Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. LouisFentress recently visited the Eastern District of Missouri to perform a long-range needs assessment to evaluate existing facilities and project future space needs for federal courthouses in Cape Girardeau, Hannibal, and St. Louis. The Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis serves as the district headquarters. Completed in 2000, the 29-story building is clad in precast concrete panels, limestone, granite, aluminum, and glass, and is capped with a stainless steel dome. The striking structure encompasses an entire city block within the central business district, is the third-tallest building in St. Louis, and the second-tallest courthouse in the United States (behind Chicago’s Richard J. Daley Center). Many interior spaces offer views of the Gateway Arch and vistas up and down the Mississippi River. The courthouse will remain a prominent visual component of downtown St. Louis, which is currently undergoing a major redesign as part of the CityArchRiver revitalization project.
Concurrent with our work in the Eastern District of Missouri, Fentress is also assessing space needs for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit. One of 12 federal appellate courts, the 8th Circuit covers District Courts in seven Midwestern states and is also headquartered in the Thomas F. Eagleton U.S. Courthouse in St. Louis. One of the building’s features is the first-floor Judicial Learning Center (JLC), a unique public space dedicated to promoting understanding of the importance of an independent judiciary and the rule of law in American society. The only educational center in the country devoted to the federal judicial process, the JLC features exhibits on the history of the federal court system, landmark 8th Circuit cases, and interactive displays which allow visitors to serve as jurors and preside as a judge.