Where does the proposed data center next to Nashville Zoo stand?
DC BLOX's proposed hyperscale data center beside the Nashville Zoo remains unresolved after a federal judge dismissed the company's claims against Metro Nashville. The project's future will be considered by the Board of Zoning Appeals, which must determine whether the developer is subject to older zoning rules or newer regulations requiring a half-mile buffer from the zoo.
A federal judge dismissed DC BLOX's claims challenging Metro Nashville's temporary data center moratorium and new zoning restrictions, but the ruling did not determine whether the proposed facility on Grassmere Park Drive can ultimately be built. DC BLOX has invested about $23 million in two parcels next to the Nashville Zoo and may amend three claims within 21 days.
The central issue is whether the company has vested rights under the former zoning rules. Metro Council member Roland Horton said the newer rules, passed unanimously in July, require a half-mile buffer from the zoo and would prevent the project from moving forward. The zoo is challenging the project's permit before the Board of Zoning Appeals and says its opposition petition has surpassed 600,000 signatures. Metro Nashville has also approved using eminent domain to acquire the property, while data center executive Kirk Fell called for balancing technology demand with environmental protection.