AI-ready data center raises alarms in Black Miami area

It seems you can’t go anywhere without a conversation about a data center.

And that conversation has landed in Miami-Dade County after a resident at a recent town hall raised the concern about one being built in a predominantly Black neighborhood. In reporting it out, I learned Miami-Dade County has 27 of them and Florida has more than 100.

Data centers have become a hot-button issue in the past year, especially in Black and rural communities, where it’s been noted they drain water resources while contributing to an increase in utility bills.

You can read more about data centers, including the one coming to the Westview area in this week’s newsletter.

Need to know:

‘Better Bus’ promised speed in Miami-Dade. Riders are still waiting for results

Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick resigns ahead of high-stakes ethics sanctions

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INSIDE THE 305:

‘Hiding in plain sight’: An AI-ready data center is coming to a Miami neighborhood

New Hampshire-based information management company Iron Mountain is bringing a 150,000 square-foot data center to the Westview neighborhood. The AI-powered facility is expected to bring 30 jobs to the area. This is a rendering the building. — New Hampshire-based information management company Iron Mountain is bringing a 150,000 square-foot data center to the Westview neighborhood. The AI-powered facility is expected to bring 30 jobs to the area. This is a rendering of the building. Courtesy of Iron Mountain’s Facebook page

Since New Hampshire-based information management company Iron Mountain broke ground on the 3.1 acre site to build what they call an “AI-ready” data center, word has spread through the predominantly Black neighborhood about the new development.

How unaffordable is rent in Miami? City ranked on housing cost and income

Miami ranks last in rental affordability on a list of 182 American cities. Blacqbook Getty Images/iStockphoto

A new report from WalletHub found that Miami is the most unaffordable place for renters out of 182 American cities surveyed.

Looking to start an Overtown business? This grant program can help

Aamir Taylor, owner of Italian Vice, a Miami-based water ice company, is photographed with a cup of water ice flavors Nipsey Blue, Saweetie Strawberry, and Mango Meek, by the Miami River in downtown Miami, Friday, October 11, 2024. Taylor named the flavors after hip-hop artists. SAM NAVARRO Special for the Miami Herald

Overtown is one of Miami’s oldest Black communities and the area is seeing a resurgence as a Black food hub in Miami. If you’re an entrepreneur looking to start a business in that community, the Overtown Small Business Grant Program can help you succeed.

OUTSIDE THE 305:

How has the Black Chicago accent retained its Southern roots?

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 01: The sculpture "Cloudgate," also known as "The Bean," is closed to the public at Millennium Park along Michigan avenue until further notice during the "shelter in place" order that was continued until April 30 for the COVID-19 crisis in downtown on April 01, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. The coronavirus pandemic has spread to at least 180 countries and territories across the world, claiming over 40,000 lives and infecting hundreds of thousands more. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) — The sculpture “Cloudgate,” also known as “The Bean,” in Chicago. Jonathan Daniel Getty Images

WBEZ Chicago contributor Arionne Nettles traced the roots of Black Chicagoans retaining their Southern accent.

Black College Football Poll to debut this year

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - AUGUST 30: Offensive lineman Ja'Quan Sprinkle #53 and other members of the North Carolina Central University Eagles enter the field prior to the start of their game against the University of New Hampshire Wildcats at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium on August 30, 2025 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Alex Halloway/Getty Images) — DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA – AUGUST 30: Offensive lineman Ja’Quan Sprinkle #53 and other members of the North Carolina Central University Eagles enter the field prior to the start of their game against the University of New Hampshire Wildcats at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium on August 30, 2025 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Alex Halloway/Getty Images) Alex Halloway Getty Images

HBCU football will launch a unified national poll in July. The poll, called the Black College Football Poll, will include the four major HBCU Conferences: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). Black College All-American teams will also be launched.

HIGH CULTURE:

Our Voices: Festival of Words 2026

Art Prevails Project, a non-profit organization in South Florida dedicated to fostering social impact through theatre, poetry, music, and storytelling, will hold its 4th Annual Our Voices: Festival of Words in Pompano Beach. Art Prevails Project

This weekend Art Prevails Project, a non-profit organization in South Florida dedicated to fostering social impact through theater, poetry, music, and storytelling, will hold its 4th Annual Our Voices: Festival of Words in Pompano Beach. The three-day festival explores and celebrates literacy and language and features a variety of panels.

If you have time, catch me on the panel Whose Story Is It? at 2 p.m. Saturday alongside WLRN reporter Carlton Gillespie and independent reporter Nile Fortner at the Ali Cultural Arts Center at 353 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

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