A major milestone for Florida’s judicial system is nearing completion as the new $59 million Second District Court of Appeal Courthouse prepares to open its doors in downtown St. Petersburg in December.

Located at 525 Mirror Lake Drive North, the three-story, 59,516-square-foot facility sits just one block from City Hall, near the Pinellas County Clerk of Court and other key government buildings.

The courthouse will serve the Sixth Judicial Circuit (Pinellas and Pasco counties), the 12th Circuit (Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties), and the 13th Circuit (Hillsborough County).

The court reviews appeals of trial court decisions from across its district, serving as an intermediary between local circuit courts and the Florida Supreme Court.

It is named the Bernie McCabe Second District Court of Appeal Courthouse, honoring the late State Attorney for Florida’s Sixth Judicial Circuit.