Lansford Borough awaits estimates on converting the former Silberline office building along Dock Street into a police station.

The borough owns the building, which has a security door entry, multiple offices, a conference room, multiple bathrooms and a vault.

“This was their world headquarters,” said Council President Bruce Markovich on a brief tour of the building Friday.

Police Chief Kyle Woodward said it’s a good building from which he could envision borough officers working and training.

The current police department, which is in the lower level of the borough building, leaves some things to be desired, he said.

The current location has no interview rooms for victims or witnesses or a holding area for prisoners, Woodward said.

The Silberline office building has multiple offices, two of which he could see being used as interview rooms with two-way glass, and another room as a holding cell, he said.

The large conference room could be used to host training, not only for the borough’s officers, but also those in surrounding communities, Woodward said.

Markovich pointed to a large, walk-in vault as a possible evidence room, replacing a closet that is now used, he said.

Borough council authorized its engineering firm, ARRO Consulting, to provide an estimate on converting the building to suit the police at its January meeting. The firm is expected to inspect the building and see what’s needed this week, Markovich said.

Woodward understands that some residents may not like the location, which is several blocks from the current location and away from the business district and highway through town.

However, the borough could install a camera doorbell on the Ridge Street location in town, which would alert on-duty officers, who could then respond if not on a call, Woodward said.

Officers can respond within minutes to a call from the Dock Street location, he said.

The building also has a paved parking area alongside the building on Dock Street. Markovich said the borough would need to open a chain-link fence on the Dock Street side for the lot.

The fence surrounds the entire Silberline complex, which is comprised of multiple industrial buildings and the office building. The borough uses one of the buildings, which dates to 1872 as the current borough garage.

A new borough garage is proposed on a site across Dock Street from the office building and another industrial warehouse, which is rented by Construction Clearance.

The borough planned to use the Silberline office building as a business incubator site, allowing entrepreneurs to rent temporary space to get a small business started, Markovich said.

However, there was no funding available for business incubators when the borough acquired the building, he said. Now, there is funding for this venture, which the borough could pursue if the proposed police station doesn’t work out, he said.

Councilwoman Jennifer Staines pointed out earlier this month that the Silberline building would still need a small kitchen and a shower for officers.

Borough council authorized ARRO to review the building at a cost not to exceed $2,000. Markovich said the conversion could cost around $100,000, and the borough should be able to use COVID-19 relief funds.