Baker City has received a $2.5 million state grant to renovate the police department so it can better withstand an earthquake. (Jayson Jacoby/Baker City Herald)

Baker City has received a $2.5 million grant from the state to renovate the police department to better withstand earthquakes.

The grant is through the Oregon Business Development Department, which is selling general obligation bonds to finance the grants.

The city has applied for a similar grant for the fire department, but so far has been awarded money only for the police department at 1768 Auburn Ave.

The grant, which will pay the entire cost of the project, with no city match required, includes $344,000 for engineering, $1,745,000 for construction, and a $338,000 contingency.

“It’s a pretty significant upgrade,” City Manager Barry Murphy said.

Murphy said construction, which will include bolstering structural elements in the building, will happen in 2026. The project is in the design phase now, he said, and it’s not clear whether the police department will have to move into temporary quarters during construction next year.

The city bought the 7,900-square-foot building, just west of the Powder River, in 2008. The building was constructed in 1970, according to Baker County Assessor’s office records.