Nashville Zoo petition against data center tops 500K signatures
The Nashville Zoo's petition against a proposed DC BLOX data center next to its facility has garnered over 500,000 signatures, including support from Brad Paisley. The Nashville Metro Council has since moved to enact a temporary moratorium on data center zoning, building, and grading across Davidson County, impacting this project and another near Fisk University.
The Nashville Zoo launched a petition against a proposed DC BLOX data center, which plans to build a 69,220-square-foot facility at 648 Grassmere Park, mere feet from the zoo. The petition has quickly gathered more than 500,000 signatures, drawing support from figures like country superstar Brad Paisley. DC BLOX, responding to community concerns, issued a statement detailing its commitment to responsible development, including using waterless cooling, paying for all power and infrastructure, managing noise to local levels, shielding light fixtures, and adhering to environmental regulations.
In response to growing opposition and broader concerns, local Nashville leaders have begun to increase regulations for data center development. On June 9, the Metro Council moved forward with an ordinance to declare a temporary moratorium on the acceptance, processing, approval, and issuance of zoning, building, or grading permits for data centers across Davidson County. This moratorium is expected to affect at least two proposed data center projects in Nashville, including the one near the Nashville Zoo and another planned near Fisk University.