing emergency rooms (ER), specialized centers and hospitals. The Invest: team recently met with Daryl Tol, president and CEO of AdventHealth Central Florida Region, who pointed out some of the fastest-growing areas of service and care in Orlando.

“We have added quite a number of free-standing locations with doctors and emergency services in areas of need, instead of having to build a whole hospital. We are growing in our academic work around community cancer research. The cardiovascular institute is seeing high demand as well. We are also redefining our primary care model to include virtual care, which will allow patients to connect via video or text messages with their doctor,” Tol said.

AdventHealth opened the Waterford Lakes ER on Sept. 27, which is its fourth free-standing ER in the area. The hospital also announced plans to build an 18,400-square foot, 24-bed hospital-based emergency department in Port Orange for adults and children, and has the Oviedo ER set to open in the next few weeks. AdventHealth has also partnered with Moffitt Cancer Center to improve cancer care and establish a clinical research facility and chemotherapy/immunotherapy infusion program at AdventHealth Celebration.

Orlando Health is also deploying a high amount of capital in expansions and new developments. The $3.8 billion not-for-profit healthcare organization recently opened Orlando Health Emergency Room and Medical Pavilion – Lake Mary. The 25-room ER can manage a majority of emergencies, from minor trauma to broken bones. The adjacent medical pavilion will offer several specialties including, pulmonology, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, urology, orthopedics, general surgery, cardiology, and cardiac rehab. The second phase of this campus is already in development with the construction of a hospital expected to begin in the spring of 2020. Orlando Health has a total of six free-standing ERs either under construction or completed in Central Florida.

The community-based network of hospitals also opened the Orlando Health UF Health Cancer Center last summer, bringing advanced cancer treatment to residents of Osceola County.

Tennessee-based healthcare provider HCA Healthcare also opened its third free-standing ER in Millenia on Sept. 18. According to an Orlando Business Journal article, HCA plans to build a 12-bed emergency department in Davenport, which is expected to open in 2020. HCA has also partnered with the University of Central Florida to build the UCF Lake Nona Medical Center, which is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2020.

As Orlando’s population continues to rise and the healthcare sector remains highly competitive, it is expected to continue to see a high amount of healthcare-related construction and development in the region.

To learn more about our interviewees, visit:

AdventHealth: https://www.adventhealth.com/

Orlando Health: https://www.orlandohealth.com/

HCA Healthcare: https://hcahealthcare.com/

Return to Invest: Orlando

Spotlight On: John Crossman, CEO, Crossman & Company

Writer: Yolanda Rivas

2 min read October 2019 — The retail sector has remained steady in Orlando over the last few years. Far from affecting physical stores, e-commerce has contributed to the growth of many businesses and the retail market. Crossman & Company is a commercial real estate firm focused on serving retail landlords exclusively throughout the Southeast. CEO John Crossman spoke recently with the Invest: team about the performance of the Orlando and Central Florida retail sector and its latest trends.

What are some trends and advantages of Orlando’s retail sector?

Retail is interesting in that it follows growth from other market sectors. When you look at the real estate industry, typically jobs lead, then housing and then retail. When you look at a market, there are two specific factors to consider in terms of retail performance: the number of people moving and vacationing in the area. If those two numbers are up, then there will probably be an up retail market. In Orlando, those numbers keep going up and the retail market is doing very well. In central Florida, we have healthy demographic growth and a big tourism industry that is making the retail sector substantially bigger. Orlando has one of the highest timeshare markets in the world and the exponential factor of tourist retail is amazing.

There is also what we call “the halo effect,” which happens when an online retailer opens physical stores and, most times, their online sales go up. Similarly, when an online retailer closes physical stores, their online sales go down. When customers buy something online and return it to a physical store, they typically end up spending more money in the store. In the Orlando area, we’re not seeing people radically closing stores. We are seeing a combination between their physical and online presence.

What areas of Orlando are seeing the most demand in retail real estate?

