HERSHEY, PA — The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and Department of General Services (DGS) celebrated a significant milestone in the modernization of PSP’s 65-year-old training facilities with a “topping out” ceremony on Friday. The event marked the placement of the final steel beam atop the Marquee Building, the centerpiece of the new Pennsylvania State Police Academy. This construction milestone comes as the $387.8 million project remains on time and on budget.
“Every step of this project brings us closer to providing our cadets with a world-class training facility that meets all their needs for success,” stated PSP Commissioner Colonel Christopher Paris. He emphasized that the new Academy will ensure PSP continues to attract and train top-tier recruits.
The five-story Marquee Building, set to open in 2026, will house key facilities, including classrooms, administrative offices, 300 cadet dormitories, a 500-seat auditorium, and a cafeteria. Future plans for the Academy campus include tactical training villages, an indoor shooting range, athletic facilities, and headquarters for the Bureau of Emergency Operations. Construction of horse stables for the Mounted Unit is nearing completion, while the broader project, covering 146 acres, remains slated for completion in 2028.
“These new facilities ensure we continue to attract recruits of the highest caliber and prepare them for 21st-century policing in the best possible environment,” Colonel Paris added.
Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration has supported PSP’s efforts to expand and enhance law enforcement capabilities, securing funds to hire over 800 state troopers and train 700 municipal officers in recent years. The ongoing Academy project will further these efforts, providing modern resources to meet growing public safety needs.
DGS Secretary Reggie McNeil described the topping-out ceremony as a culmination of careful planning and engineering. “The placement of this final steel beam signifies not only the culmination of extensive planning and precision engineering, but an enduring commitment to the highest standards of public safety and law enforcement training.”
This major Academy overhaul also symbolizes PSP’s dedication to building safer communities and providing state-of-the-art training for the nation’s finest officers.
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