The Capitol Visitor Center is ready for staff and furnishings after a Capitol fire marshal issued a temporary Certificate of Occupancy for the underground building on Monday.

[IMGCAP(1)]The $611 million center is set to open on Dec. 2, and the certificate marks an important step in the timeline for that opening. It signifies a successful test of the building’s fire- and life-safety systems so far; a permanent certificate will be issued when the everything is complete.

Workers and staff will now begin to install the interior furnishings and equipment for the 580,000-square-foot building, according to a press release from the Architect of the Capitol.

The CVC — years overdue and millions of dollars over budget — is now just months from being ready. Most of what’s left concerns staffing and construction details.

Congressional leaders announced the Dec. 2 opening date earlier this month, citing the date’s significance as the 145th anniversary of the Statue of Freedom’s ascent to the Capitol Dome. The CVC will feature a plaster model of the statue.

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