Metro Council Authorizes Eminent Domain on Zoo Data Center Land — What South Nashville Owners Should Watch

Metro Council voted 27-5 Tuesday night, Aug. 4, to authorize eminent domain on land DC Blox bought for a data center next to the Nashville Zoo. If you own in Woodbine, Crieve Hall, or anywhere zoo-adjacent, that is not a closed sale. It is an option — and a 12-to-18-month fight.

WKRN, publishing Aug. 5, reported the vote after hours of debate that ran past midnight. Mayor Freddie O'Connell's office says the vote does not commit Metro to buying. It only gives the city the legal option. Appraisal first. Then negotiate. If DC Blox rejects the offer, a judge could set the price. Separately, Vanderbilt's Innovation District rezoning is headed to a Sept. 1 third reading — a different fight on the same council calendar.

What did Metro Council authorize on the zoo data-center land?

Nashville's Metro Council voted to let the city use eminent domain to purchase land owned by DC Blox, blocking the company's plan to build a data center next to the Nashville Zoo. WSMV reported the vote Aug. 5. WKRN put the count at 27 to 5.

NewsChannel5 identified the site as more than 23 acres at 648 Grassmere Park. According to the Davidson County Register of Deeds, DC Blox purchased the land near the zoo for $23 million. The Tennessean later put the closing at July 16.

Under state law, Metro would likely have to pay at least $37 million for the property — even though DC Blox paid about $23 million. That figure came up repeatedly during the council meeting.

"When we hear numbers like thirty-seven million, we should be extremely concerned," Metro council member Joy Styles said during the meeting, per WSMV.

NewsChannel5 reported the city wants the land for offices, warehouse space, and employee training if it acquires it. If talks fail, Metro could go to court to set fair market value — or walk away to save taxpayer money.

Does the vote mean Metro is buying the property?

No. The mayor's office said the vote does not commit Metro to purchasing the land — it only gives the city the option. Metro has not yet begun negotiations. The city will first obtain an appraisal. If DC Blox rejects the offer, a judge could set the final amount.

Mayor O'Connell released a statement after the vote, as reported by WKRN: "Tonight, I'm glad Metro Council passed our legislation that gives us the option to acquire property next to the zoo for a number of public needs. We're working closely with our Finance and General Services departments to plan for the site. We'll now proceed with the legal process to buy the property and protect the interests of Metro and Nashvillians."

Eminent domain cases typically take 12 to 18 months, WSMV reported, and often result in the government obtaining the land — sometimes at a higher price than first offered. DC Blox said it remains committed to building at the site.

The Tennessean reported Aug. 12 that DC BLOX filed a federal lawsuit Aug. 11 in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee, challenging the data-center moratorium and asking a judge to force Metro to resume processing permits. Metro Law Director Tyler Yarbro said the city is "confident that Metro has acted lawfully."

Why did neighbors and the zoo push back?

Nearby resident Drew Small, who lives about a mile from the zoo, told WSMV there was zero community outreach. "The permits that they applied for lacked even a basic site plan. They weren't compliant with any sort of existing Metro codes."

Small noted that legislation passed two weeks earlier already blocks the data center at that location. FOX17 reported Metro Council last month passed data-center restrictions and a moratorium through December. The Tennessean dated that pause to July 21, running as late as Dec. 1.

"There isn't really much conversation to be had," Small told WSMV. "No is a complete sentence."

What could Metro put on the site instead?

The mayor's office said the property — warehouse and office space — could serve multiple Metro needs. The city listed these potential uses and called the list incomplete:

• Elections Office
• Nashville Department of Transportation location
• Woodbine Health Clinic
• Woodbine Storage
• General Sessions Court Traffic School
• Schools office
• Schools Hands On Science program
• Waste Services offices

If you live in Woodbine, that list is the neighbor question. A data center and a Metro campus are different outcomes. Neither is settled. The vote only opened the option.

What is the Greater Nashville market doing?

Greater Nashville REALTORS July data, as published on the Kings of Real Estate Spring Hill briefing, showed a split market. Residential median price held at $520,000 on 2,627 residential closings, with condos at a $334,900 median on 456 closings. Days on market sat at 54 and total inventory at 15,636. Closings above $800,000 rose 8% year over year with median prices in that band up 7%, while condo closings fell 17% and condo prices slipped 2%. July closings overall were down 2% from a year ago. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate sat at 6.67% in the Aug. 13 Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, down from 6.69% the week before.

The $520,000 median hides two speeds: above $800,000 is still moving; condos are not. Price to your band, not to a headline about the zoo.

What this means if you own or buy here

• Woodbine and zoo-adjacent owners: the vote is not a sale. Do not price your house as if a data center is dead, and do not price it as if a Metro office campus is already next door. Both remain possible for 12 to 18 months. Disclose what you know.
• South Nashville sellers: 54 days on market means a listing that is not priced to the July median will sit. Buyers in Crieve Hall, Woodbine, and Grassmere are shopping the house in front of them, not a council bill.
• Buyers near 648 Grassmere Park: write the contract to today's use, not to a future Metro campus or a future data center. Ask in writing whether any moratorium or condemnation notice touches the parcel.
• Move-up sellers in south Nashville: at 54 days on market, timing two closings by hand is a coin flip. A guaranteed-sale plan settles the first one,* so the second is a decision you control.

What should south Nashville owners do this week?

1. Pull the 648 Grassmere Park parcel yourself and read the WSMV and WKRN coverage — not a Facebook summary.
2. If you are listing this month, price to the $520,000 residential median and the 54-day clock.
3. If you are under contract nearby, confirm in writing whether any data-center, moratorium, or eminent-domain notice touches the lot.
4. If you need to buy the next house before this one closes, do not wait on Metro Legal.

Call the Kings of Real Estate team at 865-365-2280. Nashville/Brentwood is at 214 Overlook Circle.

What's happening in Nashville this week

• 12 South Farmers Market — Tuesday Aug. 18, 4–7 p.m. · Sevier Park, 12 South
• Happy Together 2026 — Tuesday Aug. 18, 7:30 p.m. · Ryman Auditorium
• Dog Nights of Summer — Thursday Aug. 20, 5–9 p.m. · Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
• Hip Donelson Farmers Market — Friday Aug. 21, 4–7 p.m. · Donelson Station, 2705 Lebanon Pike

Sources: WSMV Aug. 5, 2026; WKRN/Yahoo Aug. 5, 2026; NewsChannel5; FOX17 Aug. 5, 2026; The Tennessean Aug. 12, 2026; Nashville Post; Greater Nashville REALTORS as published on news.kingsofrealestate.com; Freddie Mac PMMS Aug. 13, 2026.

Sources

• Nashville Zoo data center: What comes next after Metro Council's vote for eminent domain
• Metro Council approves eminent domain to buy proposed data center land near Nashville Zoo
• Metro Council approves eminent domain to acquire land near Nashville Zoo from data center company
• In 'emotional' move, Nashville leaders vote to acquire property for data center near zoo
• DC BLOX lawsuit challenges Nashville data center moratorium
• Vanderbilt Innovation District zoning clears major council hurdle
• Spring Hill Bond Released; Williamson Prices (Greater Nashville REALTORS July data)
• Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, Aug. 13, 2026
• Happy Together 2026 — Ryman Auditorium
• Dog Nights of Summer — Cheekwood Estate & Gardens
• 12 South Farmers Market 2026 season
• Hip Donelson Farmers Market — hours and location

*Tracy and seller must agree upon price and possession date. Kings of Real Estate, LLC DBA "Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty"