By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

Officials are hoping to bring new life to the old Union Street police building, after voters last year prohibited its sale.

Voters last year also agreed to put $25,000 into sprucing up the Suncook Village landmark, which “people were very supportive of keeping as a town building,” said Pembroke Economic Development Committee Chairman Dana Carlucci.

While officials are hoping – for now – to lease the majority of the building, it could ultimately be used exclusively by the town, said Town Administrator Troy Brown.

“I think the opportunities for that building are very flexible,” said Brown. “The community is growing, and it could be in 20 or 30 years that the building could be used all for municipal services.”

Recently completed improvements to the Perry L. Eaton building, built in the 1920s, include new attic insulation, storm window replacement, bathroom renovations and fresh paint for the first floor.

Carlucci said the building, vacated when the police moved into the new safety center in April 2004, was surveyed by a structural engineer, an electrician and a plumbing and heating expert, all of whom reported good news, aside from one structural fracture in the brick.

“That building is basically bombproof,” said Carlucci. “It’s probably the best building we have in town.”

The sewer commission recently moved into the building’s lower level, and Brown said the sewer department has just signed a long-term lease deal for the space.

“We pretty much count on the sewer commission to be an anchor tenant,” said Brown, adding that the lease agreement could cover basic electric, heating and cooling costs for the three-level building.

Officials are looking to lease the upper floor of the building, for use as office space.

The third floor, at one time home to a court office, features solid oak custom trim work and large, solid oak doors.

“It’s a beautiful floor,” said Brown. “It would be ideal for some type of small law office, or a small real estate office.”

At least two rooms on the main floor have been pegged as potential civic meeting spaces, officials said.

Carlucci said groups that have already expressed interest in using the available spaces include the Pembroke Woman’s Club, Meet Me In Suncook, the Pembroke Economic Development Committee, the recreation department and the Pembroke Historical Society.

“Our town is growing, and we have a lot of volunteers who do a lot of good work in this town,” said Carlucci.