Nashville Moves to Acquire Zoo-Area Site Targeted for Data Center

Metro Nashville has authorized the use of eminent domain to pursue a 23-acre property beside Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, where technology company DC Blox was pursuing a proposed data-center campus.

The Metro Council’s action on Aug. 5 gives the city a path to seek the land for public use rather than allow the proposed development to proceed on the site. The move places Metro Nashville’s land-acquisition powers directly against a major private project in South Nashville.

The action could determine whether the zoo-adjacent data-center campus moves forward. It does not, by itself, transfer ownership of the property, establish the final compensation amount or resolve any condemnation proceeding.

A broader response to data-center development

The eminent-domain authorization follows a series of steps by Mayor Freddie O’Connell and Metro officials focused on the potential effects of large-scale data centers.

On June 15, O’Connell issued an executive order directing Metro departments to identify lawful ways to protect Nashville’s air, water, public spaces and residents from potential impacts associated with large-scale data centers. The order also supported expedited consideration of a temporary moratorium and zoning regulations for the industry.

The city has described one proposed Metro Council measure, BL2026-1448, as a temporary moratorium on accepting, processing, approving or issuing permits for data-center developments. The proposal was described as lasting until December 2026 while standards were developed.

A separate measure, BL2026-1391, was described as establishing zoning standards for future data centers. Those proposals address future permitting and regulation, while the eminent-domain action targets the specific property beside the zoo.

What the action means for the property

Eminent domain is the legal authority governments can use to pursue private property for a public purpose, subject to required legal procedures and compensation. In this case, Metro Nashville has authorized the pursuit of the land, but the property remains the subject of an acquisition process rather than an already completed public purchase.

The final appraised value, compensation and closing date have not been established in the information publicly described about the action. The legal outcome of any condemnation proceeding also remains unresolved.

That distinction matters for the proposed data-center project. The council’s vote signals that Metro is willing to use a direct property-acquisition strategy to challenge the development, but it is not a final declaration that the project has been permanently canceled.

The site’s location beside Nashville Zoo makes the dispute especially consequential for South Nashville. The proposed campus is tied to a large private development, while Metro’s stated response centers on protecting public spaces and addressing potential effects on air, water and residents.

The next steps are the legal and appraisal work required to pursue the acquisition, along with consideration of the proposed temporary moratorium and zoning standards. Until those processes advance, ownership, compensation and the ultimate fate of the proposed DC Blox campus remain unsettled.