The debate over a proposed data center near the Nashville Zoo reached a new milestone this week after Metro Council unanimously approved new regulations aimed at future large-scale data center developments.
On Tuesday, July 21, Metro Council passed BL2026-1448, which places a temporary moratorium on new large-scale data center permit approvals until after Dec. 1, and BL2026-1391, which establishes additional protections for future data center projects. The council also approved the second reading of Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s proposal to allow Metro to pursue acquiring the property through condemnation.
The votes came after weeks of public opposition to DC Blox’s plans to build a 10-megawatt data center on a 23.49-acre property next to Nashville Zoo. More than 562,000 people signed a petition opposing the project, and large crowds attended Metro Council meetings as residents voiced concerns about the potential impact on the zoo, including possible noise impacts on the more than 3,000 animals in its care.
DC Blox finalized the purchase of the property from MarketStreet on Thursday, July 16, for $23 million. The company notified Nashville Zoo before the closing and has continued moving forward with plans for the site.
The temporary moratorium now pauses permit approvals while the new regulations take effect, though it remains unclear how the changes will impact the DC Blox project, which was already in progress before the legislation was introduced.
The controversy began in early June after plans for the data center became public. Since then, Nashville Zoo has pushed back against the development, while Mayor O’Connell introduced legislation that would allow Metro to acquire the property through condemnation instead.
Following Tuesday’s vote, Nashville Zoo called the measures “an important step in the right direction” but said the fight is not over. The zoo said it remains committed to stopping the data center from being built next to the facility and hopes DC Blox will reconsider its plans for the location.
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