How much does commercial real estate cost in Melbourne, Florida?

Costs vary by property type. Office space leases for $14 to $28 per square foot per year. Retail space runs $14 to $30 per square foot NNN. Industrial and warehouse space leases for $8 to $16 per square foot NNN. Commercial land ranges from $3 to $40 per square foot depending on zoning and entitlement status.

Do I need a commercial broker in Brevard County?

You are not legally required to use a broker, but tenant representation is free to you. The landlord pays the commission whether you have representation or not. A commercial broker provides market data, off-market access, and negotiates terms that most tenants would not know to request.

What is a NNN lease in commercial real estate?

A NNN (triple net) lease requires you to pay base rent plus three additional expenses: property taxes, building insurance, and common area maintenance (CAM). This is the standard lease structure for retail and industrial properties in Brevard County. NNN charges typically add $3 to $10 per square foot.

What is a 1031 exchange in Florida?

A 1031 exchange lets you defer capital gains taxes by selling one investment property and purchasing another like-kind property. You have 45 days to identify replacement properties and 180 days to complete the purchase. Florida has no state income tax, making 1031 exchanges here particularly advantageous.

What areas does Reach Commercial Real Estate serve?

Reach Commercial serves all of Brevard County including Melbourne, West Melbourne, Palm Bay, Viera, Suntree, Rockledge, Cocoa, Titusville, Merritt Island, Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral, and surrounding communities on Florida's Space Coast.

SpaceX Starship Launch Pad Approved at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

Cassandra Hartford
May 31
5 min read

The Air Force has cleared SpaceX to build a Starship launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. According to News 13 Orlando, this approval brings SpaceX one step closer to moving Starship launches from Boca Chica, Texas to Brevard County. The decision shifts the center of gravity for the world's largest rocket program to Florida's Space Coast.

This is not a study. This is not an environmental review. This is a green light to pour concrete and erect steel. SpaceX already operates Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center and SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral. Adding Starship infrastructure to the mix creates a different scale of demand for industrial space in north Brevard.

What SpaceX Starship Means for Brevard Industrial

Starship is not Falcon. The vehicle stands 397 feet tall when stacked. The Super Heavy booster alone has 33 Raptor engines. Manufacturing, testing, and integration at this scale requires facilities that do not currently exist in Brevard County. SpaceX will need to build them or lease them.

The company's Boca Chica operation in Texas includes massive high-bay buildings for stacking, engine integration facilities, propellant production, and thousands of support workers. Replicating even a portion of that infrastructure in Florida means industrial buildings with 40-foot or higher clear heights, heavy power service, and proximity to the launch site. That narrows the geography to Titusville, Merritt Island, and the Cape Canaveral corridor.

In deals I have worked in Brevard, aerospace tenants pay premium rates for clear height and power capacity. A standard 24-foot clear warehouse does not work for rocket components. The buildings that do exist with 35-foot or higher ceilings are already occupied or under contract. New construction is the only path for most large aerospace requirements.

RCRE Take

This approval changes the north Brevard industrial market fundamentally. Titusville and the unincorporated areas near the Space Force station will see the most direct impact. SpaceX does not move slowly. When they commit to a location, they build fast and they hire faster. The workforce support infrastructure, from housing to restaurants to flex space for subcontractors, will need to scale in parallel.

The timeline matters here. SpaceX has been conducting Starship test flights from Texas since 2023. The vehicle is no longer experimental. It is operational. Moving launches to Florida suggests a permanent, high-cadence operation, not a temporary test program. That means long-term leases, not short-term flex deals.

For industrial owners in north Brevard, this is the moment to evaluate whether your building serves aerospace tenants or gets left behind. Clear height under 30 feet? You are competing for logistics users, not SpaceX subcontractors. Heavy three-phase power and room for outdoor staging? You just became more valuable. The spread between aerospace-ready and aerospace-adjacent buildings is about to widen.

North Brevard Industrial Context

The Titusville industrial submarket has historically traded at a discount to Melbourne and Palm Bay. That discount has been compressing for three years as aerospace activity expanded at Kennedy Space Center and the Space Force station. Blue Origin operates from Kennedy. Sierra Space is preparing Dream Chaser missions from Cape Canaveral. SpaceX adding Starship operations accelerates a trend already in motion. For context on how aerospace expansion affects local industrial demand, see our previous coverage of the Sierra Space Dream Chaser launch preparations.

The risk for sellers right now is overpricing based on headlines. The demand is real, but SpaceX negotiates hard. They are not paying premium rates for buildings that need modifications. Buildings that are genuinely move-in ready for aerospace use will command top dollar. Everyone else will wait. If you are evaluating an industrial asset in the north Brevard corridor, start with actual cap rate math, not hope. Our breakdown of how NOI drives pricing in Brevard industrial explains why two buildings at the same cap rate can have a $1.85M price gap.

Current north Brevard industrial listings and active aerospace-adjacent opportunities are available on our commercial investments page. Aerospace tenants looking for turnkey space should reach out before inventory tightens further.

What Happens Next

SpaceX will begin construction on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Simultaneously, they will need to secure or build integration and manufacturing facilities nearby. The company typically announces major facility investments after site control is locked down, not before. Watch for land acquisitions and lease signings in the Titusville and Merritt Island areas over the next 12 to 18 months.

For Brevard County as a whole, this is the third major aerospace program to anchor in the county alongside Falcon operations and Blue Origin's New Glenn. The workforce pipeline is the constraint now. Brevard's unemployment rate sits near historic lows. SpaceX will be competing with Blue Origin, L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, and a dozen subcontractors for the same skilled labor pool. That competition benefits workers. It also means aerospace companies will pay more for space that helps them attract and retain talent.

If you are buying, selling, or leasing industrial property in north Brevard County, call before you sign anything. Reach Cassandra Hartford at 321-514-0876 or contact RCRE directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where will SpaceX build the Starship launch pad in Florida?

SpaceX will build the Starship launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Brevard County. This is separate from their existing Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy pads at Kennedy Space Center and SLC-40.

What industrial building specs does SpaceX need for Starship operations?

Starship manufacturing and integration requires buildings with 40-foot or higher clear heights, heavy three-phase power service, and outdoor staging areas. Standard 24-foot clear warehouses do not work for rocket components of this scale.

How will SpaceX Starship affect Titusville industrial real estate values?

Aerospace-ready industrial buildings in Titusville and north Brevard will see increased demand and pricing pressure. Buildings with high clear heights and adequate power infrastructure will command premium lease rates. The gap between aerospace-ready and standard industrial space will widen.

When will SpaceX begin Starship launches from Cape Canaveral?

SpaceX has not announced a specific launch date for Starship from Cape Canaveral. Construction on the launch pad will begin following the Air Force approval. Based on SpaceX's typical build timelines, expect 18 to 24 months before the pad is operational.

What other aerospace companies operate near Cape Canaveral?

Blue Origin operates from Kennedy Space Center with New Glenn. Sierra Space is preparing Dream Chaser missions. L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, and numerous subcontractors also have facilities in the north Brevard corridor. SpaceX adding Starship intensifies competition for skilled labor and industrial space.