DC Blox v. Metro Nashville data center moratorium suit
DC Blox v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville (M.D. Tenn.) — Federal Judge Dismisses Data Center Developer's Challenge to Metro's Moratorium and Zoning Rules, With Leave to Amend (October 2026)
Nashville, TN · DC Blox v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County (M.D. Tenn. 2026)
- Status
- Blocked / in litigation
- Applies to
- Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County
- Enforced by
- U.S. District Court (Middle District of Tennessee)
A data center company, DC Blox, sued Metro Nashville in federal court in August 2026 over the city's data center moratorium, new data center zoning rules, and the hold placed on its permits for a site next to the Nashville Zoo. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit in October 2026 but allowed the company 21 days to file a revised complaint. Metro's moratorium and zoning rules stay in place.
Who is protected: Nashville, TN residents
Legal detail
DC Blox v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County (U.S. District Court; Judge Eli Richardson). Filed Aug. 11-12, 2026 (WSMV says Aug. 12; Axios headline Aug. 11) challenging (1) Metro's temporary data center moratorium (through Dec. 2026), (2) the July 2026 permanent data center zoning restrictions, and (3) Metro's hold on DC Blox's permit applications for its ~23-acre site adjacent to the Nashville Zoo; alleges vested rights, due process, equal protection and takings. Dismissal: counts 5-9 lack of jurisdiction; counts 1, 3-4 failure to state a clear claim; count 2 (class-of-one vs RadiusDC) rejected on merits because RadiusDC's permits were under a different classification not bound by the moratorium. Leave to amend within 21 days. NOT ESTABLISHED: exact order date (first reports Oct. 7, 2026), docket number.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Nashville, TN |
|---|---|
| Level | City / local |
| Citation | DC Blox v. Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County (M.D. Tenn. 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy |
| News report | Federal judge dismisses DC Blox lawsuit over data center regulations, moratorium — WKRN News 2 (Oct. 2026) |
More AI rules in Nashville, TN
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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