Brad Paisley brands Nashville data center “a monstrosity”

Country star Brad Paisley condemned a proposed data center near the Nashville Zoo as “a monstrosity,” criticizing plans he said are unfolding without residents’ permission. The Nashville Zoo is pushing back with a petition exceeding 529,000 signatures and a zo

Brad Paisley didn’t wait for a city hearing to weigh in. In an Instagram video posted Friday. the 14-time Country Music Award winner called a proposed data center near the Nashville Zoo “a monstrosity. ” saying the development is moving forward without the blessing of the people who would live with its impact.

“It’s without the blessing of those who are going to be affected by it,” Paisley said. He compared the fight over the project to artists being forced to contend with AI taking intellectual property from musicians. “Look, Nashville, we have to fight this. We have to set a precedent,” he added. “Because if we can win this and we can stop that from happening where we don’t want it. it’s a precedent that will help other communities.”.

Paisley then turned to elected leaders, urging them to “find a solution to this that’s going to benefit everybody.” He had already criticized the same project earlier this month in a separate video, calling it an “absolute nightmare scenario.”

The data center is backed by DC Blox, a digital infrastructure company. In a statement, DC Blox said it was aware of Paisley’s “social media commentary.” The company said the facility would have an eventual capacity of about 50 megawatts and is not intended to power AI.

DC Blox said data centers have existed for decades. hosting data for websites and social media. while large AI data centers typically reach capacities in the hundreds of megawatts or more. “We want to clarify that the data center is designed to function as a digital connectivity hub and not as a large AI factory. ” the company said. “Designed to meet Middle Tennessee’s surging digital demands. the data center is part of the essential infrastructure that supports and enables the entire community. from residents to local businesses.”.

The company also argued that such infrastructure benefits artists. “In fact, it is this digital infrastructure that enables artists like Mr. Paisley to distribute and stream their music globally. engage with fans on social media. and utilize video platforms to share their voices. ” DC Blox said. “All these daily digital services rely on data centers and internet connectivity. as is being proposed for Nashville. and without them. the music industry would not be what it is today.”.

The backlash is broader than celebrity commentary. Across the United States, Americans have increasingly resisted large-scale data centers, which are central to powering AI. Critics argue that sprawling developments can strain water resources, worsen air quality, increase noise levels, and affect local wildlife. In Nashville, those concerns sharpen because of location: the project sits close to the Nashville Zoo.

A permit filed with Nashville’s Department of Codes and Building Safety in May said the nearly 70,000-square-foot single-story building would sit less than three miles from the zoo.

The Nashville Zoo is not treating the proximity as a footnote. Its petition has over 529,000 signatures as of Saturday, and the zoo urged community members to sign earlier this month. By Saturday, the petition had gained almost 530,000 signatures.

“How are we to know this new data center will not lead to irreversible damage to the animals we exist to protect?” the zoo wrote in its petition. “We cannot afford to find out years from now how this facility has negatively impacted our 1.4 million visitors. our local community. or the 3. 000 animals entrusting us with their care.”.

The zoo’s fight is also moving into legal channels. In response, a spokesperson for the zoo told Business Insider that it is exploring whether to take legal action. “As we move forward, we have taken the next step in our fight against the proposed data center. Our Land Use Attorney has filed a zoning appeal with the city,” the spokesperson said. “The goal of this appeal is to overturn the permits that DC BLOX has filed and that have been approved.”.

The spokesperson said the zoo is also working with an environmental rights lawyer to assess legal options “in regards to the protected species on our property and the proposed data center’s property.”

Local politics are lining up alongside the zoo’s push. Council Member Rollin Horton has proposed legislation that would cap the size of data center construction and where they are built. Council Member Courtney Johnston has proposed a temporary data center moratorium in Nashville and Davidson County.

Johnston said Nashville was “caught flat-footed. not having ‘data center’ defined in our code for purposes of regulating that land use and protecting our sensitive areas like the zoo. schools. parks. and neighborhoods.” She said the city is working to “rectify that with a current text amendment going through the legislative process.” She also said she is challenging the zoning administrators’ land use determination alongside the Nashville Zoo’s counsel.

Johnston added that the Southern Environmental Law Group is closely watching the development “as it relates to the Endangered Species Act.” “As a community and a government and as the elected representative of the zoo and this area of Nashville. I am. and we are. doing everything we can to stop this project from being built out next to our zoo.”.

The contradiction is now hard to ignore: DC Blox frames the project as essential digital infrastructure designed to serve Middle Tennessee. insisting it is not intended to power AI. while the zoo and a growing number of residents argue the location is too close—and the stakes too high—for the city to treat the permits as routine.

Brad Paisley Nashville Zoo data center DC Blox Nashville zoning appeal Endangered Species Act community pushback megawatts digital infrastructure