YOUNGSTOWN New U.S. courthouse is set to open

A grand-opening ceremony is planned for next month.
YOUNGSTOWN -- The new Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse will open to the public Monday with the opening of U.S. Bankruptcy Court there.
"It came in under budget and was completed about a month ahead of schedule," said David Wilkinson, public affairs officer for the General Services Administration in Chicago. The GSA is the real-estate manager for the federal government.
Grand-opening ceremony
A grand-opening ceremony is planned for October at the new building, probably early in the month, with the date and time to be announced, Wilkinson said.
Construction began on the $22 million, four-story building at 10 E. Commerce St. in April 2001 and was substantially finished last month, Wilkinson said. The building, on a three-acre site consisting of a former parking lot and drive-up bank, has 32,300 square feet of usable space.
The bankruptcy court, which occupies 14,400 square feet, moved in from the Thomas Lambros Federal Courthouse, 125 Market St., and the 17th District Congressional Office will also move from there at a later date, occupying 2,500 square feet.
The IRS, which will occupy 11,700 square feet, is scheduled to move into the new building between Friday and Sept. 16, followed by the U.S. trustees (an agency which works with the bankruptcy court), which will occupy 1,064 square feet beginning in October. The trustees had previously used temporary quarters here.
The GSA, which coordinated the construction, moved into its 1,300 square feet in the new building this week along with some U.S. marshals, who will occupy 250 square feet. Court security personnel will conduct metal detector and bag screenings of all visitors at the door beginning Monday.
At Lambros building
The U.S. District Court will expand into the space vacated by the bankruptcy court, and once all the moves are complete, the U.S. District Court and related agencies will occupy all of the Lambros building.
The new building was designed by Robert A.M. Stern, a world-famous New York City architectural firm.