Ground was broken Wednesday on Chattanooga's new U.S. Courthouse: seven courtrooms on Vine Street, early work in 2027 and completion due in 2030, GSA said.
Federal officials broke ground Wednesday on Chattanooga’s new U.S. Courthouse, a $282 million building on the Vine Street site downtown.
The U.S. General Services Administration, the federal government’s landlord, announced the start in a news release Wednesday. Federal, state and local leaders joined the ceremony, the agency said.
The building will be about 191,000 square feet. GSA expects it to be substantially complete in 2030.
What is being built
The courthouse will bring three federal operations under one roof, according to GSA:
- the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
- the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
- the Circuit Library
The plans include:
- seven courtrooms
- nine judges’ chambers
- 40 secure interior parking spaces
- space for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Service
GSA’s project page also lists the U.S. Probation Office, the U.S. Trustees, the district and bankruptcy clerks and congressional offices as future tenants.
The site is the block bounded by East Fifth Street, Lindsay Street, Vine Street and Georgia Avenue. GSA acquired it in April 2026, the project page says.
What officials said
“Today’s groundbreaking is an important milestone for Chattanooga and the Eastern District of Tennessee,” GSA Administrator Edward C. Forst said in the release.
Chief Judge Travis R. McDonough of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee called the ceremony “the culmination of decades of hope and effort into reality.”
“The court thanks Administrator Forst and his team for their on-time start, protecting both taxpayers and this project,” McDonough said.
GSA said the building is one of the first courthouses designed under President Donald Trump’s executive order on federal architecture, which calls for classical designs. The agency unveiled the design concept in June.
Who is building it
- Construction manager: Brasfield & Gorrie
- Construction manager as adviser: fs3IHodges
- Designer of record: HOK
GSA’s project page says it has received $282,802,000 for buying the site, designing the building and building it.
The timeline
GSA’s project page sets out these targets:
- First quarter of 2027: early construction work
- Third quarter of 2027: design complete
- Fourth quarter of 2027: full construction starts
- Third quarter of 2030: substantial completion
- Fourth quarter of 2030: tenants move in
What it means for you
Nothing changes yet for anyone with business at federal court. The courts stay where they are until the new building opens, which GSA expects in late 2030.
GSA has not announced any street or sidewalk closures around the Vine Street block. We will add them to our road construction and closures page when the agency or the city publishes them.
GSA says it will post construction milestones on its Chattanooga courthouse project page.
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