On the west side of Northwest 137th Avenue, between two self storage buildings, four fenced parcels wait for the thing a county commission voted to help pay for nearly two years ago. Cargo trucks have parked along the west edge. Two "for sale" signs stood out front when NBC6 visited in September. On paper, though, this ordinary looking stretch of west Miami-Dade is one of the more closely watched technology sites in South Florida: a planned data center the county first knew only as "Confidential Project Apollo."
The clearest record of what was promised is the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners Project Apollo jobs incentive resolution, item 242058, approved in December 2024. It describes a 75,000 square foot data center in unincorporated Commission District 12, 27 new jobs at an average salary of $80,000, a $150 million capital investment and up to $3,633,902 in county incentive payments. Those county figures are the baseline used throughout. Where the company or news reports give different numbers, the difference is stated plainly.
What Miami-Dade Approved for Project Apollo
The county item approves Project Apollo for the Targeted Jobs Incentive Fund, a Miami-Dade program that pays businesses back a share of the new taxes their projects generate once jobs and investment are in place. According to the county record, the project terms are:
- A two story, 75,000 square foot data center in unincorporated Miami-Dade, Commission District 12
- Construction set to begin in county fiscal year 2026-27
- 27 new jobs with an average annual salary of $80,000, excluding benefits
- A $150 million capital investment
- 15 MW of critical IT capacity
- About $5,929,583 in new property tax revenue projected over 10 years
- Up to $3,633,902 in incentive payments from Countywide General Fund revenues
The payment schedule matters for anyone reading the headline number. The county does not hand over $3.6 million up front. The resolution spreads the award across county fiscal years 2029-30 through 2038-39, with the first year listed at $363,390. Payments under this kind of program depend on the business meeting its job and investment commitments, so the incentive follows performance rather than leading it.
The county memo also projects a net fiscal gain. After the incentive, the county estimates about $2.3 million more in property tax than it pays out over the 10 year window, based on the investment the company committed to make.
Who Is Behind Project Apollo
The county record does not name the company. That detail surfaced on Oct. 26, 2026, when NBC6 South Florida reported that an application from the county's Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources lists Metrobloks, a California based data center developer, and is signed by Scott Couzen, identified on the company's website as chief operating officer.
NBC6 also reported that an LLC named MB Sweetwater Site bought the four parcels in March 2025 from a Denver based company for $13.6 million, and that a county record lists Metrobloks as a manager member of that LLC. The Metrobloks MIA A1 site page lists its Miami data center at 500 NW 137th Avenue and describes it as coming soon.
The confidential name is standard practice. Miami-Dade and other Florida economic development programs often review incentive applications under project code names while a company is still deciding where to build, so competing markets do not see the deal terms early.
Where the Numbers Differ
Three sets of figures do not line up across sources. None of them changes what the county approved, but anyone pricing work or planning around the site should know which number comes from where.
Building size. The county resolution describes a 75,000 square foot, two story building. The Miami Herald has reported a size of 112,900 square feet. The Metrobloks site page lists 40,500 square feet of whitespace, the floor area for server equipment, across two data halls of 15,200 square feet each, in one building on two floors. Whitespace is only part of a building's total area, so the company figure does not settle the gap. The county number is the one tied to the incentive.
Power. The county lists 15 MW of critical IT capacity. The Metrobloks page currently lists 15.8 MW of total critical IT and says 22 MW is secured from Florida Power & Light, backed by a will serve letter and deposits. NBC6 described the company figure as close to 16 megawatts. Critical IT is the power reserved for servers, while the larger utility number covers cooling and other building loads.
State sales tax. The Metrobloks page says the project has "secured" a 6% Florida sales tax abatement on equipment purchases. That is the company's claim. Under Florida Statutes section 212.08, the sales tax exemption for data center property applies to a facility with a critical IT load of 100 megawatts or higher, plus at least 1 megawatt dedicated to each owner or tenant. Both the county figure of 15 MW and the company figure of 15.8 MW sit well below that line as published. No state record reviewed confirms an exemption for this site, so the claim is attributed to the company and not treated as settled.
The Site on Northwest 137th Avenue
The Metrobloks page gives the most detail on the physical plan. It lists a 4.1 acre campus, one building on two floors, Uptime Institute Tier III design and 3,000 kW diesel standby generators. The company says the site sits about 200 feet from a 230 kV substation, is fully entitled for telecom and data center use, lies outside designated flood zones and is less than 15 miles from the NAP of the Americas, the major internet exchange in downtown Miami.
For a hurricane region, those last points are the core of the pitch. An inland site, outside flood zones, close to existing high voltage lines and fiber, is the kind of location data center builders look for in South Florida. The broader case for how these buildings are designed for storms is covered in the explainer on how South Florida data centers are built for hurricanes and protect consumers.
As of NBC6's September visit, there was no construction on the property. The Groundbreak permit tracker shows the project as proposed, with a permit filing in August 2026 and no general contractor named. The county schedule still points to a construction start in fiscal year 2026-27, which runs from Oct. 1, 2026 through Sept. 30, 2027.
