Carbon County commissioners welcomed Jim Thorpe council members Thursday to update them on borough projects, challenges and issues.

One of those challenges, much like the county’s, is space, said Greg Strubinger, council president.

Jim Thorpe recently committed to solving some of its space issues with a renovation of Memorial Hall, a large facility which has been underutilized in recent times, he said.

“As the commissioners know, there’s a cost to that, which I know, isn’t always well received,” Strubinger said. “”But as a borough council, we have an obligation to make sure our facilities are up to date and safe.”

They will be looking at doors, windows, heating, air conditioning and ventilation upgrades, and moving the borough’s administrative offices into upper floor of the hall, he said.

“The remaining space on the upper level will remain as whole about a 250-300 seat hall that we hope to refocus on community use,” Strubinger said.

The borough would like to see more community events - possibly veterans or Scouting events - in the building, he said. This use fell off when Memorial Hall was being run as a rental facility, Strubinger said.

Plans also call for the borough’s police department to move into the hall’s bottom level, taking up about half the space, he said. The borough is still looking at the remaining open space on that level, Strubinger said.

The borough will also be moving its public service garage out of Memorial Park and to a new building on West Broadway, across from the water treatment plant, he said.

The borough also plans to upgrade the public address system in Memorial Hall, using COVID-relief funding, and will also be using COVID funds for laptops for council members, Strubinger said.

Four roads will also be paved this year, and other infrastructure projects, such as the High Street wall, will be addressed.

The borough has been fortunate to receive millions in grant funding to undertake needed projects, he said. Unfortunately, the cost of the projects more than doubled post-pandemic, Strubinger said.

“We were in the $4 million neighborhood for both a new building for public service and the rehabilitation of Memorial Hall,” he said. “Post pandemic, those projects now ballooned to $9 million.”

The projects are on track, and bids should be out shortly, Strubinger said.

“We’re hoping we’re going to be breaking ground on one or both these project by the end of the year,” he said.

Strubinger ran down numerous other projects in the borough, and thanked the commissioners for the opportunity to share their status with them.

Also, the commissioners thanked the borough for working with them.