Analysis

Where Florida Builds Next: 10 Construction Projects for 2026–2027

By Tyler Silva · Florida License Index · Published Sept. 15, 2026, 11:33 p.m. ET · Data checked through September 16, 2026 · [email protected]

Ten Florida construction projects, their builders and budgets, and the work contractors and skilled trades can investigate.

Research cutoff: September 16, 2026. Trade-fit and work-planning observations are Florida License Index’s analysis.

Timber Creek High School’s construction schedule runs from December 2026 through November 2029. Orange County Public Schools plans a new classroom building, a new band building, technology resource centers, and performing-arts and athletic improvements on that campus.

For a contractor planning next year’s backlog, the question is where those scopes might fit alongside existing commitments. For someone in the trades thinking past the job they’re on, the interest is more personal: which team to approach, when their skills will be needed, and how long their part of the work might last.

Elsewhere, the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering has announced road and parking closures for Building C construction beginning September 14, 2026. At Miami International Airport (MIA), Miami-Dade awarded Lemartec-NV2A JV a $50,930,968 construction contract on July 21, 2026 for the concourse connector.

The ten projects below have owner-published schedules and identified construction companies, documented in the linked records. This is a selected list ranked by published budget, with a scheduled-start window from September 2026 through March 2027; it is not a census of Florida’s ten largest developments.

The ten projects at a glance

The ranking uses the university capital-table total, district project budgets, the airport’s total project cost and FDOT’s project-page construction-cost figures. These are different measures, identified in each row. CM means construction manager; an appointment alone does not establish a final construction price.

A project’s full budget is not the amount available to subcontractors. Qualification and career links below are company routes; this report establishes no open project-specific subcontract package, vacancy or guarantee of employment.

1. FAMU-FSU Engineering Building C: a job for the building-systems trades

The planned building in Tallahassee includes classrooms, teaching laboratories and collaborative learning spaces. Florida License Index’s analysis is that electrical and mechanical firms with institutional experience have a reason to study the scope: laboratory work depends on coordinating the systems that make the rooms usable with the rest of the building.

FSU’s 2026–2027 capital-budget table lists $156.975 million for Engineering Building C on PDF pages 66–67. Its active register identifies JE Dunn Construction Company as CM on project 2400618 and carries a separate $65 million budget entry. The July 2026 university announcement described approximately $152 million in total state investment; those differently labeled figures do not establish JE Dunn’s contract price.

The college’s weekly notice says construction begins the week of September 14, 2026. Its dedicated update separately specifies road and parking closures for Building C construction beginning September 14, 2026. Those are announced milestones, not a report of an observed groundbreaking.

For firms with relevant experience, the JE Dunn trade-partner page links qualification and bidding routes. Workers can use the JE Dunn jobs portal.

2. Timber Creek High School: a construction program reaching into 2029

The $155.735 million district project budget covers a campus program with both new buildings and improvements. The district’s scope names a new classroom building, new band building, technology resource centers, performing-arts improvements and athletic improvements.

There is also work worth a closer look for the building-services trades: the presentation identifies chilled-water systems, lighting and controls, and plumbing fixtures. FLI’s reading is that the combination makes the sequencing of renovation and new construction as useful to an estimator as the headline budget.

The district identifies Williams Company as CM and schedules construction from December 2026 through November 2029. For a superintendent or tradesperson, that is a planning horizon to discuss with the construction team; it says nothing by itself about the length of one crew’s assignment.

The Williams Company qualification page explains how to inquire about bidding, and the Williams Company employment page provides its hiring route.

3. MIA’s F–H connector: building inside a working airport

Despite its F–H name, the corridor will connect Concourses F, G, H and J. The scope includes a multistory structure, escalators and elevators, tenant relocations, and conversion of existing offices into secure passenger corridors.

Miami-Dade’s adopted action R-612-26, dated July 21, 2026, awards Lemartec-NV2A JV $50,930,968. The contract allows 820 calendar days after the notice to proceed to reach substantial completion. The Miami-Dade Aviation Department capital record for CA004A lists $102.1 million in total project cost and a December 2026–March 2029 construction window.

The award documents require the work to proceed while maintaining operational levels. In FLI’s analysis, access and sequencing therefore belong in the estimating discussion from the outset. Structural, mechanical, electrical, vertical-transportation and finish trades can assess where their experience fits that documented scope.

