What is DC BLOX? Developer behind data center near Nashville Zoo has faced pushback elsewhere

source: The Tennessean (Nashville)
headline: What is DC BLOX? Developer behind data center near Nashville Zoo has faced pushback elsewhere
byline: Peter Burditt
date: Updated July 9, 2026
url: https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/dc-blox-developer-behind-data-120210402.html
archive: (none — no Internet Archive capture found at retrieval)
retrieved: 2026-08-17
provenance note: Captured via automated fetch and rendered to text. Re-verify quotes against the live page before publication.
why saved: Single reliable primer on the DC Blox / Nashville Zoo fight, used in Quid-Pro-NO at "I won't spend the time here re-hashing the DC Blox deal." Chosen because it covers the company, the Nashville dispute, and DC BLOX's record of opposition in other states, rather than just the August 2026 lawsuit.

Download the original file · 2026-07-09-tennessean-what-is-dc-blox-nashville-zoo-primer.txt

DC BLOX is an Atlanta-based digital infrastructure company established in 2014 that develops
and operates data centers and fiber networks across the Southeast. The firm describes itself
as a "vertically integrated digital infrastructure provider" focused on delivering essential
digital infrastructure throughout the region.

The company achieved a significant milestone in 2016 when it raised $15 million and opened its
first data center in Atlanta. As of mid-July 2026, DC BLOX had accumulated $1.415 billion in
funding.

DC BLOX currently operates facilities across ten southeastern locations, including sites in
Alabama (Birmingham, Huntsville, Montgomery), Georgia (Douglas and Rockdale counties), Florida
(Palm Coast), South Carolina (Greenville/Spartanburg, Myrtle Beach, North Augusta), and
Tennessee (Chattanooga).

Nashville residents have united against a proposed 69,220-square-foot data center on 23 acres
adjacent to Nashville Zoo property. Concerns center on potential noise, environmental
pollution, elevated electricity costs, and impacts on zoo operations.

DC BLOX claims the project would generate "$1.9 billion in capital investment in Davidson
County" plus job creation and tax revenue. However, Mayor Freddie O'Connell dismissed the
company's statements as "inaccurate, wishful thinking that is divorced from reality."

The Metro Nashville Council advanced regulatory legislation in July 2026 to restrict data
center development, while city officials explored using eminent domain to acquire the property
instead.

This controversy isn't unique. DC BLOX faced similar resistance in Lowndes County, Georgia,
where residents formed "Lowndes Citizens Against Data Centers" to oppose a proposed 720-acre
facility. In Indianapolis, the company reduced its project scope by approximately 35 percent
after community pushback.

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LATER DEVELOPMENTS (not in this article, noted for the timeline):
- Aug 4-5, 2026: Metro Council voted 27-5 to authorize negotiation or eminent domain
acquisition of the 23.5-acre site at 648 Grassmere Park, purchased by DC BLOX for $23M in July.
- Aug 11-12, 2026: DC BLOX filed suit against Metro in federal court over the moratorium.
- A petition opposing the project drew roughly 600,000 signatures; Brad Paisley among the
public opponents.