WESTFIELD – The Police Department in Westfield will soon explore potential sites for relocation from its 50-year-old headquarters, which has been plagued by severe mold outbreaks and other contamination problems.

The 15 Washington St. police station is at the end of its life, having first opened in 1972. Last year the building was tested for mold and other contaminants, and many of the tests, including for “black mold,” came back positive.

Police Chief Larry Valliere told the City Council during a June 9 budget hearing that some repairs and remediations will take place on the current building, but that soon they will be exploring sites to move their headquarters to where it can be built to modern standards, and more importantly, free of mold.

The repairs include fixing the roof, tearing out the moldy insulation, and replacing the waterlogged and moldy ceiling tiles.

Valliere said that police have been meeting with an architectural firm to come up with a spatial needs assessment and specific requirements for use of the new station.

“We worked for hours on how much storage we would need and how much parking we would need. Do we want a community room attached to the building,” said Valliere of the discussions with the firm.

He has previously said that there are properties in Westfield he has already had in mind for a new home for the department, but has not said which properties those are.

A certified hygienist had taken samples of air, insulation, and various surfaces throughout the department looking for substances of concern. Mold was found in practically every room at 15 Washington St., including at least one sample of black mold found in the ceiling of the traffic bureau. Valliere’s office even had mold and significant water damage in the ceiling.