The first of the people who will work inside the new $117 million Pennsylvania Judicial Center in Harrisburg began moving in nearly two months ago, a process that should be finished in time for Commonwealth Court to hold its September sessions.

HARRISBURG — The brand-spanking-new, $117 million headquarters for Pennsylvania's judicial system looks a lot like the other — much older — gray buildings that surround it in downtown Harrisburg's Capitol Complex.

That was the idea.

"It's like it's always been here, and that was deliberate," said General Services Secretary James Creedon, who helped coordinate construction of the nine-story, granite-and-limestone structure. "In 100 years, this place has still got to be standing and still operating."

The first of the people who will work inside the Pennsylvania Judicial Center began moving in nearly two months ago, a process that should be finished in time for Commonwealth Court to hold its September sessions inside one of its three courtrooms.

Public access is currently restricted for security reasons, but Creedon and court system officials showed off the building for reporters this week, proudly pointing out the project was completed on schedule and about $350,000 under budget.

The state Supreme and Superior courts will continue to preside in the ornate courtrooms in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and inside the Main Capitol building, although officials said Superior Court might make use of the new building, too. Most other state court system functions are being consolidated from among eight different ZIP codes into the new structure.

That includes filing offices, agencies that train lawyers and judges, the Court of Judicial Discipline and most of the employees of the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, which had been located in an office building across the Susquehanna River in Mechanicsburg.

Creedon said the site, which had been an underground parking garage, was the last remaining buildable space within the Capitol Complex before the garage was demolished to make way for the center.

The building had been approved by the Legislature and then-Gov. Tom Ridge, but construction was briefly delayed after Gov. Ed Rendell took office in 2003 as part of a review of how major construction projects are handled.

The structure's size was reduced by about 20 percent to 439,000 square feet. About 400 people will work there, with underground parking for 127 vehicles.

David Morrison, a longtime board member of the Historic Harrisburg Association, praised the final product for how it ties together nearly a century of buildings that populate that part of the sprawling government complex.

"I had concerns as it was under construction that, 'Gee are they really going to pull this off or is this going to be an eyesore or an insult to the surrounding buildings?' But it's absolutely not any of those things," Morrison said. "We were thrilled with the outcome."