Fisk unveils billion-dollar renovations, including new on-campus data center

Fisk University is rolling out plans for a new billion-dollar project that will bring a data center to its campus in North Nashville. School officials tout the move as a workforce pipeline for the community and an expansion of academic opportunities for students.

Dozens gathered at Fisk’s historic Jubilee Hall on Thursday to hear city leaders address how the investment will unfold over the next decade.  

The private historically Black university will soon house a 100-thousand square foot facility with 70-thousand square feet for a data center and the remaining space set aside for a new academic center.

Dubbed the “Quantum Leap,” the project includes a renovation of campus residence halls and a new event space that is five times its current size.

“Quantum Leap represents our commitment to building upon our storied legacy while paving the way for sustained growth to ensure Fisk continues to empower its students, faculty and community,” said Fisk University President Agenia Clark. “Through our campus master plan, the institution is poised to emerge as a leader in higher education and innovation.”

Clark stressed to the crowd the university’s commitment to “do no harm” to its surrounding neighbors. A data center is a physical building that manages massive amounts of digital data, and these centers can often cause conflicts with neighbors over air quality, water use and electricity costs.

Don Harden, the founder and CEO of Harden Group – a construction company working with Fisk on this project – addressed these concerns. 

“We probably study the impacts of data centers across the country more than anybody because we want to make sure we do it right,” he said. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that the community feels really good about what we’re doing in terms of noise mitigation, water consumption and energy usage.”

Clark echoed these sentiments, stating that the university is working with Nashville Electric Service to ensure that the data center will be in accordance with NES’s policies, so it doesn’t raise energy costs for neighbors due to its operation on campus. 

Mayor Freddie O’Connell praised Clark for her innovation and expressed his excitement that the city is investing in Fisk’s future. Stephanie Coleman, CEO and President of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce called the project a “game changer” for North Nashville, bringing new jobs that will help the city keep pace with technological advancements.

Construction for the project is set to begin immediately.