BROWARD’S ECONOMIC BOOM IN 2025–2026
In early October, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance highlighted the county’s economic growth for fiscal year 2025–2026, marked by numerous business relocations and expansions that generated 1,116 new jobs and $318 million in investment. The main industries are aircraft maintenance, pharmaceutical and medical manufacturing and research, international logistics, and technology.
Among the most significant investments: Princess Cruises is opening a new concierge and sales office in Miramar (which beat out Scottsdale, Arizona), creating 175 new jobs by the end of 2027; MediPath Pathology Services is expanding by investing $10 million to create a genetic testing department and 150 new jobs in Miramar; Lupin Pharmaceuticals plans a cumulative investment of $250 million in Coral Springs, creating 250 new jobs to develop 25 drugs for respiratory diseases by 2030; GXO Logistics will open a large regional office in Fort Lauderdale next year in FAT Village; in Coral Springs, CTS Engines, a leader in aircraft engine maintenance, is investing $4.5 million to expand its existing facilities, creating 100 new jobs.
Alliance President Bob Swindell, who will retire in 2027 after twenty years at the helm of the organization, said, “Business is booming in Greater Fort Lauderdale.”
HURRICANE ISAIAS DAMAGE REPORT
Isaias was the first hurricane to make landfall on the Gulf Coast since Milton in 2024.
Winds reached 105 mph (170 km/h), and walls and docks collapsed under the force of the waves. Two Floridians died on Friday, October 9, in Destin, in the Panhandle. The first death was caused by a tree falling on a house; the second was due to carbon monoxide poisoning after a generator was used in a garage.
In the wake of the hurricane, the soil became saturated with water and drought conditions virtually disappeared; but the damage to Florida’s agriculture is significant, particularly in North Santa Rosa County (Milton), which reportedly lost 75% of its cotton crop, and Escambia County (Pensacola), both of which were in the midst of harvest season (cotton, peanuts, soybeans, pecans). Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced an emergency plan offering zero-interest loans of up to $500,000.
In addition, the waves and erosion caused by Hurricane Isaias have caused the number of baby turtles on Anna Maria Island to plummet, from an expected 30,000 hatchlings to 17,000. This decline is also linked to the proliferation of predators—particularly coyotes—driven toward the beaches by urbanization.
BASS PRO SHOPS MAKES A MAJOR INVESTMENT IN THE KEYS
The famous fishing gear chain continues its acquisition spree and has just purchased, along with its partner the Schulte Hospitality Group, a second resort, The Islander Resort, on Islamorada. This follows the acquisition of Cheeca Lodge, a neighboring property.
The two partners will jointly manage operations, which will not be disrupted during the upcoming transition period. Cheeca Lodge is a complex of 26 buildings that was listed for sale at $300 million. The Islander Resort features 114 bungalows and suites, as well as 25 standalone villas.
NEW WATER TREATMENT PLANT IN FORT LAUDERDALE
Fort Lauderdale residents will finally be able to drink tap water without any yellow discoloration. The Prospect Lake Clean Water Center, the new water treatment plant that opened in early October, cost $666 million and replaces the Fiveash Center, which dated back to the 1950s.
The state-of-the-art facility can withstand Category 5 hurricanes and uses nanofiltration and ion exchange technology. It can produce 50 million gallons of drinking water each day. It will serve the communities of Fort Lauderdale, Wilton Manors, Oakland Park, Tamarac, Davie, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Sea Ranch Lakes, and Port Everglades.
Fiveash will be converted into a storage and distribution center for the water produced by the new plant.
FEDERAL INVESTIGATION INTO AUTISM THERAPY CENTERS IN FORT LAUDERDALE
ABA Centers of America, a company specializing in autism therapies, is suspected of health insurance fraud, making false statements, money laundering, and wire fraud. The investigation targets its founder, Christopher M. Barnett, and several executives. It alleges that services were overbilled to insurance companies—for example, a 15-minute appointment billed at $1,000—and that ill-gotten gains enabled Barnett to purchase luxury items such as a private jet and a beachfront home in Fort Lauderdale.
The company is also being sued for $15 million in damages by the insurance division of Publix, which accuses it of operating a fraudulent organization under the RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act).
SPACE X – BLUE ORIGIN: THE UNBRIDLED RACE FOR SATELLITES
Florida is at the heart of the U.S. space industry, and since the 2000s, NASA and U.S. policymakers have opened up space to private actors. SpaceX and Blue Origin have thus been able to expand without any real oversight. By 2025, according to statistics cited by journalist Josh Tyrangiel, SpaceX is projected to have launched 80% of all satellites currently in orbit worldwide. This figure gives pause for thought. Such a concentration of power in the hands of a single player could jeopardize the independence of nations.
SpaceX uses Florida for Starlink launches, rocket testing, logistics operations, and crewed flights for NASA. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos is also entering the satellite race, utilizing Florida’s launch sites as well.
The stated goal of both giants—to create AI data centers in space—faces financial constraints (it’s ten times more expensive than on Earth), as well as environmental challenges (alumina that damages the ozone layer, soot that is harmful to the climate) and purely technical hurdles. For now, AI data centers in space are more of a publicity stunt than a near-term reality.
GAS PRICES
The price of regular gas is falling nationwide ($4.29/gallon) and even more so in Florida: the average price is “only” $4.09/gallon. At the end of September, it was around $4.40 per gallon, so the difference is really making a dent in people’s wallets.
In the West Palm Beach–Boca Raton metropolitan area, it’s $4.25; in Fort Lauderdale, it’s $4.14; and in Miami, it’s $4.10.
Translated with Deepl