Developer Proposes 69-Acre Truck Hub In Miami-Dade

The head of Ace Truck Parking has proposed a 69.2-acre truck hub outside the Urban Development Boundary in western Miami-Dade County.

The developer behind the MIA Transport Hub application with the county seeks a comprehensive development master plan (CDMP) amendment changing the zoning from “open land” to “terminal” for the property on the north side of Southwest Eighth Street, just west of Southwest 137th Avenue.

It doesn’t seek to expand the UDB, as the developer states the terminal use with truck parking, cargo transfer and related services is already permitted outside the UDB. The property is close to Doral and Sweetwater, one of the main industrial hubs in Miami-Dade.

The application was filed by 137 Ave 8th St Holdings LLC and 8th Street Land Holdings, which are both owned by Rodolfo “Rudy” Alvarez, the head of Doral-based Ace Truck Parking. The companies acquired 30.25 acres there for $15.125 million in May 2022 and another 10 acres for $3 million two months later. They have the balance of the site under contract from 836 HEC LLC.

“The intent is to address an issue that has been affecting the trucking community in South Florida,” said Carlos Velasquez of VSRE, which is partnering with Alvarez on the project. “As the demand for warehousing increases, truckers are being displaced to obscure and non-regulated sites, including agricultural, residential, and other areas. This situation poses several challenges for the trucking industry, which serves as the arteries that keep the heart of commerce [beating]. Immediate action to provide a secure and properly identified area for the trucking community is paramount.”

The MIA Transport Hub application would permit development of the site with at least 800 truck parking spaces, storage of shipping containers stacked up to six levels high, up to 180,000 square feet of space to transfer cargo from one container to another, up to 12,000 square feet of truck maintenance and repair space, up to 24 fueling positions plus electric vehicle charging stations, facilities for truck parts and tire sales, a facility of up to 6,100 square feet for truck washing, and a facility of up to 60,000 square feet to provide commercial and personal needs for truckers such as retail, dining, laundry, showers, fitness space, and storage lockers. At least 10% of the site would remain as open space.

The developer’s traffic study states the project would generate 496 vehicle trips during the afternoon rush hour.

“Rudy proposes the implementation of a system that caters to both overnight and long-term truck parking needs,” Velasquez said. “This would ensure that truckers have a designated and safe space to park their vehicles, offering them the support they require to continue efficiently serving the warehousing sector. Doral has the most concentrated area of Class A warehousing, and this area is a natural extension of those services.”

He said they don’t have a site plan yet. That would be required later in the process. The developer is working with Miami-based attorney Jeffrey Bercow and planning firm Kimley-Horn.

The County Commission would have to approve the CDMP amendment for this project. It’s part of the May 2023 cycle of applications, so hearing could take place later this year.

Source: SFBJ