Jeffrey Gouveia, president and general manager for the southeast region for Suffolk Construction

MIAMI—There's plenty of talk about a construction slowdown, but Suffolk Construction isn't seeing it. At least not yet.

That doesn't mean every Florida region is seeing sustained growth or even a healthy leveling off. GlobeSt.com caught up with Jeffrey Gouveia, president and general manager for the southeast region for Suffolk Construction, to get his take on what we can expect to see in 2017 in part one of this exclusive interview. (To understand why some contractors have a leg up with labor, click here).

GlobeSt.com: What can we expect to see with the construction and real estate market in Florida in 2017. What sectors are expected to grow?

Gouveia: Florida's population is still growing—by about 1,000 people per day last year—and so there is a steady demand for housing. Specifically, “live, work, play” developments are becoming increasingly popular, and we expect this to continue in 2017 and beyond.

GlobeSt.com: Do you expect 2017 will outperform 2016's construction industry growth?

Gouveia: Despite perceptions, the numbers bear that South Florida construction in 2016 outpaced 2015. Suffolk expects this to continue into the next year, and as is always the case with the cyclical nature of the real estate market, certain sectors will slow while others rise.

GlobeSt.com: Which Florida markets should we keep an eye on in 2017?

Gouveia: West Palm Beach and Broward counties showed higher population growth than Miami-Dade, and so I certainly think these markets are ones to watch, especially considering housing affordability. Additionally, Tampa-Saint Petersburg, Jacksonville and Fort Myers continued to grow in 2017 because they present common attractive qualities to developers: more accessible and affordable land, close proximity to “sun and sand,” and desirable lot availability.

Wondering what to expect in 2017's commercial real estate landscape? Here's one view.

MIAMI—There's plenty of talk about a construction slowdown, but Suffolk Construction isn't seeing it. At least not yet.

GlobeSt.com: What can we expect to see with the construction and real estate market in Florida in 2017. What sectors are expected to grow?

GlobeSt.com: Do you expect 2017 will outperform 2016's construction industry growth?

GlobeSt.com: Which Florida markets should we keep an eye on in 2017?

Wondering what to expect in 2017's commercial real estate landscape? Here's one view.

Instant Insights /

Five Florida Regions to Watch in 2017

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