Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Workers say goodbye to old City Hall

Although the official grand opening won't be until March, all city business from permitting to payments is now being handled in the new building.

By Times Staff Writer
Published January 18, 2006

	[Times photo: Stephen J. Coddington]
	Building clerk Bob Schlereth carries cardboard boxes past the city's old vault bearing historic signs as he and other city officials begin moving out of the old Inverness City Hall and into the new Inverness Government Center on Tuesday morning. While staffers settle in, crews will continue construction on the exterior and interior.

INVERNESS - The new Inverness Government Center had a "soft" opening on Tuesday, as city staffers brought boxes and files to the 26,000-square-foot building off Main Street.

The grand opening will be in March, after crews complete work on the plaza area, landscaping and demolition of the existing City Hall building.

A groundbreaking ceremony on the two-story building was in December 2004. Construction has proceeded steadily since then.

City Manager Frank DiGiovanni said the city staff's move will take place gradually during the coming days and weeks. Organizing files and settling in will take time.

Meantime, crews will continue construction on the exterior and interior.

The building eventually will have some office space for the sheriff and other agencies, as well as the city's staff.

At 5:30 p.m., City Council members were scheduled to convene the last council meeting in their old chambers, which face Main Street. Other city boards will use the chambers after that, but the goal is for the Feb. 7 council meeting to take place in the new building.

[Last modified January 18, 2006, 01:10:21]