The areas that are closest to the I-4 corridor have typically done well. As more beltways have been added over the years, that has spurred additional growth. Submarkets like Oviedo, Lake Mary, Clermont and Kissimmee have done well, too, due to their proximity to the corridor’s beltways. I don’t think you can talk about Orlando’s retail without talking about Lake Nona. There’s no doubt that that area has a major significance. Retail activity starts with jobs, then residential and retail, and there are numerous jobs and growth in Lake Nona. In the tourism area, some significant deals were closed recently, specifically on International Drive and Disney. Disney Springs and Park Avenue Winter Park are some of the best retail experiences in Orlando.

What are some challenges facing the retail real estate industry in Orlando?

The retail industry overall is doing well. Yet, it’s very dynamic and it can become overwhelming. The industry has significantly changed so much and now is more similar to that old school, post-1950s retail, where retail surrounded a property that was growing up in a certain area. We used to talk about mixed-use developments, but now we have the mixing of uses in developments. Now, you can have a retailer, medical providers, educational institutions, religious organizations and a different mix of tenants in the same place. That makes for healthier retail, but it also can be complicated due to the many dynamics in the same place. Another challenge is technology, augmented reality, and the rapid pace of innovation. We need to get together as an industry to explore the future impact of new technologies in the retail sector.

To learn more about our interviewees, visit:

Crossman & Company: https://www.crossmanco.com/

Miami Working to Solve Affordable Housing-New Talent Conundrum

Writer: Sara Warden

2 min read September 2019 As business hubs grow, the private sector must attract more talent to the area. But the Catch 22 for the government is that, as more people come, the more neighborhoods gentrify and the less affordable housing is available. Given this reality, how can Miami’s thirst for new talent be maintained? Through inventive new tax incentives, according to the city and state governments.

Since 2012, Miami-Dade’s population has been growing at a steady rate of about 1% per year, but the cost of living in Miami is well above the national average. According to Best Places, which ranks U.S. cities in relation to a national average of 100, Florida scores 110.9 and Miami 137.1. The cost of housing in Miami is by far the biggest expense, coming in at a whopping 174.3 to the US average of 100.

The median home cost in the United States is $219,700, while in Florida it is $225,200 and in Miami the number stands at just over $350,000. But Miami’s GDP is projected to stay strong, with GDP per capita set to increase to $49,293 by 2022 from today’s $48,601 despite a steadily growing population.

One reason for this is the state of Florida’s attractiveness as a workplace. It has a 6% sales tax on items bought, but there is no personal income tax on earnings, although federal income taxes still apply. However, this means that a Floridian earning $30,000 per year would not owe any of this to the state in personal income tax, while a New Yorker earning $30,000 per year would take home around $28,837 per year after paying state income taxes.

Florida’s corporate income tax rate also comes in at the lower end of the scale, especially in comparison to other major cities. At just 5.5%, it is lower than New York at 6.5%, California at 8.84% and Illinois at 9.5%. “Hedge funds and finance firms in places like New York, Chicago and California are feeling the burden of operating in high-tax states,” said Nitin Motwani, managing director of Encore Housing Opportunity Fund, to the New York Post.

This seems to be one reason why billionaire investor Carl Icahn this month announced his company would be moving from New York to Miami. But more than this, over half of his employees decided to move with the company, receiving a $50,000 relocation benefit each.

Icahn’s company will be moving to Magic City, in Little Haiti. As the name would suggest, the area was built on an influx of immigrants and refugees coming from Haiti in the 1970s. Now, with the $1 billion Magic City development, the neighbourhood is gentrifying fast. “Even if Magic City did not come today, the pace of gentrification is so rapid that our people will not be able to afford homes here anyways,” Marleine Bastien, a community organizer, told CNN. “Magic City is not the government. Affordable housing policies have to come from the government.”

Miami’s Mayor Francis Suarez is facing the issue head on. He championed the $400 million Miami Forever bond, designed to make Miami living sustainable. “We actually created in our first tranche of Miami Forever, a sustainability fund for people to renovate their homes so that they can stay in their properties rather than having to sell their properties,” he told CNN. So far $15 million has been allocated to these purposes.

