“I like to say there’s two kinds of people,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said: “The people that already live [in South Florida], and people who want to live here.”
In the last 24 months, thousands of people have flocked to the region for its business-friendly reputation and its laid-back lifestyle. But new Floridians have found a residential market so hot it’s created a housing crunch and infrastructure issues, with overburdened roads and sewer systems.
The Real Deal brought Mayor Levine Cava, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, and Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer together on stage at The Real Deal’s 7th annual South Florida Real Estate Showcase + Forum for a panel sponsored by Lev Capital. The panel was moderated by TRD’s Editor-In-Chief and CEO Stuart Elliott.
In conversation, all of the mayors weighed options for balancing the influx of people and businesses that are keen to relocate with the needs of existing South Floridians. All were bullish on growth. “A rising tide floats all boats,” Trantalis repeated. “We have to take advantage of these opportunities while they’re there,” James said.
Still, with flip-flopping developers and issues about building safety and even political corruption, South Florida’s mayors have their jobs cut out for them. Watch the video for more on their plans for their respective areas.