After a series of misfortunes spanning more than two years, the federal courthouse in West Palm Beach is scheduled to reopen for business Dec. 18."I think a lot of people are going to be real happy," said Clarence Maddox, court administrator and clerk of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida.

The trouble began in September 2004 when Hurricane Frances battered the Paul G. Rogers Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse on Clematis Street. Two weeks later, Hurricane Jeanne followed. Warm, moist air got into the building as a result of leaking windowsills, and mold ravaged the building.

A year later, the building was nearly ready for re-occupancy -- after the replacement of all the sheetrock, new carpet, new paint and a thorough cleaning -- when a pipe burst, flooding two floors. When it looked like the flooding repairs were complete, officials found a problem with the air conditioning unit's ability to maintain humidity levels inside the building.

The General Services Administration, which maintains federal buildings, oversaw the repairs, which totaled $3.7 million, according to Gary Mote, the agency's spokesman.

Furniture will be moved back into the building the second week of December, Maddox said. About 100 people, employees of the U.S. Marshals Service and court personnel, work in the building. Those people took temporary shelter at the Forum Building on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard and in the Palm Beach County Courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach. Federal judges have been holding court in the state courthouse as well as in Fort Pierce, Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

At the top of U.S. District Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley's to-do list is a thank you note to Circuit Judge Kathleen Kroll, chief judge of the 15th Judicial Circuit, and her colleagues.

"There are state judges who moved their trials out of their courtrooms to accommodate us," Hurley said. "We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to those judges and the County Commission."

Hurley said he has been holding court in the state courthouse since January. Before that, he was traveling to Fort Lauderdale.

"I feel like the Hampton Inn was my second home," he said.

He said the cleanup was extensive and thorough and included checking each item, including law books, that will be returned to the building to make sure no mold spores exist.

"It really is remarkable," Hurley said.

Hurley, along with U.S. District Judges Kenneth Ryskamp, James Paine, Donald Middlebrooks and Kenneth Marra will work out of the building, as will three U.S. magistrates.
 
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/palmbeach/sfl-pfedcourt27nov27,0,1372006.story?coll=sfla-news-palm
 
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