MOOSIC, Pa. — Congressman Matt Cartwright presented Moosic Borough officials and first responders with a check for $3 million in federal funding.
The money is a large portion needed to construct a combined fire and police facility where the Greenwood Hose Company currently sits along Birney Avenue.
"This means the world to us to be able to have a state-of-the-art facility to provide the residents with first-class fire and police protection," said Moosic Mayor Bob Bennie.
"This will be the center point of Moosic. We can get to Glenmaura just as easy as we can get to Main Street Moosic or Route 502," added Moosic Police Chief Rick Janesko.
Not only are the structures old and outdated, but both the police and fire departments have also outgrown the current facilities, mostly because of the economic growth in the borough.
"We want to have a building that's going to serve the needs that both departments require but also not have it be a burden on the taxpayers. We're trying to walk that line and strike that balance," Bennie said.
The Moosic Borough Police are really going to benefit from this new facility, especially after their original building was closed indefinitely due to mold.
"Thank god that we kind of had this already in the works because the mold problem that we encountered at the police station certainly gave us a sense of urgency. Thankfully we're that much further ahead than had we not started the process earlier," Bennie said.
The Moosic Police Department is currently operating out of empty office space until the new facility is constructed.
Borough officials plan to break ground sometime next year, and construction is expected to take 18 months.
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