Internationally recognized creators including A-List Celebrities from Chattanooga and Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins joins Optic8 and STEM — an Oracle partner — in establishing a nexus for cutting-edge technology and creative production

Years of exploration and collaboration among real estate, technology, and entertainment industry leaders have led to the official creation of Jailhouse Studios, an entity that is expected to call Hamilton County’s former downtown jail home to the world’s first quantum-ready sovereign data, processing, and AI center and creator campus.

Designed at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and creative production, Jailhouse Studios is designed to serve the next generation of film, music, and digital media — combining secure data infrastructure, AI-enabled workflows, and world-class production facilities under one roof.

Among a lengthy list of world-renowned, critically acclaimed artists, producers, and national and international technology leaders, Chattanooga visionaries Jimmy White and Kessler Cuffman are spearheading the initiative, positioning the Scenic City as a national hub for technology-enabled creative production while creating long-term economic and educational opportunities for the region.

Reimagining a Landmark for the Future

White, president and managing partner of Southeast commercial real estate developer Urban Story Ventures, negotiated a long-term agreement with the County to lease the former downtown jail and redevelop it into an epicenter for music, film, production, and education. Originally the Wells Bijou Theatre, the site was later converted into a jail that served the community for decades. Today, its structure and design make it uniquely suited for secure data, processing, AI, and creative production under one roof, according to White, who is known for reimagining older properties for their highest and best use.

“The idea of Jailhouse Studios came as a solution to a need we’ve been trying to meet for years,” said Cuffman, Executive Officer for the Songbirds Foundation, a local organization providing educational and real-world experiences for students seeking skills, mentorship, and pathways into the creative economy. “While this facility will be positioned for production work at the highest level, the original vision was born out of workforce development and job creation for students local to Chattanooga. This will be a vessel for production excellence and a source of real, lasting impact for our community.”

A Creative Campus Powered by Sovereign AI

As a foundational step toward a larger mixed-use development known as The Bend, Jailhouse Studios plans to renovate the former jail to include secure data and AI infrastructure, film and recording studios, LED volumes, an amphitheater, cafeteria, artist lofts, and classroom space — bringing hundreds of jobs to Chattanooga while creating new educational and professional pathways for students.

To support the advanced technical requirements of the campus, Urban Story Ventures worked alongside Golden Acquisitions and STEM, an Oracle partner specializing in sovereign, quantum-ready data storage, processing, and AI infrastructure, and Golden Financial for the deployment of advanced technology capabilities in Chattanooga.

STEM’s Chief Technology Advisor and Oracle’s Senior Director of Generative AI, Sanjay Basu, who visited the site says, “By deploying a quantum-safe network with EPB, we are positioning the region as a national model for secure, next-generation digital communications. By combining EPB’s fiber infrastructure with STEM’s AI and Oracle’s cloud and security expertise, we are not talking about future theory. We are delivering a practical, production-grade quantum key distribution network that enterprises and public institutions can trust as the foundation for the next era of secure digital infrastructure.”

Through STEM’s collaboration with Centroid and Oracle, the project could become one of the first in the region to integrate all three of EPB’s major services: quantum-ready security and communications, the world’s fastest community-wide internet, and electric power delivered through one of the nation’s most advanced automated grids and public cloud infrastructure at a regional level.

Oracle Senior Vice President Dan Haller, says, “Oracle is helping organizations around the world build secure, private clouds. The STEM and Centroid model make accessible the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure in a decentralized, community-based framework. This approach brings AI-native compute directly to cities and regions, supporting high-performance workloads, workforce development, and scalable AI adoption across industries including media and entertainment.”

Jim Brull, Managing Partner of Centroid, says, “Communities have been told the future of AI and data would happen somewhere else. What we’re doing with STEM and Oracle flips that assumption. We’re giving cities and creators the ability to run world-class, secure AI infrastructure where the work actually happens — locally, responsibly, and under their own control. Jailhouse Studios shows what’s possible when technology serves people, not the other way around.”

Built for Creators, Designed for Protection

The first of three proposed Chattanooga data centers is architected specifically for the entertainment industry, delivering studio-grade security, privacy-first AI governance, and high-performance computing to support workflows such as real-time rendering, AI-assisted production, model training, and intellectual property protection. Each studio, production, or project operates within a fully segregated and secure environment, ensuring creative assets, talent data, and unreleased content remain private and encrypted. Customer content is not used to train shared or public AI models.

A Rare Creative and Technical Advantage

White has been working closely with Dan Kretz, president of Optic8 and Trilogy Studios, on plans for the studio and production spaces at both the jail and The Bend. Kretz and his team design and build virtual content environments for film, television, and commercial production markets around the world.

“Chattanooga stands as a rare unicorn in the production landscape, ideally located between Atlanta and Nashville — two of the nation’s most influential creative hubs,” said Kretz. “Leveraging the groundbreaking capabilities of EPB and technologies deployed through STEM, these will become the world’s first quantum-ready studios. We are thrilled to collaborate with this forward-thinking city to help shape the next era of technology-enabled creative production.”

