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Rats, floods, leaks at Chattanooga's federal courthouse

159 views · Published 1 July 2013 · 1:00 · Indexed 30 October 2026

Channel: chattanooga times free press · 2013 · News & Politics

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Chattanooga's 80-year-old Joel W. Solomon Federal Building is in drastic need of being replaced.

Officials say ceilings leak, the basement floods, rats are rampant, there aren't enough courtrooms to meet federal standards, and the ones there are are too small to begin with. Add to that a number of security problems, and it's no wonder officials are asking for a new building.
Judges and court officials are meeting this week with Rep. Chuck Fleischmann to make their case for a new courthouse here.
But Fleischmann has been reluctant to push for major building projects, and President Obama's budget for next year doesn't include any funding for new courthouses.
Records show Chattanooga was put on a five-year plan for a new courthouse back in 1999. Even now, Chattanooga is 11th in line for a new federal courthouse, which could cost nearly $150 million dollars.
It will be at least four years before any money could be available even to identify a building site.

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