Frequently Asked Questions - Land & Redevelopment

Florida remains highly attractive due to:

• Rapid Population Growth: Driving demand for residential, commercial, and industrial development across the state.
• Favorable Business Climate: Pro-development policies and no state income tax.
• Diverse Growth Corridors: From established metro areas like Tampa Bay to rapidly expanding regions like Southwest Florida, offering varied opportunities.
• Tourism & Economic Drivers: Ongoing investment in infrastructure and attractions.
• Strategic Location: Gateway to Latin America and strong domestic transportation networks.

Critical factors include:

• Zoning & Future Land Use: Ensuring current zoning permits your intended use and understanding any potential future land use changes. This varies widely by county (e.g., Hillsborough, Lee, Collier, Monroe).
• Utilities & Infrastructure: Availability and capacity of water, sewer, electric, gas, and broadband. Cost of extending utilities can be significant.
• Environmental Concerns: Presence of wetlands, flood zones (FEMA maps are crucial for all coastal areas), protected species habitats, or potential contamination.
• Access & Road Frontage: Legal access, existing road quality, and potential requirements for road improvements.
• Topography & Geotechnical: Site elevation, soil conditions, and any need for extensive fill or specialized foundations.
• Stormwater Management: Permitting requirements and cost implications for drainage and retention.

We provide comprehensive support by:

• Initial Due Diligence: Thoroughly researching current zoning ordinances, comprehensive plans, and development regulations.
• Pre-Application Meetings: Facilitating discussions with planning and zoning departments in relevant municipalities across Florida.
• Consultant Coordination: Connecting you with trusted civil engineers, environmental consultants, land use attorneys, and traffic engineers.
• Application & Presentation Support: Guiding you through the submission of applications, variances, rezonings, and presenting your project to planning boards and commissions.
• Permitting Navigation: Helping to streamline the complex permitting process at the local, regional, and state levels (e.g., SWFWMD, DEP).

Common redevelopment opportunities include:

• Adaptive Reuse: Converting older commercial buildings (e.g., defunct retail centers, outdated office parks) into new uses like residential, mixed-use, or modern industrial/flex space.
• Infill Development: Developing vacant or underutilized parcels within established urban or suburban areas.
• Brownfield Redevelopment: Cleaning up and repurposing contaminated sites, often with government incentives.
• Aging Retail Conversion: Transforming struggling malls or big-box stores into new formats, including medical, entertainment, or residential.
• Waterfront Revitalization: Repurposing older marine industrial or commercial waterfront sites for mixed-use or residential, particularly in coastal cities.

We conduct detailed financial feasibility studies that include:

• Market Analysis: Projecting absorption rates, rental rates/sales prices, and competitive supply.
• Cost Analysis: Estimating all hard costs (construction), soft costs (architectural, engineering, permitting fees), and financing costs.
• Pro Forma Modeling: Creating comprehensive financial models to project returns (IRR, ROI), cash flow, and profitability.
• Risk Assessment: Identifying potential hurdles (permitting delays, market shifts, environmental issues) and factoring in contingencies.
• Highest and Best Use Analysis: Determining the most profitable and legally permissible use for the property.