Ensuring economic opportunities and a sustainable economy, with an emphasis on Broward's lower and middle class helps Broward County achieve its goals for ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY. 

Prominently marketing Broward County as a brand, while increasing public understanding of programs and services helps the County achieve its goals for CONNECTED COMMUNITY. ​

Top Achievements in FY2025

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)

• ​As of September 2025, FLL has an average of 248 daily domestic departures to 75 cities and 73 daily international departures to 36 destinations in 18 countries.
• Carried 26.1 million domestic passengers and 6.3 million international passengers for a total of 32 million+ passengers. Airport master plan forecasts continue growth expecting to reach approximately 45 million total passengers in 2035 and nearly 60 million passengers in 2045.   
• Employs 633 full-time employees and 74 part-time. It takes 16,000 people to run airport operations from airlines, vendors, concessions, etc.
• 19^th busiest airport and 13^th busiest in international traffic in the U.S. (according to Airports Council International) in 2024.
• Executed two grant agreements receiving $19.7 million:
• $16 million federally funded through the Federal Aviation Administration
• $3.7 million state funded through the State of Florida Department of Transportation
• Completed the installation and transition of FLL's public and employee parking facilities to the new Parking and Revenue Control System providing the latest technology available for parking options such as license plate recognition.
• Moving forward with a major capital development program and investing nearly $5 billion in airport infrastructure needed over the next decade including the Intermodal Center, (7,000 parking spaces, concessions, office space, vertiport on roof for advanced air mobility), the Automated People Mover system, (TPA and MCO have had automated passenger movement technology since the early 1970s), and Terminal 5.  

New Service:

• JetBlue: Guayaquil, Ecuador; Austin (November); Atlanta, Norfolk and Tampa (December)
• Spirit: Macon (October); Belize (November); Grand Cayman and Key West (December)
• Allegiant: Fort Wayne
• Porter: Ontario, Canada
• Breeze Airways: Akron, OH and Wilmington, NC (November)​
• American: New York City and Phoenix (December)​

Learn more at Broward.org/Airport

​Port Everglades

Port Everglades, a self-supporting enterprise fund of Broward County, operates without using local property taxes. Revenue is generated from service fees, real estate leases, and other charges.

• ​Recording breaking year with cruise (4.7M+ passengers), cargo (1.1M+ Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit), and energy (131M+ barrels).
• Generated approximately $28.1 billion worth of business activity annually, supporting 12,272 direct local jobs and 204,385 jobs across Florida. In key measures, this is a 6% increase from FY24, based on a study by nationally recognized maritime research company Martin Associates
• Port Everglades' Master/Vision Plan expected to be approved by the Board of County Commissioners in November 2025. The Plan outlines more than $3 billion in long-term investments to enhance the port's capacity, efficiency, and sustainability over the next 5,10, and 20 years.
• Achieved full substantial completion of the $480.6 million Southport Turning Notch Berth Expansion and Crane Rail Project, the largest infrastructure project in the port's history. (June 2025).
• Completed the West Lake Park Segment 4 mitigation project. This two-year effort, contracted at $44.7 million, provided natural resource mitigation for impacts related to port improvement projects, including the Southport Turning Notch Expansion and the upcoming U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Deepening and Widening Project.
• Retained standing in the top 20% of port's worldwide for container port performance, holding the #3 position in North America and #1 ranking in Florida, according to the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence's 2024 Container Port Performance Index (CPPI).
• Reached long-term agreements with cruise line Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines LLC, containerized cargo terminals Everglades Company Terminal, Inc., (ECT) and King Ocean Services Limited (Cayman Islands) Inc., and cement terminal operator CEMEX.
• Welcomed its first cargo ship fueled by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), an environmentally friendly alternative fuel. The ship Quetzal is being used for trade among the U.S., Central America, and the Caribbean Basin. This was the first LNG-powered cargo ship to call. Ships using LNG, instead of diesel, can significantly lower harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
  
• Crowley's Quetzal vessel became the first LNG-fueled cargo vessel to call the Port. Several cruise ships began fueling with LNG in FY25.
• Hosted a mass casualty maritime incident training exercise bringing together 120 first responders and representatives from more than a dozen agencies across South Florida, along with local, state and federal partners and port staff.
• Remained open during nationwide work stoppages at seaports along the U.S. East Coast and Gulf of Mexico (from Maine to Texas) to accommodate port businesses that did not employ members of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) for their containerized cargo operations (59% of the port's throughput), and for cruise and petroleum operations.
• Earned high marks from the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) for its commitment to sustainability through the organization's Maritime Sustainability Passport (MSP) Program.
• Awarded U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration Port Infrastructure Development Program grant for $53.357 million for equipment replaced with more energy efficient vehicles.

Learn more at PortEverglades.net. 

​​Visit Lauderdale

• ​In FY2025, Occupancy Rate was at 71.3%, down 0.6% from FY2024; Average Daily Rate was $184.10, up 1.1% from FY2024; Revenue Per Available Room (RevPar) was up .3% from FY2024; and reported Hotel Revenue is 1.3% above FY2024. Five new hotels opened with 1,490 new rooms.
• Booked 343,000 room nights citywide in FY2025, a 17% increase from FY2024.  
• More than 140 restaurants participated in the Dine Out Lauderdale Restaurant Months offering ​an exclusive offering of featured menu options at discounted prices.
• Launched new winter brand campaign, “Break Free," designed to inspire travelers from cold-weather markets to leave the winter chill behind and escape on a warm getaway. 
• Joined Meyer Shank Racing as Official Tourism Partner.
• In collaboration with Wheel the World, announces the release of “Seguimos III: A Blind Traveler's Experience," a captivating short video featuring Henry Martinez, a blind influencer and professional surfer.

