Metro Council Takes Final Vote Tonight on Seizing $23M Zoo-Adjacent Data Center Site

Nashville's Metro Council takes a final vote Tuesday night, Aug. 4, on Mayor Freddie O'Connell's legislation to acquire the roughly 23-acre Grassmere Park parcel next to the Nashville Zoo — a site DC Blox bought for $23 million — through negotiation or condemnation.

What has Metro Council already passed on data centers?

On July 21, the council unanimously approved Davidson County's first comprehensive data-center zoning regulations plus a moratorium halting new data-center development through Dec. 1. "Hyperscale" data centers larger than 500,000 square feet are now banned outright. Both bills passed with little debate after nearly two months of public pressure.

Does that stop the project next to the zoo?

Not by itself. DC Blox closed on the property and applied for a building permit for a 69,000-square-foot facility before the zoning bill passed, which likely exempts the project from the new rules. For now, the moratorium prevents demolition and construction permits from being approved until after Dec. 1. Two challenges to the zoning administrator's land-use designation for the property are pending with the Board of Zoning Appeals and will not be heard until December at the earliest. DC Blox has also offered to donate 13 acres to the zoo and abandon plans for additional, larger data centers on the parcel.

What is the financial exposure to taxpayers?

The parcel sold for $23 million but appraised at $37 million last year. The legislation does not mandate condemnation — it empowers the mayor's office to acquire the land through "negotiation or condemnation." If the city condemns, DC Blox would argue in court that it lost significant business and ask for more. That gap is why some fiscal conservatives on the council oppose the bill, though passage is considered likely.

What else changed for Middle Tennessee homeowners in the last two weeks?

Brentwood unanimously approved on final reading July 28 a requirement of minimum 40% green space on properties in its AR, R-1 and R-2 residential districts. That reduces buildable square footage on exactly the large lots that command premium pricing — supporting existing-home values while raising the cost basis on new construction.

What is the Middle Tennessee market doing?

Months of supply at 4.92 is the highest July reading in at least three years. The 30-year fixed averaged 6.66% for the week ending July 30 — up from 6.58% the prior week and 6.49% in late June — and the 15-year averaged 6.04%.

What this means if you own or buy here

• Southeast Nashville owners: a 69,000-square-foot data center versus 23 acres of city-controlled land is a materially different neighbor. The Aug. 4 vote, plus BZA hearings in December, sets the direction for values along Grassmere Park.
• Brentwood estate owners: the 40% green-space floor makes large new-construction product scarcer, which tends to push buyers toward existing luxury inventory. That is a modest scarcity tailwind for established homes.
• Builders and land buyers: re-underwrite AR, R-1 and R-2 deals before closing. A pro forma that pencils at 60% lot coverage may not pencil at a 40% green-space minimum.
• Move-up sellers: list-to-contract stretched to 58 days and supply is up 17%. If you buy first and sell second in this market, you are carrying two payments through a 58-day average. A guaranteed-sale plan* removes that exposure by fixing your sale date up front.

Sources: Metro Nashville Council votes of July 21, 2026 (The Tennessean, July 22, 2026); Axios Nashville, Aug. 3, 2026, on the Aug. 4 final eminent-domain vote and appraisal figures; Brentwood City Commission final reading, July 28, 2026; Realtracs residential market data, report date Aug. 3, 2026; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week ending July 30, 2026.

*Tracy and seller must agree on price and possession date