OKLAHOMA CITY -- U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft was among several officials who spoke in Oklahoma City Monday at the dedication ceremony for a new federal building.

Video

New Federal Building Dedicated

The new, $33 million building replaces the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, which was destroyed in the April 19, 1995, bombing that killed 163 people. Federal, state and local officials were on hand for the dedication ceremony, including representatives from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The agency's Oklahoma City branch lost 35 people in the bombing.

Ashcroft read a letter from President George W. Bush during his keynote speech. He said the building is a reminder to terrorists that the United States will not be defeated in the war on terrorism.

"We look to the future," Ashcroft said. "This building challenges us profoundly to endurance, to resilience, to service ... it is a reminder to every terrorist that this nation will not be beaten."

Officials said the new structure is one of the most durable federal facilities in the nation. The 180,000-square-foot, horseshoe-shaped building has numerous security features designed to prevent a future attack, including bulletproof doors and shatterproof windows.

Federal agencies began moving into the building in December. The building currently houses about 400 employees.

Eyewitness News 5 learned Monday that 16 HUD employees who survived the bombing chose not to be relocated to the new federal building. The employees are currently housed in other offices in Oklahoma City.

The dedication ceremony was held while defense attorneys were preparing to present their case in the state trial of Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols.

Nichols faces 161 counts of first-degree murder, and state prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.