CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) recently announced the availability of the Final Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the acquisition of a site and construction of a new federal courthouse in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The proposed new courthouse will comprise about 190,701 gross square feet; include seven courtrooms, nine chambers, and 40 secured parking spaces—and be located within the city limits of Chattanooga.
The Final SEA supplements the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) prepared in April 2024 by assessing and analyzing impacts of designing and constructing a courthouse at an additional location known as the Vine Street site. The Vine Street site is bounded by East 5th Street to the north, Lindsay Street to the east, Vine Street to the south, and Georgia Avenue to the west.
GSA has determined that there will be no significant impact to the human or natural environment from the construction of the proposed new courthouse. The Final SEA and FONSI are available online through GSA’s project website.
GSA was excited to announce that the Vine Street site has been identified as the most advantageous location for the new courthouse.
“We look forward to building a new Federal courthouse in Chattanooga that will meet the needs of the U.S. Courts and the citizens of Chattanooga,” said Jeff Smith, GSA Public Buildings Service Regional Commissioner. “Thank you to everyone at GSA, the U.S. District Court, and the citizens of Chattanooga for your support and engagement with this comprehensive, multi-year effort.”
Design of the new courthouse is expected to begin in the spring of this year and construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2027.
GSA provides centralized procurement and shared services for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of over 360 million rentable square feet, overseeing more than $110 billion in products and services via federal contracts, and delivering technology services that serve millions of people across dozens of federal agencies.
