Bob Swindell, President & CEO, Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance

May 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, Bob Swindell, president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, discussed the region’s economic momentum, the industries shaping its next phase of growth, and the case for greater commercial investment in the urban core. “You can invest in Fort Lauderdale, generate a strong return, and be part of a dynamic community that still has significant room to grow,” Swindell said.

How would you describe the economic climate in Greater Fort Lauderdale, and what signals are you watching as you assess the region’s momentum?

The pandemic created a new level of awareness about South Florida’s advantages. It was not that people were unaware before, but the conversation changed. People talked a lot about Florida’s lack of personal income tax, and that certainly matters, but there is more to the story than that.

One of our strongest opportunities is the blue ocean economy. We are at the bottom of a peninsula, surrounded by water, and that creates real opportunities around ocean-related innovation. A lot of that comes down to commercialization. It is one thing to make a discovery in a lab, but the bigger question is how to turn that into a marketable product and then build a business around it. That can mean medicines derived from the ocean, or technologies like living seawalls that are being developed and deployed here in South Florida.

The city of Fort Lauderdale has been willing to embrace some of those new technologies. For example, with living seawalls, the city has discounted permitting costs and expedited the permitting process compared with traditional seawalls. That says a lot about a community that is willing to try new approaches.

The marine sector is also a major part of the economy and identity here. Yachting has long been important to this community, not just as a lifestyle asset but as a serious business sector. There are more than 1,000 marine-industry businesses in South Florida, many of them small family-owned businesses, and they support a large ecosystem around these vessels. When I look at the activity we saw at the boat show, that is a positive indicator of economic strength as well.

I also pay close attention to investment in the community itself. Broward County is a AAA bond-rated community, which puts it among the best financially managed communities in the country. That matters because it allows us to invest in projects like the convention center hotel, airport improvements, transportation infrastructure, and other long-term assets. When you see both public and private money going into a place at that scale, it is a strong sign of confidence. We’re a well-run state.

Which industries are showing the strongest potential for long-term growth in Broward County, and where do you see the greatest opportunity for diversification?

Bar none, aviation is our No. 1 opportunity in Broward County. We are not building airplanes here, but we are doing sophisticated work in component parts, advanced manufacturing, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul. These are high-paying jobs, and many of them do not require a traditional four-year degree. People can get certified and go into these industries earning strong wages from the start.

A related opportunity is aircraft finance. We already have companies in downtown Fort Lauderdale that finance aircraft and aircraft engines through leasing and direct finance. That underscores how specialized the industry is and how much opportunity there is for office users tied to aviation. The fact that you can get from the airport to a downtown office in about 15 minutes is a real advantage for us.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing is another strong sector. Broward already has companies involved in generics, transdermal delivery, and one-dose injection systems. We also recently saw a major investment tied to inhaled-drug manufacturing. Those kinds of projects reinforce the cluster, and when you have a cluster, it tends to attract more companies.

Technology is also a strong suit for us, especially as companies think through artificial intelligence, prompt creation, and what future computer science jobs will look like. 

Another area of opportunity is financial services. We have seen momentum across South Florida through Wall Street South, and that has implications for Broward as well, including in fintech.

Then there is quantum computing. With D-Wave bringing its headquarters to Boca Raton and partnering with Florida Atlantic University, that is an important development for the region. The fact that both FAU and Nova Southeastern University now have R1 research status is also significant. Those universities are doing more and more in applied research and development, including oceanographic research and work connected to medicine from the sea.

What investments are needed in transportation and infrastructure to strengthen Broward’s ability to attract and retain talent over the next decade?

Transportation has been one of the barriers to smart growth because South Florida is not a traditional region. We are a long, narrow corridor with the ocean on one side and the Everglades on the other, so connectivity matters both within Broward and across the broader region.

Brightline has been a very important addition. It has improved connectivity between Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. Within Broward, one of the biggest developments is the penny sales tax that voters approved to fund transportation improvements. That gives us the ability to make long-term investments in mobility.

One of the exciting elements is the rail plan that would connect Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the rental car facility, and the convention center. That matters for visitors, cruise passengers, and residents. We want people arriving in Fort Lauderdale to move more easily through the system and to spend more time enjoying the area instead of sitting in traffic or worrying about logistics.

The County is also doing work around signalization and traffic management, using technology, sensors, and data to create a more efficient system. The county has already put high-capacity fiber infrastructure into the ground along major transit corridors, and that creates the foundation for smarter traffic management.

Another priority is improving the bus experience. The PREMO program is aimed at creating a better-quality bus system with better service, better vehicles, and more transparency around arrival and drop-off times. If we want people to use transit, it has to feel reliable and convenient. 

Housing affordability is a key issue in South Florida. What progress have you seen, and where do the biggest gaps remain?

One thing I am proud of is that Broward County passed what I believe is the first comprehensive 10-year workforce affordable housing plan of its kind. It dedicates funding to encourage more housing inventory and also provides gap financing for projects that may not initially pencil out.

This is about workforce housing for people like teachers, nurses, police officers, and firefighters. When people hear affordable housing, they often think about subsidized housing, but what we are talking about here is housing for working professionals who are essential to the community. Cities across the county have become more cooperative in understanding that need.

The biggest issue remains inventory. After the Great Recession, there was a long pause in new multifamily construction, and that gap still affects the market today. When demand remains strong, it takes a long time to recover from that kind of slowdown.

The other side of the equation is wages. The Alliance focuses on high-skill, high-wage jobs, because if people have stronger earning power, they are in a better position to afford living here. We are trying to address both sides: more housing inventory and better-paying jobs.

Is there anything you would like to add?

What is top of mind for me is telling a stronger story around commercial real estate in Fort Lauderdale. We have a lot of multifamily development, which is good, but we also need office inventory. If a company wants 100,000 square feet and our largest contiguous space is 38,000 square feet, that is a limitation.

We are not trying to be New York or Miami, but we are an amazing 18-hour city. We have many of the same cultural and lifestyle advantages, but at a more approachable scale. We want a healthy balance of residential and office development in downtown Fort Lauderdale, and I want investors to understand that there is a real opportunity here.

Fort Lauderdale has changed dramatically over time, and that growth has come from the people and firms willing to invest here. I want to make the case that you can invest in Fort Lauderdale, generate a strong return, and be part of a dynamic community that still has significant room to grow.