Nashville zoo opposes DC BLOX data center, zoning appeal

A proposed data center development adjacent to the Nashville Zoo has ignited a major public controversy, drawing intense opposition from zoo officials, residents, and a country music star over concerns about environmental impact and animal welfare. The dispute has escalated to include a formal zoning appeal and a pending city ordinance that could block the project.

The Atlanta-based company DC BLOX is seeking to build a data center facility at 648 Grassmere Park, a site located approximately 50 yards from the zoo’s boundary. Initial plans described a 69,000 to 70,000-square-foot building. Subsequent reporting revealed permit documents for a second, much larger facility on the same property-a three-story, 202,000-square-foot structure-though the company has not publicly confirmed these expanded plans.

The Nashville Zoo, home to over 3,000 animals including an endangered clouded leopard breeding program, has led the opposition. Zoo CEO Rick Schwartz and other officials argue the facility’s constant operation would generate noise and light pollution that could disrupt animal behavior, stress levels, and breeding cycles. They have filed a zoning appeal to overturn permits already...