Brad Paisley opposes Nashville data center near zoo

Country music star Brad Paisley has joined a growing public campaign to stop the construction of a large data center adjacent to the Nashville Zoo, calling the proposal an "absolute nightmare scenario." In an Instagram video posted on Saturday, June 6, 2026, Paisley urged his followers to sign a petition opposing the project, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures and drawn support from other celebrities and local officials.

The proposed facility, a 69,220-square-foot data center from Atlanta-based company DC Blox, is planned for a site at 648 Grassmere Park in south Nashville, situated just feet from the zoo's property. Critics, led by the zoo's leadership, argue the development threatens the well-being of the facility's approximately 3,000 animals and would disrupt the experience for visitors. Zoo CEO Rick Schwartz has expressed particular concern for noise- and light-sensitive species, such as the clouded leopard, which the zoo is working to conserve.

In his social media post, Paisley cited both practical and aesthetic objections. "First of all, they don't have the power to build this. They don't have the water. It doesn't belong there," he said. He described...