Miami International Airport (MIA) is set to increase its cargo capacity by 50% with the construction of a new cold storage facility, enhancing its role as a major entry point for fresh fruits and vegetables into the U.S. The $141 million project, a partnership with PortMiami, broke ground this week on a 340,000-square-foot complex located at Northwest 74th Avenue and 12th Street. Scheduled to open in 2027, the facility will expand MIA's capacity to handle more perishable goods, including fresh produce, seafood, and flowers.
The new facility, roughly the size of six NFL football fields, will dedicate 80% of its space to temperature-controlled cold storage and will include advanced infrastructure for warehousing and distribution. Designed to process over 1.5 million tons of agricultural cargo annually, the complex is expected to play a key role in streamlining the import and inspection of fruits and vegetables bound for U.S. consumers along the East Coast.
Fresh produce arriving at PortMiami will be trucked directly to the airport for storage and treatment, allowing for more efficient handling. One of the key features will be a new non-chemical pest control treatment area covering 20% of the facility. Using a USDA-certified pasteurization technology developed by Georgia-based Reveam, the system uses electron-based treatments to eradicate pests without heat or chemicals. This marks a significant shift from current chemical treatment methods and is expected to reduce spoilage, accelerate inspections, and preserve the quality of imported fruits and vegetables.
Greg Chin, communications director for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, noted the project would increase MIA's total temperature-controlled storage space by 52%, to nearly 793,000 square feet. "This is about meeting rising demand for fresh food and reducing the bottlenecks that can hurt supply chains," said Chin.
MIA already plays a critical role in U.S. imports of perishables, handling the majority of fresh-cut flowers and significant volumes of fresh fruit, especially during high-demand seasons like Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. In 2024, MIA received a record 3 million tons of cargo, including 90,000 tons of flowers worth $400 million during Valentine's alone.
The expansion comes amid a broader trend of increasing cargo traffic at MIA. In July 2024, the Miami-Dade County Commission approved a separate lease for a four-story cargo facility projected to add capacity for an additional 2 million tons of freight. The new cold storage center alone is expected to generate 200 jobs and contribute to the airport's continued growth as a vital gateway for fresh produce entering the U.S.
Source: Miami Herald