Public Hearing Set for Tonight For Proposed Apple Valley Technology Park, Data Center Project
Provided by the City of Apple Valley, MN - February 5th, 2025 Planning Committee meeting.
APPLE VALLEY, MINNESOTA— Two key public hearings are scheduled for tonight, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, as the Apple Valley Planning Commission revisits a large-scale proposed data center development that could significantly reshape a portion of the city’s industrial landscape.
The meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Apple Valley Municipal Center (7100 147th Street West), where commissioners will consider multiple applications tied to the proposed Apple Valley Technology Park, a project led by Oppidan Investment Company in partnership with property owner Rockport, LLC.
What’s Being Considered
Two public hearing items are scheduled for discussion:
A Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to allow data center facilities
A broader package including rezoning, preliminary plat approval, and site plan/building authorization
The proposal involves transforming approximately 134 acres of land currently zoned for sand and gravel mining (“SG”) into a Mixed Use Business Campus (“MUBC”) designation.
Project Overview
The development would be located within the existing AVR, Inc. sand and gravel mining site at 15255 Johnny Cake Ridge Road, specifically in the eastern portion of the mining area.
Plans call for a multi-phase technology park featuring:
Seven total buildings
Five large data center facilities
Additional support structures
Approximately 1.05 million square feet of total building space
Of that, about 795,000 square feet would be dedicated to the primary data center structures, with additional mezzanine space bringing the total higher.
Background and Previous Delays
This project has been under review for more than a year.
February 5, 2025: The Planning Commission held a public hearing but tabled the proposal due to site-related concerns and pending land-use considerations.
The delay was partly to allow review of a related Comprehensive Guide Plan Amendment requested by Rockport, LLC.
April 2, 2025: The Planning Commission recommended denial of that amendment.
January 22, 2026: The Apple Valley City Council formally denied the amendment through Resolution No. 2026-11.
Despite that denial, the underlying technology park and data center applications remain active, as they were never formally withdrawn.
At the developer's request, review deadlines were extended multiple times, with the current deadline set for March 31, 2026.
What Happens Next
Tonight’s meeting will include:
The continuation of the original public hearing opened in February 2025
A separate but related hearing specifically for the Conditional Use Permit
It is anticipated that the Planning Commission will make a final recommendation following tonight’s discussion.
That recommendation will then move to the Apple Valley City Council, which is expected to take final action at its March 26, 2026, meeting.
City’s Role and Legal Requirements
City officials emphasize that their role is to review land use applications for compliance with local ordinances and state law, not to propose developments themselves.
Under Minnesota law:
The City must approve or deny applications within 120 days, unless an extension is granted
If no action is taken within that timeframe, the application can be automatically approved
This legal framework is why the project continues moving forward despite prior setbacks tied to the comprehensive plan amendment.
Community Impact and Public Input
As one of the largest proposed developments in recent years, the Apple Valley Technology Park has drawn significant public interest, particularly regarding land use, infrastructure, and the long-term impacts of data center operations.
Residents and stakeholders are encouraged to attend the meeting or participate in the public hearing process as the project approaches a critical decision point.
The proposed site for the Technology Park.
Written by: Will Wight
