Proposed data center near Nashville Zoo sparks heavy pushback
Residents in Nashville, Tennessee, are heavily opposing a proposed 70,000-square-foot data center near the Nashville Zoo, citing concerns about noise, fumes, and light impacting over 3,000 animal species. Country music star Brad Paisley has joined the pushback, supporting an online petition against the project. The Metro Planning Commission held a public hearing on proposed legislation to restrict data center construction near residential areas, parks, and zoos.
Residents of Nashville, Tennessee, voiced strong opposition at a public hearing against a proposed 70,000-square-foot data center slated for construction near the Nashville Zoo. Concerns primarily revolve around the potential exposure of the zoo's more than 3,000 animal species, including endangered clouded leopards, to continuous noise, fumes, and bright lights from the 24/7 operation.
Country music star and Nashville resident Brad Paisley has publicly supported an online petition against the project, which has garnered nearly 400,000 signatures. Rich Schwartz, CEO of the Nashville Zoo, emphasized the potential health risks to animals, specifically mentioning impacts on 'photo periods,' breeding cycles, and overall stress levels.
DC BLOX, the company behind the data center, has committed to mitigating these issues, with Chief Revenue Officer Chris Gatch stating that generators would be placed on the opposite side of the building from the zoo, within sound-attenuating enclosures, and with muffled exhaust systems. Gatch also noted a 'tremendous amount of misinformation' surrounding the project.
The Nashville Metro Planning Commission held a hearing to discuss proposed legislation that would prohibit the construction of large data centers within a half-mile radius of daycares, homes, religious institutions, parks, and zoos. This local dispute reflects a broader national trend of increasing pushback against data center developments, with several states proposing similar legislative restrictions.