The Lemartec-NV2A JV prequalification form provides the contractor inquiry route. Workers can follow the Lemartec careers page.

4. Orlando Gifted Academy: a replacement campus with a named CM

The replacement campus will serve grades 2–8. Orange County Public Schools schedules construction from January 2027 through May 2028 and identifies Pirtle Construction as CM within a $67.2 million district project budget.

The April 14, 2026 presentation lists a $52.65 million construction budget, a narrower cost measure than the total used in the ranking. That distinction helps a contractor read the opportunity at the right scale without treating the entire district allocation as trade work.

FLI’s analysis points to site work, envelope, interiors and building systems as the areas to examine in a replacement-school scope. The Pirtle Construction trade-partner page provides its qualification route, and the Pirtle Construction careers page provides its employment route.

5. Chain of Lakes Middle School: where renovation experience matters

The district’s comprehensive renovation program lists Chain of Lakes Middle School at $66 million, with T&G Constructors as CM. Construction is scheduled for February 2027 through December 2028.

FLI’s view is that school renovation rewards a particular kind of construction judgment: understanding existing conditions, deciding what has to happen first, and coordinating installations with building services. That is the experience mechanical, electrical, interior and rehabilitation firms should bring to a scope discussion.

The T&G Constructors qualification page provides a form and an estimating contact. Its T&G Constructors careers page is the company employment route.

6. SR 50 in Sumter County: read the awarded scope

The award documents identify Scope Alternate A: SR 50 from east of CR 757 to east of CR 711, approximately 4.6 miles on PDF page 2. The public project summary describes 4 miles, from east of CR 757 to CR 711; the more specific award-document limits are used here to identify the awarded work.

That scope includes widening SR 50 from two lanes to four, drainage, curbs and gutters, highway signs and a shared-use path. FDOT schedules construction from fall 2026 through late 2028.

Commercial Industrial Corp. was awarded E52G4 on August 24, 2026, after a winning bid of $46,234,409.26. The project-page construction-cost figure is $65.2 million.

FLI calculation: the $65.2 million page figure is about $19 million above the $46,234,409.26 winning bid. Substituting that bid for this ranking’s project-page figure would put SR 50 below Northeast Maintenance’s $53.65 million district project budget—a comparison of different cost bases, not a second budget ranking.

For a civil contractor, FLI sees the value in a defined scope and an identified prime: earthwork, drainage, concrete, paving and traffic-control capabilities can be discussed against an actual contract. The Commercial Industrial Corp. company contact and Commercial Industrial Corp. employment page provide the access routes. Identify E52G4 in an inquiry.

7. Northeast Maintenance: the facilities behind the school system

At the existing Hanging Moss site, the replacement scope includes transportation-maintenance facilities. The district lists $53.65 million, WELBRO Building Corporation as CM, and site 136-A-E-5, with construction scheduled from November 2026 through January 2028.

For FLI, this is the part of a school capital plan that service-building and industrial building-systems contractors should separate from classroom work. The relevant question is which parts of the facility their crews are equipped to deliver.

The WELBRO Building Corporation qualification page supplies estimating contacts and explains its invitation process. Workers can use the WELBRO Building Corporation employment page.

8. Groveland’s SR 50/SR 33 realignment: several civil trades in one program

FDOT describes a 2.1-mile realignment with a new four-lane alignment from Villa City Road to Second Avenue. The scope also includes a South Lake Trail extension, 66 parking spaces in a park-and-ride facility, and a new intersection at SR 19.

The project page lists $26.8 million, with construction from fall 2026 through summer 2028. C.W. Roberts Contracting was awarded T5888 on June 30, 2026, with a winning bid of $26,833,114.86. The owner page calls the company CWR Contracting, Inc.

FLI’s reading is that the trail, intersections and parking broaden the scope a civil firm should examine beyond the main pavement. Grading, drainage, concrete and signal experience all have a place in that assessment.

Use contract T5888 to identify the Groveland scope in an inquiry to the construction company.

9. Tampa Street and Florida Avenue: one contract across connected corridors

The work includes milling and resurfacing, new signals and drainage repairs, curb ramps and sidewalk work, and new pedestrian crossings. In FLI’s analysis, that mix makes the program relevant to concrete and electrical firms as well as paving contractors.

