Carbon County is asking Jim Thorpe Borough for the temporary removal of three municipal parking spaces along Susquehanna Street as it embarks on a renovation project at two of its buildings.

In June, county commissioners announced plans to renovate buildings at 44 and 76 Susquehanna St. to create additional office space.

The 44 Building will have the partial second floor removed, and a full height second floor will be added to create a two-story building on the original building footprint. This building will house the departments of Elections, Planning and Workforce currently at 76 Susquehanna.

“During the demolition of the second floor, in order to keep pedestrian traffic moving along the entire frontage, we’re going to have to create some scaffolding in order for people to feel safe walking,” said Tony Ganguzza of Boyle Construction Management, the firm managing the project for the county. “That is why we’re asking for the three spaces to be temporarily removed.”

Ganguzza anticipated having the spots closed from Oct. 26 to May 1.

“It should take around three weeks for removal of the second floor and about three months to reconstruct that area,” he said.

The 76 Building, according to commissioners, will be renovated to accommodate adult probation, Veterans Affairs and juvenile probation on the first floor with children & youth and domestic relations staying on the second floor.

Commissioners voted to advertise for bids for the projects last week.

Construction is slated to begin the last week of October with completion by August 2021.

Also on borough’s council agenda on Thursday will be a motion to apply for highway occupancy permits for water connections and for new curbing as part of the county project.

“There is a domestic water line coming in off Susquehanna Street, and we’ll also be creating a couple new parking spaces for the borough as there is a depressed curb currently there for a garage door that will no longer be needed,” Ganguzza said. “We’ll be putting regular curb back there, and the borough can gain that area as parking spots.”

The borough must be the applicant for the highway occupancy permits because it owns the water lines and the curb.