What’s next for the proposed data center next to Nashville Zoo?
A proposed DC BLOX data center next to the Nashville Zoo is headed to the Nashville Board of Zoning Appeals over whether newer zoning restrictions apply to the project. The zoo and other opponents argue the facility violates rules requiring a half-mile separation from the zoo, while a federal judge has dismissed DC BLOX’s claims against Metro for now.
The proposed DC BLOX data center on Grassmere Park Drive, immediately beside the Nashville Zoo, is expected to come before Nashville’s Board of Zoning Appeals in December. The dispute centers on whether the project has vested rights to proceed under older zoning rules or must comply with restrictions adopted by Nashville in July, including a half-mile separation from the zoo and limits on large data centers.
The Nashville Zoo is challenging the project’s permits and says a petition opposing the development has surpassed 600,000 signatures. A federal judge recently dismissed DC BLOX’s claims against Metro, although the company has 21 days to seek permission to amend three claims. The city’s temporary moratorium on new data centers is also nearing expiration, leaving the permanent zoning rules as the central issue for the zoo project.