MIAMI—Duke Realty is betting big on Broward County. The firm just started construction on a new, four-story, 143,535-square-foot class A office building in Pembroke Pines, FL. That's just 20 miles northwest of Miami.

The spec office building is rising at a time when Marcus & Millichap reports an upswing in office property operations in South Florida. With regard to the Fort Lauderdale MSA, M&M reports: “Office-using sectors are expanding steadily, with professional and business services, and education and health services headcounts eclipsing pre-downturn levels.”

“Our new Pembroke Pointe office building will provide businesses looking to locate their operations in this dynamic submarket a new, high-quality space that also provides convenient access to a host of amenities at the adjacent retail center,” says Ed Mitchell, senior vice president of Duke's Florida Region. “This building will be particularly ideal for companies that want a high-profile location or have significant square footage needs.”

The project is the first of four planned office buildings on a 36-acre site that fronts Interstate 75 at Pines Boulevard known as Pembroke Pointe. The office park sits next to the Shops at Pembroke Gardens, a retail lifestyle center, and will include pedestrian and automobile connectivity to the retail development.

Duke has developed more than 1 million square feet of suburban office properties in South Florida since it entered the market in 1999. Duke is building its first Pembroke Pines office building to LEED Silver standards.

The lobby will feature modern, upscale finishes. Surface parking around the building will provide 4.2 spaces per 1,000 rentable square feet.

Will Duke succeed with spec building in Pembroke Pines? Only time will tell, but some industry watchers are seeing a demand for offices further north.

“In Miami, rising office rents downtown and 'commuter fatigue' will make suburban office space increasingly appealing for tenants,” Ken Krasnow, managing director for CBRE in South Florid, tells GlobeSt.com. “Office properties in Coral Gables, South Miami, and Doral, which are closer to residential areas and offer more parking, will be the primary beneficiaries, along with some suburban office properties in Broward County.”