FOP moving headquarters to Northeast Philly

THEY'RE MOVIN' on up ... to Northeast Philly.

The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday for a 50,000-square-foot headquarters on Caroline Road near Comly.

The union recently sold its headquarters on Spring Garden Street near 13th to the Philadelphia Boys Choir for $1.75 million, FOP president John McNesby said.

That money was used to buy the FOP's soon-to-be-new home, a former IRS building, for about $2 million, he said.

The union is investing $7 million to turn the property into a state-of-the-art facility that will include offices, a gym, a catering hall and a restaurant, all of which will be open to cops and their families.

"We're financing it through Firstrust Bank," McNesby said. "We have a mortgage, just like everybody else."

The new headquarters is expected to open in December.

"Most of our members are from this area," McNesby said. "This is a good fit for everyone, and it's a great investment for the future."

The union had long considered moving from Spring Garden Street. "It was the right time to sell," McNesby said. n

Contact David Gambacorta at 215-854-5995, gambacd@phillynews.com or on Twitter @dgambacorta.