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Public defender’s office gets new home in historic downtown Chattanooga building

Hamilton County Public Defender Steve Smith, left, and Matt McGauley with Fidelity Trust Co. talk in the public defender's new Cherry Street office space on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The 10,000 square foot space was renovated by former occupant Fidelity Trust.
Hamilton County Public Defender Steve Smith, left, and Matt McGauley with Fidelity Trust Co. talk in the public defender's new Cherry Street office space on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The 10,000 square foot space was renovated by former occupant Fidelity Trust. Hamilton County Public Defender Steve Smith, left, and Matt McGauley with Fidelity Trust Co. talk in the public defender's new Cherry Street office space on Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2017, in Chattanooga, Tenn. The 10,000 square foot space was renovated by former occupant Fidelity Trust.

By Mike Pare 3 min read

Fast fact

Fidelity Trust Co. founder John Crabtree built the structure at 720 Cherry St. in 1920.

A historic downtown Chattanooga building that housed a real estate company for nearly a century has been refurbished into the new home of the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office.

The building at 720 Cherry St., which long held Fidelity Trust Co., has undergone a $750,000 makeover to hold the office’s 30-person staff, which includes 16 lawyers.

“It’s great space,” said Public Defender Steve Smith about the revamped offices, which he believes will make it easier to recruit and keep quality attorneys.

Smith said that when he was asked by an architect how the new workspace should look, he didn’t want the mahogany-studded offices of a typical law firm.