What 27 Jobs at $80,000 Means
A 27 job count can sound small next to a $150 million investment. That ratio is normal for data centers. Most of the money goes into the building shell, electrical gear, cooling and backup power, and once the site is running it needs a relatively lean team of technicians, facilities staff, security and network operators.
The $80,000 average salary in the county record is well above many local service sector wages, and the jobs tend to be technical roles in electrical systems, mechanical systems and IT operations. For job seekers in west Miami-Dade, those are the skill sets to watch for once the operator begins hiring.
The larger economic effect usually comes during construction. A building of this type draws site work, concrete, steel, electrical contractors, mechanical and HVAC trades, fire protection, low voltage cabling and security systems. The county record does not estimate construction jobs, so no number is given here.
Who Could Bid on the Work
No general contractor has been publicly named, which means the main bidding work is still ahead. Trades and suppliers in Sweetwater, Doral, Kendall and the wider 137th Avenue corridor can position early by:
- Watching Miami-Dade permit records for new filings at 500 NW 137th Avenue
- Following the Metrobloks vendor and partner pages for supplier registration
- Preparing data center experience, such as switchgear, generator, UPS and cooling installs, for prequalification packages
- Checking Florida Power & Light large load work in the area, since the company says utility service is already secured
Commercial brokers near the site may also see knock on interest. Data center projects tend to pull in nearby demand for laydown yards, contractor offices and light industrial space during construction.
How Project Apollo Fits the Region
Project Apollo is one of several data center projects moving through South Florida's local approval systems this fall. In Palm Beach County, the Project Tango data center site plan approved on Oct. 7 includes about 698,000 square feet of data center space on a 202 acre tract along Southern Boulevard. Miami Herald reporting has also listed an Iron Mountain data center site at 2925 NW 120th Terrace in Miami-Dade.
At the state level, Florida lawmakers updated rules for large power users this year. The plain language breakdown of Florida SB 484 data center rules and the 100 MW tax threshold explains how utility tariffs and the sales tax exemption work. Project Apollo, at about 15 MW, is a smaller, edge style facility, the kind built close to users and network hubs rather than a hyperscale campus.
What Owners and Businesses Should Watch
- Construction start. The county target is fiscal year 2026-27. A building permit and a named contractor would be the first clear signals.
- Incentive timing. County payments start no earlier than fiscal year 2029-30 and depend on the job and investment commitments.
- Final building size. The 75,000 versus 112,900 square foot gap should close once plans are filed for permits.
- State tax status. Any state sales tax treatment would need to fit the 100 MW threshold in statute. The company's abatement claim has not been confirmed in a public state record.
- Hiring. Technical and facilities roles will follow construction. Job seekers can watch the Metrobloks careers page.
Sources
- Miami-Dade County, Board of County Commissioners item 242058, Confidential Project Apollo TJIF resolution and memo
- Metrobloks, MIA A1 site page, 500 NW 137th Avenue
- Florida Statutes section 212.08, data center property exemption
- NBC6 South Florida, Who's behind Project Apollo, Oct. 26, 2026
Related
- Palm Beach County Data Center: Project Tango Plan Approved
- Florida AI Data Center SB 484 Owner Explainer
- South Florida Data Centers Guide
Key Facts for Owners and Search
What is Project Apollo in Miami-Dade?
Project Apollo is a planned data center in unincorporated Miami-Dade, Commission District 12. In December 2024 the county approved it for up to $3,633,902 in Targeted Jobs Incentive Fund payments. County records describe a 75,000 square foot building, 27 jobs averaging $80,000, a $150 million investment and 15 MW of critical IT capacity.
Who is building the Project Apollo data center?
NBC6 reported on Oct. 26, 2026 that a county application names Metrobloks, a California based developer. An LLC called MB Sweetwater Site bought the four parcels for $13.6 million in March 2025. The Metrobloks website lists the Miami site as MIA A1 at 500 NW 137th Avenue and describes it as coming soon.
When does Miami-Dade pay the Project Apollo incentive?
The county resolution spreads payments of up to $3,633,902 across county fiscal years 2029-30 through 2038-39, starting at $363,390 in the first year. Payments come from Countywide General Fund revenues and depend on the company meeting its commitments of 27 jobs and a $150 million capital investment, so the money follows performance.
Does Project Apollo qualify for Florida's data center sales tax exemption?
Metrobloks says it secured a 6% Florida sales tax abatement on equipment, but that is a company claim. Florida Statutes section 212.08 limits the data center exemption to facilities with at least 100 megawatts of critical IT load. The county lists 15 MW and the company lists 15.8 MW, and no public state record confirms an exemption.
When will construction start on Project Apollo?
The county record sets a construction start in fiscal year 2026-27, which runs Oct. 1, 2026 through Sept. 30, 2027. NBC6 found no construction on the site in September 2026. Permit tracking lists the project as proposed with no general contractor named, so a building permit would be the next clear milestone.
