FARRELL Justice's office to move

The owner of the plaza will remodel the new office space.
FARRELL, Pa. -- The new office for District Justice Henry Russo will be in a small plaza at Idaho Street and Spearman Avenue.
Gene Brenneman, chairman of the Mercer County Board of Commissioners, said Wednesday that the commissioners were expected to take action today finalizing the purchase of a "condominium" storeroom at the plaza owned by Wesex Corp. of West Middlesex.
The price for the 100-by-300-foot spot is $270,000, Brenneman said.
Russo's current office is on Mercer Avenue in Hermitage, but the county has been talking for years about getting him more space.
The plan was to move it to Farrell, and the county enlisted the aid of Farrell officials in finding a spot.
Farrell wanted it to go at the corner of Spearman Avenue and Roemer Boulevard, just across the street from the municipal building, and spent about $100,000 to buy and clear the site.
However, the county said the cost of putting up a new building there was too high, about $280,000, and asked the city to put up an additional $80,000 to pay for a parking lot, sidewalk and landscaping and water and sewer lines.
The city balked at the request, leaving the county to come up with another location.
Brenneman said Wesex Corp. will do all necessary remodeling at the plaza site as part of the purchase price.
The new office should be open within 45 days, he said.