An agreement that would donate land at the site of the former Palmerton Hospital to the borough is in the final stages of completion.

The subject was broached during the Palmerton Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Wednesday when an attendee asked if there are any plans for the green space.

John Nespoli, president of St. Luke’s Carbon, served as the guest speaker for the luncheon. Nespoli said he has been approached about the property.

“We’ve committed to donating the land to the community,” Nespoli said. “We are in the final stages of putting an agreement together that would donate the land from the former Palmerton Hospital.”

Contacted this morning, borough Manager Autumn Canfield acknowledged that the borough has been working with St. Luke’s.

“They’re one of the property owners we’ve been working with, but we don’t yet have that agreement in hand,” Canfield said. “Once we get that agreement, we’ll consider things more formally at that point.”

Last month, resident Marj Federanich asked Palmerton Borough Council if it’s made a decision on where it’s going to locate its police station.

Council President Terry Costenbader said at that time that hadn’t yet been determined.

Councilman Kris Hoffner said the borough previously applied for a Statewide Local Share Assessment Grant.

In October, council approved a resolution to apply for a $1 million Statewide Grant from the Commonwealth Financing Authority for the construction of a new police facility.

Canfield previously said council was looking at two tracts of land, but did not disclose specifics. Canfield said the borough looked at more than a dozen sites, but narrowed it down to two.

Keystone Consulting Engineers has recommended new construction over repairing the station, located in a former New Jersey Zinc building at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Fourth Street.

Hoffner has suggested looking into the far east-end of the Northface Development in Palmerton, the site of the former New Jersey Zinc West Plant, which he said is not a residential area.

Councilwoman Holly Hausman-Sell said council needed to determine if it wants to go with a new building, a new site, or if it was looking to do those simultaneously.

She added that the consensus was to go for a new building rather than renovations to its existing station.

At that time, council said the cost for a potential 5,000-square-foot building would be about $1 million.

The borough has been looking at the possibility of reclaiming space rented by Carbon County’s Area Agency on Aging for use of its police department.

Police moved into the former lab building in 2000.