District Justice Henry Russo's Hermitage office is going to be put up for sale but Mercer County Commissioners are not ready to reveal what the asking price is, or where specifically the new district court will be located,

"It will be in the city of Farrell," said Commissioner Cloyd E. "Gene" Brenneman.

Though Brenneman said he hopes answers to questions about the Mercer Avenue court will come soon, he wasn't offering any at a commissioners' meeting Thursday. "We're just not ready," he said.

Commissioners voted to advertise the property for sale, but Brenneman said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon that it is "just step one of about eight steps. We took the first step to get it out of the way."

Plans to purchase a vacant lot on the corner of Spearman Avenue and Roemer Boulevard in Farrell were put on hold in July, when commissioners began exploring an another option -- property in the 600 block of Roemer owned by Primary Health Network, which is about a block east of the Farrell City Building.

Brennemen said commissioners have been busy with title searches and negotiating prices for both of the properties. "We're still dealing with both those sites. We have to choose what is logical when it comes to time and money," he said.

The decision to find a bigger court for Russo has been several years in the making. Commissioners say Russo has big caseloads and little office space. For the same reasons, the county bought a building recently in Greenville for District Justice William L. Fagley.

Hermitage Fire Chief Robert S. Goeltz says he is concerned with having a large number of people inside the cramped building and other problems with the office, which is in poor condition.

Commissioners plan on using part of a $34 million bond issue to relocate Russo's office.