Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Director's Name: Maribel Feliciano
Department: Office of Economic and Small Business Development
Information
Requested Action
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A. MOTION TO ADOPT Resolution approving Project Orange Blossom pursuant to Section 9½-52, Broward County Code of Ordinances, for a Broward County Strategic Job Creation Incentive in the amount of $210,000 and a Broward County Direct Cash/Job Creation Incentive in the amount of $100,000 for Fiscal Years 2027 through 2036, based on the creation of 150 new, high-wage/high-skill jobs.
ACTION: (T-11:31 AM) Approved Resolution No. 2026-265.
VOTE: 9-0.
B. MOTION TO AWARD Project Orange Blossom an additional $100,000 economic development grant based upon the creation of 150 new, high-wage/high-skill jobs and a minimum capital investment of $7,000,000; and authorize the County Administrator to negotiate and execute a grant agreement or amendment to effectuate same, subject to review and approval for legal sufficiency by the County Attorney’s Office.
ACTION: (T-11:31 AM) Approved.
VOTE: 9-0.
C. MOTION TO AUTHORIZE County Administrator to execute all necessary documents, including agreements and associated amendments, to effectuate and administer Project Orange Blossom’s participation in the Broward County Strategic Job Creation Incentive Program and the Broward County Direct Cash/Job Creation Incentive Program, including to approve changes to the job creation schedule for Project Orange Blossom, subject to review and approval as to legal sufficiency by the County Attorney’s Office and provided there is no increase in the County’s total financial commitment.
ACTION: (T-11:31 AM) Approved.
VOTE: 9-0.
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Why Action is Necessary
A. Board approval is required for participation in any County economic incentive program pursuant to Section 9½-55, Broward County Code of Ordinances, and to adopt the proposed Resolution.
B. Board approval is required to approve an economic development grant and authorize the County Administrator to execute grant documentation related to same.
C. Board approval is required to authorize the County Administrator to execute any documents necessary to implement and administer the approved economic development incentives.
What Action Accomplishes
A. This action will allow the Office of Economic and Small Business Development (the “OESBD”) to offer economic incentives to Project Orange Blossom to facilitate the location of a global headquarters to Broward County.
B. This action will allow OESBD to offer an additional economic development grant to Project Orange Blossom to facilitate the location of its global headquarters to Broward County.
C. This action authorizes the County Administrator to execute all the necessary documents to effectuate and administer Project Orange Blossom’s participation in the economic incentive programs.
Goal Related Icon(s)
☒County Commission
☐Go Green
☐MAP Broward
Previous Action Taken
No previous action taken.
Summary Explanation/Background
THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC AND SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE ABOVE MOTIONS.
This item supports the Board of County Commissioners’ goal of “Ensuring economic opportunities and a sustainable economy, with an emphasis on Broward's lower and middle class.”
Project Orange Blossom is a worldwide logistics company specializing in global contract logistics, outsourced supply chains, and warehousing. The company is currently located in Greenwich, Connecticut, and is considering establishing a global headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. The project would result in the creation of 150 new high-wage/high-skill jobs. Locations in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas are also under consideration for this project.
If Project Orange Blossom chooses to locate its facility in the City of Fort Lauderdale, an additional $842,613 in estimated tax revenue would be added to the Broward County tax roll. The new job average annual wage is $141,563. The average wage amount is greater than 200% of the County’s average private sector annual wage. The new job median wage would be $141,000.
The Broward County Strategic Job Creation Program (SJCI Program) provides economic incentives based upon the number of new jobs created in Broward County and their corresponding cumulative average annual wages. The Broward County Direct Cash/Job Creation Program (Direct Cash Program) provides economic incentives based upon a company’s projected capital investment and number of new jobs created in Broward County. Both County incentive programs are available, on a performance-driven basis, for new, relocating, or expanding businesses within Broward County that create high-wage jobs in targeted, high value-added industries. Based upon the creation of 150 new, high-wage/high-skill jobs with an average annual wage greater than 200% of the County’s average private sector annual wage and a total projected investment of $7,000,000, OESBD recommends award of an additional economic development grant to secure the company’s relocation to Broward County. The proposed incentive package, including the economic development grant, contemplates the use of the same 150 qualifying new jobs for eligibility and payment calculations.
As an approved participant in the SJCI Program and the Direct Cash Program, Project Orange Blossom will continue to provide targeted industry goods and services to meet growing industry demand. As a logistics and global headquarters project, Project Orange Blossom is part of Broward County’s targeted industry groups that will enhance the County’s targeted industry strategy.
In an effort to ensure inclusion of Broward County’s certified small businesses in opportunities that may be created as a result of this project, the Alliance has committed to: 1. distributing information on the County’s small business program to Project Orange Blossom; 2. providing Project Orange Blossom with information on accessing the County’s small business database; 3. assessing the needs of Project Orange Blossom as the project develops; and 4. communicating to the OESBD any potential opportunities for County-certified small businesses to meet those needs.
The accompanying Tax Revenue/Incentive Payout Analysis memorandum and spreadsheet (Exhibit 2) indicates that the anticipated tax revenue generated from the project meets Broward County’s threshold for positive net return, based on the creation of 150 new, high-wage/high-skill jobs with an average annual wage of greater than 200% of the average annual wage in Broward County, a total capital investment of $7,000,000, new taxable value of $842,613, and a positive net return on investment of approximately 45%. Therefore, approval is recommended.
All recommended incentives are pay for performance incentives. The incentive amount for the SJCI Program is calculated on the basis of $1,400 per qualifying job created, with the City of Fort Lauderdale committing an additional $600 per qualifying job created. The incentive amount for the Direct Cash Program is calculated on the basis of $666.67 per qualifying job created, with the City of Fort Lauderdale committing an additional $1,333.33 per qualifying job created. The additional grant to support this economic development project is calculated on the basis $666.67 per qualifying job created. These amounts are calculated on the basis of Broward County’s threshold for positive net return based on the projected tax receipts over the incentive period.
Based on the creation of 150 high-wage/high-skill jobs and the projected capital investment, the total proposed incentive amount is as follows:
Strategic Job Creation Incentive - County $210,000
Strategic Job Creation Incentive - City $90,000
Strategic Job Creation Incentive Total- $300,000
Direct Cash/Job Creation Incentive - County $100,000
Direct Cash/Job Creation Incentive - City $200,000
Direct Cash/Job Creation Incentive Total- $300,000
County Economic Development Grant- $100,000
Total Proposed County Incentive/Grant Amount - $410,000
Total Proposed City Contribution - $290,000
Total Proposed Award Amount- $700,000
Source of Additional Information
Maribel Feliciano, Director, OESBD, (954) 357-6400
Fiscal Impact
Fiscal Impact/Cost Summary
The total cost to Broward County will not exceed $410,000 (calculated at $1,400 per qualifying job for the Strategic Job Creation Incentive Program, $666.67 per qualifying job for the Direct Cash/Job Creation Incentive Program, and $666.67 per qualifying job for the economic development grant). Incentive payments for the Strategic Job Creation Program and the Direct Cash/Job Creation Program would be paid from the County’s General Fund and correlate to revenues generated by Project Orange Blossom’s expansion in Broward County. The economic development grant will be paid from the Economic Development Capital Fund.