Learn more at VisitLauderdale.com.

Office of Economic & Small Business Development

• ​Approved 136 new certifications for County Business Enterprise/Small Business Enterprise (CBE/SBE) firms under the local small business program, and 20 new certifications under the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise/Airport Concessions Disadvantaged business Enterprise (DBE/ACDBE) small business programs.
• Awarded 32 contracts with CBE goals totaling $229 million and five contracts with DBE goals totaling  $29 million.
• Monitoring 457 projects with CBE and DBE participation requirements, totaling $6.9 billion, of which 24% or $1.7 billion committed to certified CBEs and DBEs.
• Reviewed 135 projects, with an estimated value of $1.2 billion, for small business participation goals; 50 projects, valued at $14 million, under the Sheltered Market Program (SBE Program); and 17 projects, valued at $260 million, under the DBE program. 
• Hosted the 8th annual Broward & Beyond Business Conference, a free event designed to facilitate opportunities for attendees (1,000+) propelling entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals towards success.
• Preparing to host the 10th Anniversary of the Florida International Trade and Cultural Expo (FITCE) in October 2025 at the Broward County Convention Center Expansion. To date, the event has the highest sponsorships pledged and registrations with 3,000+ registered.
• Supported Balfour Beatty Construction for the Job & Resource Fairs and OMNI Fort Lauderdale Hotel Hirings Events highlighting available employment opportunities. More than 1,600 people attended.
• Launched new event focused on bonding and insurance to help businesses better understand County processes, resources, and requirements for greater success responding to solicitations.
• Launched a four-part series with community partners U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and SCORE to provide attendees with additional tools and resources related to capital access and capital readiness.
• Worked collaboratively with key community partners to create an informative workshop aimed at clarifying updates to code/permitting systems while also better understanding contractor considerations.
• Worked with Broward County Public Schools and key community partners to facilitate additional opportunities for businesses and entrepreneurs to get certified.
• Completed several projects in the Broward Municipal Services District (BMSD) Economic Development Program to revitalize five commercial corridors.
• Conducted several educational workshops including The Kauffman FastTrac® New Venture™ Entrepreneurship Program, the semi-annual bootcamp series “You Have a Contract, Now What?" and Technical Assistance Fridays sessions where 57 firms have been assisted through this initiative.​

Learn more at Broward.org/EconDev.

Film Lauderdale

• Brought $207.3 million in local economic impact and 16,212 jobs for cast & crew, a 15% increase in production expenditures and a 41% increase in total hires from FY24.
• Expanded Film & TV Incentive Programs to attract feature films, TV series, high-impact commercials, and local emerging filmmaker grants. To date, the program has contracted with 47 projects with combined budgets over $24.3 million. 
• Served 154 Broward residents with the free transferable skills workforce training program designed to train crossover industries in the small business community.
• Hosted annual free two day Production Assistant Training Camp for residents with 77% of graduates hired on a production following the training.
  
• Launched a new film permit platform through FilmApp / Apply4, an industry leader in streamlining the film permitting process, administering the one-stop film permitting process for 27 municipalities and County departments and has finalized formal interlocal agreements with 25 municipalities to date.
• Increased Film Lauderdale Production Directory by 25%.
• Added 121 new locations to the Film Commission's Location Database.
• Approved eight new grantees as part of the Emerging Filmmakers Grant program that provides funding resources to resident content creators producing individual projects, a 50% increase from FY24.

Learn more at FilmLauderdale.org.

​Public Works Department: Construction Management Division

• ​Preparing for the grand opening of the Convention Center East Expansion and new Convention Center Connector (Bypass Road) – two major milestones in the County's $1.3 billion initiative to expand and modernize the Broward County Convention Center. These projects are expected to generate more than $450 million in annual economic impact and create more than 3,000 full- and part-time jobs in Broward County.
• The East Expansion adds more than 1.2 million square feet to the existing facility including 525,000 square feet of meeting space, a 350,000-square-foot exhibit hall, and a 65,000-square-foot ballroom overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway. The expansion features energy-efficient systems, cutting-edge technology, and new dining concepts.
• The Convention Center Connector, completed ahead of schedule, is an elevated bypass through Port Everglades that will provide direct connectivity from U.S. 1 and State Road 84 to SE 17th Street near the Convention Center and ease congestion in the area.
• Completed the Hallandale Beach Library interior refresh including interior renovation of the existing library finishes, furniture and new restroom upgrades (ADA Compliant). 
• Reached 100% design on the Septic Tank Elimination Project 3A-Y and moving forward with the construction bidding process. The project will remove approximately 90 septic tanks.
• Completed the design and permitting phases for two grant-funded projects scheduled for construction in FY26:
• The Canal Pump Station (S-45), which will help recharge the canal system in Cocomar, will be partially funded by a $600,000 grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).
• The S-27 project, which involves replacing an aging salinity control structure within the City of Oakland Park, is fully funded by an FDEP grant of $850,000 covering both design and construction.
• Worked closely with the Innovation Team to co-develop an internet based “Project Overview Dashboard," a highly intuitive dashboard linking all Capital Project financial reporting from PeopleSoft.
• Worked closely with Facilities Management Division to create new “Broward County Design Guidelines" manual for use on all new construction and renovation projects.
• Recognized for attaining USGBC LEED Gold certification for the sustainable design and construction of the new Supervisor of Elections facility.
• Awarded Project Management Institute (PMI) of South Florida's “Project of the Year" for the Supervisor of Elections project in recognition of overall excellence and outstanding project management.

Learn more at Broward.org/PublicWorks. 

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