Apple Valley Technology Park (Oppidan / Rockport)
Also called: Orchard Place, Connect Apple Valley
Oppidan and landowner Rockport wanted up to five data center buildings, about 1 million square feet, on gravel-mine land in Apple Valley. The city said it could not supply enough water and denied the plans in January and March 2026. The city then paused new data centers for a year.
Where things stand: City Council denied the land plan change in January 2026 and the data center permit in March 2026.
🕒 Latest update (July 9, 2026): City adopted a one-year pause (moratorium) on new data centers.
What we know
- 📍 WhereSouthwest of County Road 42 and Pilot Knob Road (Fischer gravel mine land), Apple Valley, Dakota County
- 🏢 CompanyOppidan with landowner Rockport LLC
❓ Still unanswered
Nobody has answered these in public yet. Can you help find out?
- Will Rockport take legal action over the denial? 🙋 I'll find out
What happened so far
- April 2025Planning Commission voted 5-1 against changing the land plan, partly because the city could not supply enough water.
- Jan 22, 2026City Council unanimously denied the land plan change for 357 acres.
- March 2026City Council denied a conditional use permit for up to five data center buildings.
- July 9, 2026City adopted a one-year pause (moratorium) on new data centers.
Local votes and rules
⏸️ Pause on new data centers
Apple Valley paused new data center proposals for one year while the city studies how to plan for and regulate them.
✋ Turned down
Apple Valley's council said no to Oppidan's plan for five data center buildings (about 1 million square feet on 134 acres). It denied the site plan, the plat and the special use permit, as the planning commission had advised.
An aerial photo of the area.
Where this comes from
- Apple Valley City Council denies land use change · Sun This Week · Jan 26, 2026
- Apple Valley enacts one-year data center moratorium (summary of Sun This Week) · Blandin on Broadband · July 18, 2026
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