Tamaqua Borough Manager Kevin Steigerwalt updated borough council on everything from construction to demolition.

Several of the projects he spoke about at Tuesday’s council meeting are ongoing, such as the reconstruction of the community pool and the creation of a new police department and community center.

But a project to redo facades on several historic buildings that were damaged in an October 2022 fire began recently with the help of the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership, Steigerwalt said.

“That’s the project on West Broad Street that includes the old Chinese buffet,” he said.

The borough received a $79,400 Local Share Account grant for the project, which is being managed by the partnership. Properties between 115 and 119 W. Broad St. will have facades restored.

The extension of the Tamaqua Riverwalk, which is being funded with a $420,000 Pennsylvania Department of Transportation grant, is also underway.

“It will extend through a borough property, which the partnership helped us acquire, and it will also go through the (Tamaqua) high-rise property on Broad Street,” Steigerwalt noted of the walkway between East Broad and Cedar streets.

For the project, a right-of-way agreement must be inked with the Tamaqua ABC Hi-Rise.

The first phase of the project was completed some time ago, and features a path alongside the Little Schuylkill River between Cedar Street and Willing Park.

Steigerwalt said that he has been meeting monthly with PennDOT, and that the next step is to bring a full-time construction inspector on board. Proposals from inspection firms were due Friday.

As for Community Development Block Grant projects, Steigerwalt said that bids for the paving of Hunter Street are due next month.

“I’ve also been talking with the county about some possible demolition projects” that would be funded by the grants, he said. The borough hopes to demolish properties at 27 E. Vine St. and 17, 19 and 21 N. Greenwood St.

Finally, he said, the dams at Owl Creek will be inspected by Alfred Benesch & Co. at a cost of $5,500. Inspections are done annually as required by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

“And as I’m sure everyone is aware, we have a number of other projects going on like the sewer project, the pool, the police station,” he said. “we probably have more projects going on than we ever have It’s keeping us busy.”