Nashville uses eminent domain to block data center near zoo

Nashville's Metro Council voted 27-5 to authorize eminent domain proceedings against a 23-acre site where developer DC Blox planned a $700 million data center next to the Nashville Zoo. Mayor Freddie O'Connell says the city will acquire the property for public needs. The zoo and celebrities like Brad Paisley and Sheryl Crow opposed the project over noise, light, and power concerns, gathering over 500,000 petition signatures. The vote follows new zoning restrictions and a permit moratorium, part of a broader trend of communities pushing back on data centers.