Alumni, elected and community leaders oppose Fisk University Data Center
Community leaders and alumni are opposing a planned 70,000-square-foot data center on Fisk University's campus in North Nashville, Tennessee. Concerns include a lack of transparency, potential noise and air pollution, and impacts on public health and student well-being. A public comment period is scheduled to begin on the project.
Concerns are escalating over a proposed 70,000-square-foot data center planned for Fisk University's campus in North Nashville, Tennessee, which is part of the university's $1 billion Quantum Leap Masterplan. The facility is slated to be built within a $400 million innovation center on land already owned by Fisk University.
Community leaders and alumni are expressing strong opposition, citing a significant lack of transparency surrounding the project. They contend that information about the data center has primarily come through local news coverage, with no community meetings held and the announcement made after students had departed for summer break. Critics, including activist Theopia Jackson, argue that the project will impose substantial public health costs and negatively impact the well-being and longevity of students due to constant noise and air pollution from a data center located mere steps from their residences.
Fisk University, in response, has stated its commitment to not harming North Nashville, asserting that the facility's design ensures it will not burden neighbors. The university also noted that the data center would utilize an existing power line beneath the campus, assuring that residential customers would not face increased rates or loss of power. A public comment period regarding the project is scheduled to commence at the Howard Office Building.