Delmont officials consider options for former police station

Delmont officials would like to use the area previously occupied by their police department, and also make some much-needed updates to the building’s handicapped access.

They’re hoping a federal grant focused on large facilities projects could help them transform the former police station into a public community area.

The American Rescue Plan’s Multi-Purpose Community Facilities Program will grant $45 million for Pennsylvania projects that are open to the public and “will directly enable work, education and health monitoring,” according to the state’s Department of Community and Economic Development, which is administering the grants.

“We have an un-utilized space in the borough building,” Councilman Stan Cheyne said. “The minimum grant is $250,000 up to $2 million, and there’s no match required by the borough.”

The borough’s police department relocated in late 2021 to the former Delmont library space, freeing up their corner of the building’s lower level. Cheyne said he met with a local engineer and architect to get a sense of how the former station might be used.

“There’d need to be significant work done to make it (Americans With Disabilities Act) compliant,” he said. “It’s not super accessible, so we’d have to look at what we need to tear down or remodel.”

In addition, part of the reason police wanted a new home was occasional flooding issues in the old station.

There is an upfront cost. Cheyne estimated preliminary consulting work to apply for the grant could run between $8,000 and $12,000.

“We did have an architect involved in the planning process for the new library, and they are not cheap,” Councilman David Weber said. “No match on our part, though — that’s the real carrot.”

Cheyne and Weber said their primary concern is ADA access, not just inside the former station, but also from street level.

“I was put off by the cost, I thought it was high, but these are professionals who have to come up with reasonable cost estimates,” Cheyne said. “We’re not up against the wall to apply now; we can afford to wait and look into whether we can lower the cost.”

Council opted to discuss the idea more at its March meeting before taking a vote on whether to apply for the grant. Applications are due in April, and will be announced in July and August, according to the DCED.