From Local Roots to Global Reach

The team supporting Jailhouse Studios includes internationally recognized talent with deep ties to Chattanooga, including A-List celebrities, Rodney ‘Darkchild’ Jerkins, Khari ‘Needlz’ Cain, Dan Kretz, Adam Dukes, Don Mandrik, Bryce McGuire, and Isaiah Smallman. Collectively, they have worked on major films, music videos, and projects for labels such as Warner Music, Sony Music, and Universal Music Group. One of the most recent major productions is DOLLY, the first feature length film to fully be shot in Chattanooga and go on to receive major distribution. White says future feature films and other major projects are already eyeing Jailhouse Studios for immediate production should they be able to move forward quickly.

Next steps include Urban Story Ventures leading the renovation alongside architects, designers, engineers, and contractors. STEM serves as the Oracle partner, working closely with EPB to outfit the building for the first quantum-ready sovereign data, processing, and AI facility of its kind.

“There’s nothing like it,” said White. “Chattanooga will be in the global spotlight for technology and entertainment like never before. This initiative is bigger than any single company. It’s about creating infrastructure that allows creators, technologists, and students to build their futures right here at home.”

About Urban Story Ventures

Urban Story Ventures is a Southeast commercial real estate development group based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Led by Jimmy White, the company’s portfolio focuses on mixed-use, office, industrial, and retail sites, reimagined for their highest and best use. Projects include iconic and historical landmark buildings as well as 100+ acre redevelopments like the Bend. Full-service capabilities include property management, leasing, and maintenance. For more information, visit UrbanStoryVentures.com.

About STEM

STEM is a sovereign AI and advanced infrastructure company specializing in the deployment of secure, quantum-ready data storage, processing, and AI platforms using Oracle technologies to help organizations across all verticals scale their business.

For more information, visit stempractice.ai.

About Centroid

Centroid is widely recognized as one of the most successful and largest Oracle partners in North America, with decades of experience in helping organizations modernize, transform, and grow by delivering consulting, managed services, and AI-driven technology solutions across major cloud platforms and enterprise workloads. Centroid has exclusivity to providing STEM with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.

For more information, visit centroid.com.

About Oracle

Oracle is a global leader in cloud infrastructure, database technologies, and enterprise software, helping organizations accelerate innovation, securely manage data, and modernize mission-critical workloads. Oracle’s comprehensive portfolio includes cloud services, AI-enabled applications, and industry-leading database platforms trusted by enterprises, governments, and institutions worldwide. With a long-standing commitment to security, performance, and reliability, Oracle enables customers to build, scale, and operate the future of digital business.

For more information, visit oracle.com.

About EPB

EPB (Electric Power Board of Chattanooga) is a municipally owned utility that provides reliable electric power and advanced connectivity services to approximately 180,000 residential and business customers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and surrounding communities. Founded in 1935, EPB’s mission is to enhance the quality of life in the region by delivering world-class energy and broadband solutions over its community-wide fiber optic infrastructure, including some of the fastest internet service available in the United States. EPB continually innovates in smart grid technology and community-focused programs to support economic growth and improve everyday life for its customers. Wikipedia+1

For more information, visit epb.com.

About Optic8

Optic8 is a global leader in virtual production consulting, system integration, and strategic planning at the forefront of media, entertainment, and experiential concepts. The company specializes in the planning, engineering, and deployment of advanced virtual production environments, immersive experiences, and large-scale attractions worldwide.

By combining deep technical expertise with a forward-looking approach, Optic8 enables studios, brands, and venue operators to adopt emerging technologies with confidence and scalability. Beyond consulting and integration, Optic8 actively engages in strategic partnerships that embrace innovative technologies and experiences, helping to shape the future of immersive media and location-based entertainment.

With a focus on long-term value creation and industry advancement, Optic8 continues to define what is possible at the intersection of technology and storytelling.

To reach Optic8, please visit Optic8.com or email info@optic8.com.

About the Songbirds Foundation

Songbirds is a creative education powerhouse equipping the next generation of artists, creators, and innovators with the skills to thrive in today’s creative economy. Born from the merger of Songbirds and Dynamo Studios, we bring together classrooms, studios, and stages to form an integrated pathway for learning, mentorship, and professional growth.

Their multi-platform model ranges from in-school programs to studio labs to live performance venues, paired with industry mentorship and hands-on learning. By linking education directly to real world experiences, they help students develop not only technical and artistic skills, but also the confidence, leadership, and collaboration needed to succeed.

By preparing students for careers in media, production, entrepreneurship, and performance, they contribute to workforce development and expand economic mobility across the Southeast. They are proud to call Chattanooga our home base, a city where the creative economy is growing and new voices are finding their place.

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