The federal government made it official Friday, announcing it plans to build a federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau in an area bounded by Independence, Merriwether, Frederick and Middle.

The site is adjacent to City Hall.

Officials with the General Services Administration in Kansas City said the city and community groups favored the site.

U.S. Sens. Christopher "Kit" Bond and John Ashcroft, and U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson welcomed the decision.

Plans call for moving federal court offices in the Federal Building on Broadway into the new courthouse once it is built.

"Being close to other government buildings such as the Federal Building and the Cape Girardeau city offices, the new courthouse site is certainly centrally located in the community," said Emerson.

When completed, the courthouse will provide 147,859 gross square feet of space, including 22 inside parking spaces and 120 outside parking spaces for federal court and court-related agencies.

Dennis Miller, General Services project manager, said a construction contract could be awarded in late 2001 or early 2002, depending upon congressional authorization.