Preferred Materials was awarded T7534 on June 30, 2026, with a winning bid of $23,563,969. The principal project page lists $23.6 million and construction from early 2027 through late 2028.

The bid tabulation places 440511-8-52-01 and 440511-2-52-01 within the same contract on PDF page 2. The related project page carries a $15.4 million figure. We do not add it to the principal page’s amount when ranking this single contract; the cited records do not explain the difference between the two page figures.

The Preferred Materials contact page and Preferred Materials careers page provide company inquiry and employment routes. Identify T7534 when discussing the work.

10. Busch Boulevard: a closer look for roadway electrical and concrete crews

The FDOT fact sheet covers 435908-2-52-01 and 435908-2-52-02, from North Dale Mabry Highway to Nebraska Avenue. It lists $12.8 million and construction from late 2026 through fall 2027.

The scope includes milling and resurfacing, 10-foot lanes, a 35 mph posted speed, and lighting, pavement markings and signs. It also specifies a new signal at Rome Circle, rebuilt signals at Florida Avenue and Nebraska Avenue, and rectangular rapid flashing beacons.

C.W. Roberts Contracting was awarded T7595 on June 9, 2026, with a winning bid of $12,762,534.96.

For a lighting or signal contractor, FLI’s point is straightforward: a project’s position in a budget table says little about how well the scope fits the business. Use contract T7595 to distinguish Busch Boulevard from the company’s Groveland job.

More airport work is approaching the bid calendar

The Miami-Dade Aviation Department’s September 1, 2026–March 1, 2027 construction forecast identifies the following packages and anticipated advertisement months. These are procurement estimates and forecast advertisements, not open invitations or construction-start dates.

There is already a documented scheduling change: for AB016A and D105C-IB, the June report anticipated requests to advertise in June 2026; the July report moved those same targets to July 2026. The later forecast lists October 2026 for AB016A and November 2026 for D105C-IB advertisements. A request to advertise and the advertisement itself are different milestones; this comparison does not establish when an invitation actually opened.

For contractors, FLI sees the value in watching these packages before committing estimating time: chiller work, structural repairs, passenger-loading equipment and security infrastructure call for different capabilities. The airport’s Business Advertisements page links to invitations to bid and vendor registration; its procurement division forecast and construction procurement channel provide the agency’s supporting guidance.

Finding your place on the job

FLI’s view is that the useful unit of opportunity is the scope your company can deliver. A focused introduction names the project, explains the work you perform and gives a clear account of relevant experience and capacity. A large project budget provides context; the invitation and scope documents establish the work a firm can actually price.

For someone considering a job change, the employment conversation should establish when their trade is expected to mobilize and how long that assignment could last. A multiyear owner schedule is a planning aid, not a promise of continuous employment.

Road firms can consult the FDOT prime-bidder qualification guidance and FDOT subcontracting FAQ for the agency’s procurement requirements. None of the links in this article establishes that a particular subcontract package or project-specific job is accepting applications.

What to watch next

In FLI’s assessment, notices to proceed, trade-package releases and hiring notices that name the job are the developments that would make these leads more actionable. The airport’s forecast is a useful watchlist, with the request-to-advertise changes above a reminder that procurement schedules can move.

The main practical risks are revised dates, scope changes and access constraints. A new construction suspension, rescinded award, material funding interruption or court order would change the case for including a project. A revised owner schedule would change its timing without, by itself, proving that it had stalled.

Sources and reporting method

The supporting records were reopened for this September 16, 2026 revision, including owner schedules, capital tables, adopted awards, bid tabulations and official company pages. The article’s factual sentences link to those records; trade-fit and work-planning passages are Florida License Index’s analysis.

Orange County’s September 8, 2026 adopted capital outlay budget provides a second primary budget record. The district’s totals include prior spending and current or future funding, rather than an amount wholly available for new bids. Its capital report identifies CMs; the article does not promote those appointments into priced construction awards.

No post–September 15 development changing a retained project’s figures, schedule or award was identified in the primary sources and targeted checks completed for this revision. The review identified no construction-stopping order or procurement suspension affecting a retained project; this was a bounded source review, not an exhaustive court-docket search.

No project representative was interviewed, no site visit is implied, and no project-specific vacancy or open subcontract package is asserted. Claims relying only on aggregators or secondary news reports were removed. Source strings, PDF pages, matching anchors, calculations and cuts are documented in the accompanying source ledger and change log.