Several local communities within the Lehighton Area School District are planning for new administration/police buildings.

Mahoning Township officials hope to move into their new headquarters on Route 443 by February.

In May, bids for the township’s new headquarters came in under its anticipated price tag.

Township secretary Natalie Haggerty said that the four apparent low bids came in at $915,201.

In April, supervisors ratified an advertisement to receive bids for the building renovation at the former Diaz building at 2175 Blakeslee Blvd., Drive West.

The building will eventually house the township’s offices and police department.

The former medical office on Route 443, just west of Normal Square, was purchased in July 2021 at a cost of $375,000.

The two-story building and 14 acres of land was assessed at $595,000.

Once renovation work is complete, the Mahoning Township Police will use the lower level, and the township offices will be located on the second floor.

Elsewhere, planning for a new administration and police office building are also under review in nearby Franklin Township.

In October, Franklin Township board of supervisors Chairman Fred Kemmerer Jr. said the township was “100% in the preliminary stages.”

A building committee was in the process of being formed, and Kemmerer said the plan was “to try to make it where it’s community-driven.”

Kemmerer said at that time the board will rely on the group of people who eventually will form the committee, and seek out assistance in applying for grants.

In April, supervisors approved the construction of a new administration and police office building.

The former Carpenter’s Hobby Shop building at 903 Fairyland Road was recently demolished to make room for a new administration and police building.

Franklin Township has $1.2 million set aside in its PLGIT Capital Reserve Building Fund for the project.

Franklin Township wants to have enough room to accommodate eight police officers, administration, zoning officer, zoning hearing board and/or supervisors for when they have to go into executive session.

The current Franklin Township building is 2,800 square feet.

Franklin Township would build a new 7,500-square-foot building in between the former Hobby Shop site and current administration office.