Making Waves in Miami: Q&A With Taylor Parker, PE

Three years ago, a growing convenience retail chain entered the South Florida region by launching three new stores on the same day.

The triple-header Miami grand openings marked an important milestone in the company’s history. With multiple contractors and three different developers involved in the projects, aligning stakeholders while maintaining a common grand opening date was complex. There was enormous pressure from all directions to deliver the retailer’s first stores in the new market on time. Behind all the collaboration and coordination, Taylor Parker, PE ensured the projects remained on track and helped the project teams maintain momentum.

Taylor’s ability to help the retailer accomplish its expansion goals caught the Miami development community’s—and Bohler’s—attention. As a leader driven to move her clients forward, she continues to make waves in the industry by becoming the first female branch manager at Bohler. Together with an experienced South Florida design team, Taylor is leading the opening of Bohler’s newest office in Miami.

We caught up with Taylor to talk about Miami land development, what motivates her, and what she’s looking forward to accomplishing next.

The Miami real estate market continues to thrive. Based upon your experience, what’s the most important piece of information a developer new to the market should know about developing here?

Miami, like any urban city, has its own complex nuances and processes. The key is to understand early on what agencies have jurisdiction over your project and how their review processes affect each other. In some cases, this could be at both the city and county levels. Knowing this will help you establish a realistic entitlement timeline and cost prediction.

What’s the first thing you consider when embarking on a new project?

The first thing I do is learn as much as I can about a client’s business objectives. Owners and developers take on substantial risk when they start a new project.  I encourage open dialogue upfront with clients to ask questions about their business and understand their development goals. I also review and discuss concerns or challenges that they are already aware of from preliminary findings related to the specific project.

In your opinion, where can civil engineers provide some of the greatest value to a project?

An important part of our job is to help developers make informed decisions. Knowing as much as we can about a site before design leads to smarter decision-making—especially in a city like Miami where most projects are redevelopments and there isn’t always an accurate record of what lies below ground.  Doing proper due diligence adds tremendous value to the project. As part of due diligence, I also make clients aware of long lead items like Miami-Dade County Traffic review, if applicable to the project. This helps set clear expectations for timeline, budget, and potential challenges a project may face.

What motivates you?

A drive to continuously be better. I attribute my success to date to my ability to learn from mistakes—both my own and others’—and not make the same mistake twice. I’m not shy or afraid to take criticism. Also, the fast-paced development industry keeps me motivated to accomplish more. I thrive under pressure. The high-pressure situations I’ve been handed over the years have pushed me to constantly improve my skills and expertise.

You’re now leading Bohler’s newest office in Miami. What excites you most about this opportunity?

While Bohler has extensive experience working within the City, establishing a permanent presence puts my team and me in a better position to help the tri-county region’s land development community. I’m excited most by the opportunity for growth—for myself, my team, our firm, and most importantly, our clients.

Considering a development in Miami?