Consumer habits and the supply chains that serve them continue to evolve quickly. Steady growth of e-commerce; reshoring of some U.S. manufacturing; market gains by third-party logistics (3PL) services; and a desire to speed up last-mile delivery of goods all feed demand for strategically placed warehouse space.
Also, industrial projects tend to move quickly. Tilt-wall construction and large, open interiors make these builds faster and more predictable than retail or office projects.
As a result, from Florida to Texas, developers, investors and large tenants are chasing the Gulf Coast’s combination of deepwater ports, interstate access and proximity to growing population centers.
“Ports, rail lines, and highways of the Gulf Coast make for an enticing real estate market, particularly for industrial product,”
writes Logan Nagel in the blog for the Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP).
Recent and Upcoming Projects Along the Gulf Coast
While the concentration of activity isn’t limited to Florida’s stretch of the Gulf Coast, it is certainly evident here. Some examples:
- Gulf Landing Logistics Center: Fort Myers; 284-acre industrial park adjacent to Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), eventually totaling 2.2 million sq. ft. of spec warehousing or light industrial space. Seven buildings of phase 1 delivered during 2025, with phase 2 construction scheduled.
- Florida Gulf Coast 75 Logistics Center: Punta Gorda; 378,000 sq. ft. spec warehouse/logistics center completed in late 2023 near Punta Gorda Airport off I-75.
- North Port Business Park: Sarasota County; 1 million sq. ft. of planned spec logistics/light industrial space, with phase 1 (285,00 sq. ft.) completed in early 2025 and partially leased.
- Tampa-area Logistics Park: East Tampa; as-yet unnamed project announced in June 2025 for 300,000 sq. ft. spec logistics campus near Tampa International Airport (TPA). Three-building, $60M project in pre-development.
- Summit Logistics Center: Lakeland/Polk County; 318,00 sq. ft. of spec space 45 miles east of Tampa, with first building coming online in early 2025.
- ITEC Logistics Park: Fort Myers; 380,000 sq. ft. of Class A spec warehousing space on 25 acres near RSW; under construction with first building completed.
What’s Driving the Boom
Logistics-oriented construction is one of the few bright spots in an otherwise mixed construction economy. Office and retail continue to lag due to long-term shifts in work and shopping patterns. Multifamily construction remains active in metros like Tampa and Sarasota, but developers are cautious amid high interest rates and softening rents.
By contrast, industrial projects often pencil out faster and draw stable long-term tenants. Institutional investors continue to chase logistics assets because they’re viewed as “core” infrastructure—less volatile and easier to lease than speculative retail or office space. Other factors include:
- Population growth: Florida gains roughly 1,000 new residents daily, with Gulf Coast counties among the fastest-growing.
- Supply chain redesign: Businesses are reengineering distribution networks, with a goal to shorten delivery times by placing more inventory closer to population centers.
- Public investment: Rail and port upgrades, including $75 million for expansion of cargo capacity at both Port Tampa Bay and Seaport Manatee.
- Geography: The Gulf Coast offers efficient access to the Southeast and Midwest while avoiding the congestion of Miami or Orlando.
The mini-boom is good news, but it’s not unstoppable. Tight labor is an ongoing challenge, both for construction contractors and the businesses that would fill all this new space. Infrastructure bottlenecks and permitting challenges are also issues. And the uptake in space – the speed with which tenants are filling new buildings – is slowing.
In a July 2025 blog post, Fort Lauderdale-based real estate valuation firm Walker Duke+Partners wrote: “After a historic run driven by the e-commerce boom, the industrial market is now absorbing a massive wave of new supply, leading to rising vacancy rates and negative net absorption in certain submarkets.” But developers still see long-term value and room for continued industrial growth in Florida’s logistics corridor.
The Bottom Line
Logistics-oriented construction has become the Gulf Coast’s new growth story. It’s transforming open land near interstates and ports into job-producing industrial corridors.
For area contractors and builders, logistics construction offers steady, repeatable work. Projects tend to share similar footprints and building systems, allowing crews to build efficiently and compete effectively for repeat contracts.