NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The former home to Middle Tennessee's federal courthouse could now be at risk, as the federal government plans to shut down the complex and eventually sell it.
The Public Buildings Reform Board has recommended the sale of the Estes Kefauver Federal Building, Annex, and Parking Deck under the Federal Assets Sale Transfer Act (FASTA) authority. The historic complex sits on the corner of Broadway and 9th Avenue in downtown Nashville. According to the board, these properties should be disposed of "due to under-utilization and financial burden."
Compared to other architectural gems in Nashville, the Estes Kefauver building may not significantly stick out, but historian Jim Hoobler says it should still be celebrated. "It's part of our heritage and needs to be preserved," said Hoobler. "It was built in 1949 by the local firm Marr and Holeman, who did the Post Office next door where the Frist Art Museum is today."
Hoobler says both buildings preserve the popular building styles of their time periods. "The limestone is a little bit blah, but the granite sort of gives the building a little bit of pop around the entrance," said Hoobler.
Perhaps even more significant is all of the history that took place behind the federal building's exterior walls. "This is where a lot of our politicians met their comeuppance," said Hoobler.
The building has hosted numerous notable trials throughout its history, including public corruption scandals like Tennessee Waltz and the beginning of the trial against Glen Casada and his aid Cade Cothren. "One of the earliest big-name trials was the Jimmy Hoffa trial," said Hoobler.
The Hoffa trial in Nashville had such a memorable moment that it got the Hollywood treatment in the 2019 film, "The Irishman," when someone brought a pellet gun into the courtroom. Hoffa only received minor injuries from the episode. "He said, you always run from a knife, but you run towards a gun, and that's what Hoffa did," said Hoobler.
Despite the building's place on the National Register of Historic Places, that designation doesn't necessarily mean it's protected from demolition."[It] only protects it from federal demolition, so if a private developer took over the building, and wanted to demolish it, it could," said Hoobler.
Hoobler hopes the federal government will only sell to a government entity or developer keen on preserving the historic structure. "I've heard one possibility would be to use both of these structures as condominiums," said Hoobler.
An assessment by the Public Buildings Reform Board indicates the courthouse is suitable for conversion to residential use and could accommodate up to 256 housing units. They argue in a report, such an adaptive reuse would provide significant environmental benefits, with greenhouse gas savings estimated at approximately 19 million pounds of CO2 — roughly equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions from burning about 57,000 barrels of oil.
Otherwise, it could be yet another architectural marvel lost in Nashville. "The glass boxes, what do they tell you about Nashville? Nothing. You can see those anywhere in the world," said Hoobler.
Several federal agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the VA, will have to find new office space when the federal government sells the building. Many of those agencies are already looking for a new place to work. According to the Public Buildings Reform Board, relocating current federal tenants out of the complex will provide them with updated, modern workspaces while eliminating approximately $295 million in reinvestment needs that would be required to maintain the aging facility.
If you want to learn more about the namesake of the building, Estes Kefauver, you can watch some of our previous reporting on this building.
Should the Estes Kefauver Federal Building be preserved or redeveloped? Share your thoughts with Chris Davis at chris.davis@newschannel5.com and join the conversation about the future of this Nashville landmark.
This story was reported by Chris Davis and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. CHRIS and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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