Schuylkill County's new Children & Youth building in downtown Pottsville should be ready for occupancy next month.

County officials toured the building Wednesday morning at the former Empire Beauty School, at 324 N. Centre St.The plan is to have Children & Youth, which is currently located across the street at 410 N. Centre St., to start moving into the building in phases, beginning in January, officials said.Rick Yutko, project engineer, of WJP Engineers, said the building is about 95 percent complete.Yutko said several punch list items, such as the completion of the office furniture installation and computer network wiring, still need to be completed.The building has three floors, including a basement. Each floor is about 7,000 square feet, Yutko said.He said the first floor is office, reception and interview/conference rooms; the second floor is primarily all office space; and the basement consists of a training room, lunch room, secure file room and general storage.In all, Yutko said there are about 100 cubicles and 18 offices.Once people walk into the building, they enter a reception area. Employees will have access cards to continue through.Commissioners commented as they walked through the building.Chairman Frank J. Staudenmeier said, "This was a perfect fit for the county."Commissioner George F. Halcovage said, "We wanted to provide them with the space that was needed."Commissioner Gary J. Hess said he still disagrees with how the building was purchased.However, Hess said, "It's a beautiful building."The county acquired the 21,000-square-foot building, and two adjacent lots, in May 2013 for $740,000 from brothers Dale and Franklin Schoeneman.The sale had to be done by the end of 2012 to secure the grant.The county had earmarked $2.625 million of a $21 million 2012 capital projects bond issue for the acquisition and renovation.Initial projections for the renovation came in at $1.78 million.A $500,000 government grant, which will be awarded upon completion of the project, will help offset the cost.