Another development is a public-private partnership between Pinnacle Housing Group and the government to build Caribbean Village in South Miami Heights, which will have 123 units for older residents, with rents ranging from $420 to $1,070 per month. The need for that housing is more acute today than ever, and it’s exciting to be delivering Caribbean Village to the residents of South Miami-Dade County,” said David Deutch, co-founder and partner at Pinnacle, to Miami Today News.

To learn more about our interviewees, visit:

https://carlicahn.com/

https://www.encorecm.com/

https://www. pinnaclehousing.com/

https://www.miamigov.com/Government/City-Officials/Mayor-Francis-Suarez

Business is Booming for Deerfield Beach

By Max Crampton-Thomas

2 min read September 2019 — When discussing growth in Broward County, the conversation would typically center around the economic hub that is the city of Fort Lauderdale. While it may be the most universally recognized city in Broward, it is certainly not the only one in the county experiencing an economic boom.

Located at the northernmost point of Broward County is Deerfield Beach, a city whose growth cannot be understated or overlooked. Home to over 80,000 individuals, this beach community has capitalized on the economic prosperity and ever-increasing migration of individuals to the South Florida region. Invest: Greater Fort Lauderdale spoke with Bill Ganz, the mayor of Deerfield Beach about the city’s major developments in the last year. “We have had a lot of growth in the city in the last 12 months, including over 11,000 building permits that total nearly a billion dollars in new construction. We have new residential developments under construction from some of the top developers in the area, such as Lennar, Toll Brothers, Ram Realty and Weingarten Realty. One of the finest organizations in Broward County is also located in our city, JM Family Enterprises. They are working on a $176 million expansion of their corporate headquarters,” he told Invest:.

The growth of Deerfield has not just been predicated on the development of new construction projects for the private sector. The city has recognized the importance of reinvesting in itself to better serve its residents. This is apparent in the ongoing construction of a new 12,000-square-foot community center, which is a revitalization of the old Tigner Community Center. When completed, it will be one of the largest community centers in Deerfield Beach.

Successful economic growth of an area in Broward County is also dependent on addressing future threats to that growth. Ganz made a point of talking to Invest: about how the city is addressing the looming threat of sea level rise and its efforts toward environmental resilience. “We have been working on these issues for several years, starting with the West Wellfield project, which helps to solidify the water system in Deerfield Beach, so we are much better protected against salt water intrusion. We have taken the initiative to become LEED certified with some of our city projects that have recently finished, including the new pier and facilities on the beach.”

He continued to speak on how he hopes Deerfield will serve as a positive example on these issues for other areas of Broward County. “We have a new Siemens Energy Efficiency Program that we hope can be used as an example for other municipalities to address these issues. The city has also been working on an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan. We don’t want to just talk about sea level rise, but really address it from a safety standpoint, especially in the event of another hurricane.”

The advancement of Deerfield Beach has not been by chance, and can be attributed to well-thought-out and deliberate initiatives and actions taken by the city’s public and private sectors. There is a recognition that to sustain the economic growth, the city must continue to present unique opportunities to businesses in the area.

One of the ways the city is doing this is by recognizing the need to retain a strong workforce within the city, as highlighted by Ganz: “We want to make sure that we provide them with a wide variety of opportunities, not just entertainment, but business opportunities as well. We also are trying to make sure that we are appealing to all generations of the workforce. One of the ways we hope to accomplish that is with some of the new residential construction that is being built. We have worked with these developers to make sure they are keeping the new buildings attractive to all segments of the workforce in the city. We are also fortunate to have the most beautiful beaches in all of Broward County, and these people can really take advantage of this being a nautical destination.”

While it has been a successful year for the city, local government and the business community will continue to focus on sustaining this growth for the foreseeable future.

To learn more about our interviewee, visit:

http://www.deerfield-beach.com

Charlotte Rising to Tech Challenge Related to Emerging Workforce

Miami BIDs Put Customer First, Profits Later

Top 5 Tourism Drivers for The Palm Beaches

It’s Go Big or Go Home for Miami’s OZs

How Broward is Solving its Transportation Troubles

Healthcare Sector Rapidly Expanding in Orlando

Spotlight On: John Crossman, CEO, Crossman & Company

Miami Working to Solve Affordable Housing-New Talent Conundrum

Business is Booming for Deerfield Beach

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