Flex space in Fort Lauderdale.

By Chase Farache, Broker Associate, Silver Lining Realty Group. Updated October 2026.

Where flex space is in Fort Lauderdale

• Uptown and Executive Airport: Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) covers about 1,000 acres bounded by West Cypress Creek Road, Commercial Boulevard, NW 31st Avenue and NW 10th Terrace/NW 12th Avenue, in the heart of the city's Uptown Business District. The city runs a 200-acre Industrial Airpark there, leasing more than 1.9 million square feet to businesses for light, clean manufacturing and regional wholesale and distribution, according to Florida Trend (April 2021).
• Port Everglades: Broward County's seaport handles containers, perishables, bulk and break-bulk cargo and petroleum products, and its land lies within Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood and Dania Beach.
• FLL area: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, run by the Broward County Aviation Department, sits at 100 Terminal Drive, and Cushman & Wakefield reports a separate FTL Airport/Dania industrial submarket.

Cushman & Wakefield's Q3 2026 Broward MarketBeat splits the city into FTL Central (about 10.3 million square feet, 3.4% vacancy), FTL East/Central (about 4.1 million, 4.2%) and FTL Airport/Dania (about 2.8 million, 3.8%), all below the 5.7% county figure.

Zoning to know

Fort Lauderdale's Unified Land Development Regulations (ULDR) include several districts where flex users land:

• B-3 Heavy Commercial/Light Industrial Business: intended for heavy commercial, wholesale, warehousing and storage operations along major arterials with interstate access, concentrated near airports, ports and railways.
• I (General Industrial) for heavier uses.
• AIP (Airport Industrial Park) and GAA (General Aviation Airport) at Executive Airport, rewritten in full by Ordinance C-21-06 in March 2021, with airport height and noise rules attached.
• PEDD (Port Everglades Development), CC (Commerce Center) and PCC (Planned Commerce Center).

The city's Property Reporter GIS shows a parcel's district, and the ULDR's permitted and conditional use lists show what that district allows.

Who uses flex here

Port and airport access draws importers, marine suppliers and parts distributors. FTZ 241 at Executive Airport lets qualifying businesses defer, reduce or avoid duties on goods that are re-exported, and the Marine Industry Association of South Florida set up a 16-site marine subzone through it in 2017. Contractors, showrooms, e-commerce sellers and service companies fill the smaller bays in B-3 areas.

What to check before you sign

• Certificate of Use: starting October 1, 2026, the city requires zoning approval through a Certificate of Use before you apply for a Business Tax Receipt. Most businesses also need a Broward County receipt.
• Wind rules: Broward County is in the Florida Building Code's High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which carries stricter requirements than most of the state. Overhead doors and storefronts need approved products, so budget for that in any door or opening change.
• Clear height, doors and truck court: match grade-level or dock-high doors to your vehicles, and confirm turning room for box trucks.
• Power and sprinklers: confirm amps, phase and whether the sprinkler design covers your storage height and commodity.
• Airport overlays: near FXE, ask whether airport height or noise provisions affect signs, additions or your use.

See zoning for medical and flex space in Broward for more detail.

Lease or buy, and how I help

Most flex users lease; buying a condo bay or small building works when you plan to stay and want to control your occupancy cost. I represent the tenant or buyer: I check the parcel's zoning and Certificate of Use path first, pull comparable leases and sales, tour with you and break down NNN and CAM charges. Also see warehouse space in Fort Lauderdale, the Fort Lauderdale market page, or send me your requirements.