St. Lucie County Bets on Glass Manufacturing as Florida's Data Center Boom Cools

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — County commissioners here have placed a major wager on heavy manufacturing, approving development agreements for a 1.3 million-square-foot glass-window production facility off Rock Road — a move that comes as Florida's once-surging data center sector runs headlong into new state regulation and cooling investor momentum.

The project, known internally as Project Orchid, cleared a key commission vote on May 5. If built, it would rank among the largest manufacturing facilities in St. Lucie County's history. The company behind it is headquartered in Miami but its name remains confidential under Florida's economic development law.

"It's our largest project to date from pretty much all aspects," said Wes McCurry, president of the Economic Development Council of St. Lucie County.

McCurry said the facility would generate roughly 1,000 jobs at a median wage of $28.50 an hour — approximately 116% of the county's current annual average wage. The company is committed to a capital investment exceeding $300 million.

The site sits near Kings Highway, in St. Lucie's northern corridor. Commissioner Jamie Fowler said the county has been deliberately targeting that stretch as a jobs hub.

"North county is starting to get the attention it deserves," Fowler said. "It's not a done deal yet, but fingers crossed."

Fowler acknowledged the company is still weighing competing markets. A second county hearing is expected before any final commitment. "What is going to give them the most bang for their buck?" Fowler said. "Because they're going to have to put out a lot up front to get going."

McCurry sees the project as a potential industrial anchor — not just a single employer. He drew explicit comparisons to the county's existing marine and aerospace clusters, suggesting glass-window manufacturing could seed a broader supply-chain ecosystem on the Treasure Coast.

"This is a new industry type that could lead to a specific cluster that has more industries that are similar or are compatible to window manufacturing," McCurry said.

The timing of Project Orchid's advancement is notable. Across Florida, data center development — once viewed as the state's next economic frontier — has slowed significantly. Multiple planned facilities have gone dark Officials said, according to reporting by Treasure Coast News.

That stall coincides with the signing of SB 484, sponsored by Sen. Bryan Ávila of Hialeah Gardens in the Senate and Rep. Griff Griffitts of Panama City in the House. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law last week. The measure requires data centers to bear their own utility costs, imposes new water-use restrictions, mandates public hearings for major permit applications, and preserves local zoning authority over data center development. DeSantis called it the first law of its kind in the country.

A poll of 1,115 Florida voters conducted May 8–10 by Sachs Media found nearly 9 in 10 approve of the new law, with 70% strongly supporting it. SB 484 passed the Senate 31–6 and the House 92–16. Its effective date is July 1. The bill is now law and is no longer in committee.

Whether St. Lucie County is consciously pivoting away from data center recruitment toward manufacturing is unclear — county officials have not said so explicitly According to initial reports,. But the sequencing raises the question. Economic development councils across the state have been recalibrating incentive strategies as data center prospects dim under the new regulatory framework.

For St. Lucie, Project Orchid represents something more immediate: a chance to move a corridor that has historically been overlooked.

"I think the odds are definitely in our favor," Fowler said.

A second commission hearing on the project has not yet been publicly scheduled Officials said.

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