Pittsburgh's Department of Public Works is moving into recently refurnished City-County Building office space in a move that will compel it to pay the Planning Department $17,325 that was prematurely spent on furniture and installation.

Public Works Director Guy Costa said nine employees of his department's Finance Division will take the sixth-floor space that was originally slated for planning personnel who handle federal block grant spending.

"It makes more sense for them to be here," Mr. Costa said yesterday of those employees, who will move from the department's building at 611 Second Ave. He said the department is also considering moving the personnel from permitting and operations in a series of shifts that have yet to be finalized.

The Planning Department bought workstations for the space as part of a plan, now shelved, to shift personnel to make space for a one-stop permitting office. It spent federal community development funds on the furniture, so it must be repaid.