Plans for a new police department and community center in Tamaqua are in the works.

The department headquarters and center will be created inside the former Moose building at 133 E. Broad St. Community officials toured the building this summer.

The building was purchased by the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership, which also bought - and demolished - several nearby properties to make way for parking and a building expansion.

The $4.5 million project will also include a new spot for the district magistrate.

Tamaqua police headquarters are at the borough building on East Broad Street and haven’t been updated in more than 50 years. The department operates within a 1,300 square foot area. The new space on the first floor will measure 4,500 square feet, and include offices, secure interview rooms and areas for crime survivors. The basement will be used to store evidence, and a sally port will be added to allow for safe transfer of suspects.

The second floor will be for the district magistrate office, and the third will house a community center and hall. The hall will be used for older adults’ meetings, wedding receptions, dinners and meetings.

To help cover the project, the partnership will use a $2 million grant that it received in 2021 from the state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. The John E. Morgan Foundation matched the grant with another $2 million.

In August, a fundraising event was held from The Wheel Restaurant.

Work will begin as early as this spring. The partnership will turn the building over to the borough.