Data Center Could Be Built Next to Nashville Zoo

UPDATE: Nashville Zoo-Area Property Officially Purchased by Atlanta-Based Data Center Company DC Blox An Atlanta-based data center developer is seeking permits for a project next to the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, adding a new technology-focused proposal to one of Nashville’s most recognizable family destinations. According to the Nashville Business Journal, DC Blox wants to demolish two existing office buildings at 648 Grassmere Park and build at least one data center on the 23.5-acre property. Public records cited by the Business Journal show the first phase would include a 69,000-square-foot data center after the removal of a one-story brick building and a three-story brick-and-glass building. The property is owned by Nashville developer MarketStreet Enterprises and sits near the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere, which lists its main address at 3777 Nolensville Pike. The zoo is one of Middle Tennessee’s most heavily visited attractions, making the location of the proposed data center likely to draw attention from neighbors, zoo visitors and Metro officials. The proposal remains in the early review stage. DC Blox has applied for initial Metro and state permits, according to the Business Journal, but key details have not yet been disclosed, including the total investment, construction timeline, power needs and whether future phases could add more data center space. Permit information cited by the Business Journal indicates about 25 people would work at the facility once it is operational. Metro Nashville’s public permitting system can be searched through the city’s permit records portal. DC Blox is not new to Tennessee. The company operates a data center in Chattanooga and describes itself as a Southeast-focused digital infrastructure provider with data centers and fiber network services for hyperscalers, enterprises, communications providers and technology companies. In 2024, DC Blox announced additional capital and a $265 million green loan as part of a broader plan to finance future construction, powered-land opportunities and energy infrastructure. The Nashville proposal comes as data centers are expanding across the country because of rising demand for cloud computing, artificial intelligence and digital services. In Tennessee, Meta has already made a major investment in its Gallatin data center campus, with the Nashville Business Journal reporting in 2024 that the company was approved for another expansion there. Still, data centers have become controversial in some communities because of their heavy electricity and water demands. That issue is especially important in Tennessee, where the Tennessee Valley Authority supplies much of the region’s power. Recent reporting from The Associated Press showed TVA working with Google and Kairos Power on advanced nuclear energy to help serve data centers in Tennessee and Alabama, while Reuters has reported that rising power demand from AI and data centers is part of the discussion around TVA’s future energy mix. For now, the Grassmere Park project is a proposal, not a completed deal. But if approved, it would place a new piece of Nashville’s digital infrastructure next to one of the city’s most visible public attractions, raising questions about economic development, land use, neighborhood impact and how Middle Tennessee will balance tech growth with infrastructure limits.