HERSHEY, Pa. (WHTM) — The Shapiro Administration has broken ground on a major modernization project at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy in Hershey.

According to the administration, the new facility will be the “most comprehensive update” to the Academy since it opened in 1960.

“The new Pennsylvania State Police Academy will be a state-of-the-art facility second to none in the country that will give cadets hands-on learning opportunities that will better prepare them for service in our communities,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement about the ground-breaking.

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The project includes multiple new buildings totaling about 366,000 square feet at the proposed 146-acre site in Hershey. Among the new buildings will be a five-story Marquee Building with classrooms, offices, 300 individual cadet dormitories, a 500-seat auditorium, and a cafeteria.

The governor added that the new facility will ensure that State police stay, “well-staffed, well-trained, well-funded, and well-equipped.”

Other plans features of the facility include a physical education building with two gymnasiums, a training tank, and a weight room for self-defense training, water safety courses, and fitness conditioning.

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The plans also include indoor and outdoor tactical villages, where simulations of high-risk incidents such as active shooters, hostage situations, and barricaded subjects will be performed.

“I want to thank all of the cadets for your selfless commitment to keeping our communities safe. For the folks that live in rural communities, the state police are their police department – and many Pennsylvanians come from those small towns and townships to attend this academy because they are inspired by the state troopers they meet in their communities,” Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis said about the work. “Policing is truly a noble calling, and our state troopers deserve the best training and the best facilities to ensure they are prepared for what lies ahead. We can never thank them enough for their service to the Commonwealth.”

Other plans for the new facility include a new headquarters for the Bureau of Emergency and Special Operations, horse stables for the Mounted Unit, a central supply warehouse, and a vehicle garage at the Pennsylvania State Police Historical, Educational, and Memorial Center.

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“Updated facilities and amenities are long overdue here at the Pennsylvania State Police Academy, the nation’s premier law enforcement training facility,” Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Colonel Christopher L. Paris said. “The new Academy will support the highest level of instruction for cadets, troopers, and our law enforcement partners.”

According to the Governor’s Office, the existing police academy will remain in operation while the project is completed. The new facility is expected to be finished in 2028.

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