GORHAM – A $5.1 million remedy for Gorham’s antiquated Public Safety Building was unveiled this week and will likely go to voters in November.

Town councilors heard and saw details on Tuesday of a plan to upgrade the existing 40-year-old facility at 270 Main St. The plan calls for adding a new single-story building to house the police department and a renovation of the present facility for the fire department.

“I’m very impressed with the plans,” Town Council Chairman Michael Phinney said in Tuesday’s workshop meeting.

Town Manager David Cole said on Wednesday that the council would probably hold a public hearing about the proposal on Tuesday, Aug. 5, when the council likely would decide whether to send the public safety project to the voters for the Nov. 4 election.

“That could change but right now that is the most likely schedule,” Cole said.

A former Gorham Public Safety Committee had identified numerous woes at the town’s aging Public Safety Building and had recommended a $6.3 million project to build a new complex housing police and fire departments at the site of the Little Falls School. But, Gorham voters last year rejected the proposal.

The newest proposal keeps the police and fire departments at one complex in Gorham Village and significantly lowers the cost.

In Tuesday’s Town Council workshop, Andrew Hyland of Port City Architecture in Portland showed the council his firm’s ideas. Under this proposal, a building housing police would be added in front of the existing building. Hyland said the building would be energy efficient and would look similar to the existing facility.

The new police building would feature a brick exterior and a pitched roof with gray, metal roofing. Amenities inside would include separate locker rooms for men and women, detective and booking areas, evidence storage and a sally port to provide security when officers take in suspects. The vestibule would contain a call box to accommodate the public during non-business hours.

A fenced and gated area would provide security for impounded vehicles. Public parking for the police building would be in a new lot off Chick Drive.

A cellblock is not planned. Cole said that holding cells would be unnecessary because of the town’s close proximity to Cumberland County Jail in Portland. Cole also said cells in Gorham’s police building would present liability issues.

Police Chief Ronald Shepard also did not favor the cells, which, he said, would require monitoring 24 hours a day. Shepard said detainees would have to be fed meals.

“It’s really a can of worms,” Shepard said.

The existing Public Safety Building, which opened in 1974, would be renovated for the fire department. Improvements would include a fitness area to serve fire and police departments, an elevator, decontamination area for first responders, ADA-compliant bathrooms, and 10 individual bunkrooms on the second floor. A pantry would be added to an existing second-floor kitchen, and plans call for a dining area.

An emergency operation center would be included in the Fire Department renovation. Also, two bays with doors 14 feet in height would be added to the rear of the building to house fire apparatus.

Hyland said the proposal fits the functions of the town and would last into the future. He’s still working on the cost.

“Our goal is to get under $5 million for the project,” Hyland said.