The decision to move ahead on these projects this year, amid a weakened U.S. economy, relies on some fairly simple local economic indicators, Larry Dinner, IDI vice president of leasing, tells GlobeSt.com.

Market research tells Dinner the Broward County markets absorbed about 4.3 million sf last year, with a little more than two million sf classified as under construction. "That tells me that even if we have a slowdown, there still is no overbuilding of product in the market," Dinner says.

In its most recent report, Cushman & Wakefield of Florida Inc. estimated the county's industrial-warehouse market absorbed about 3.6 million sf through the first quarter ended March 31. About 1.78 million sf was under construction. All Broward markets in total showed an average direct vacancy rate of about 13.7%.

Two other economic indicators also factored into the company's decision to start construction on 186,800-sf and 289,300-sf buildings in the Miramar Business Center, construction on a 172,000-sf building in the Marina West business park and site work on 276,000-sf and 115,000-sf buildings in the 118-acre Pompano Business Center on Copans Road near Interstate 95. Another 182,000-sf of space recently was completed and is ready for occupancy at the Pompano Beach site.

Global demand remains strong for South Florida import-exports handled by companies that rely heavily on the type of product IDI is building, Dinner says. "Typically, South Florida is insulated because it is the global gateway for trade to Latin America and the Caribbean," he says.

But the biggest economic indicator is all about land--or the lack of it. "There is a lack of available, developable land in Broward County," Dinner says. "Land is a scarce resource."