Hamilton County office spaces potentially relocate to future Gateway School site temporarily

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The future Gateway School will likely be home to temporary office space for Hamilton County.

The county acquired the former BlueCross BlueShield building on 6th Street with the intention of turning it into a new technical school.

Work is being planned to upgrade the building for the purpose.

However, due to ongoing issues at the county’s M-L-K Building such as H-VAC issues, which is home to several departments, they are going to be temporarily relocated to the future Gateway School.

This could take several months to over a year to fully repair or renovate the M-L-K Building.

This means there is a chance the building could simultaneously both be a school and office space.

“If it is a phased approach into a school facility, we have had some conversations on how that phase might work. That phasing may work in the lower levels going up to the top. These individuals will actually be in the fourth floor and actually what is considered part of the third floor. So we don’t initially see a short term conflict with temporary use,” says Hamilton County Public Works Administrator Todd Leamon.

Funds are still being secured for the Gateway School, and the Commission will have to approve the temporary usage of the building.