John Moriarty

Scan the Miami skyline and you are likely to find some of Moriarty’s handiwork.
He has grown his namesake company, John Moriarty & Associates (JMA), into the go-to builder for some of South Florida real estate’s biggest players. His portfolio in the region includes Nadim Ashi’s Surf Club Four Seasons in Surfside, Terra’s Mr. C Residences in Coconut Grove, and PMG’s planned skyscraping Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residences Miami.

He is the founder and president of the Boston-headquartered construction management firm, overseeing its operations across Massachusetts, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida. He launched the company in 1985, growing it from a regional contractor into a national firm with a portfolio that spans large-scale residential, commercial and mixed-use developments. Over the decades, JMA has built a significant footprint in South Florida, where it frequently ranks among the top builders by volume and project scale.

Despite the success, JMA has also faced legal challenges tied to construction performance.

Condominium associations have sued the firm, alleging negligence and construction defects, including litigation connected to the Icon Brickell towers in Miami — one of the city’s most prominent residential projects.

Moriarty was also swept up in the post-Surfside collapse litigation. JMA was the general contractor for Terra’s Eighty Seven Park, the condo development adjacent to Champlain Towers. Moriarty’s insurer ultimately paid $157 million into the settlement fund for victims’ families.