Pittsburgh's Zone 3 police station is scheduled to move from the South Side to Allentown by early spring, but the city still faces a state mandate to make costly repairs at the station's current location.

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry this month threatened to order to vacate the building, located at 1725 Mary St., if the city didn't demonstrate some progress in addressing a range of problems -- a cockroach infestation; concerns about lead in a basement area that was once a firing range; water leaks from a first-floor toilet drain into the community relations officer's room; mold in the basement, the garage and the lieutenant's office; thick dust on ventilation grills in the first-floor common area; and a light switch hanging by wires in the mechanical room.

Yesterday, city Public Works Director Guy Costa sent a letter to the state asking for an extension until April 1, the scheduled move date.

The letter also said the city has already taken some steps, including an air quality test, water leakage repairs and the scheduling of monthly pest extermination.

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl announced the $1.7 million project to move the station in July amid concerns about deadly shootings in the city's hilltop communities above the South Side.

State inspectors visited the current station the same month, after Cmdr. Catherine McNeilly filed a complaint about working conditions there.

The state ordered the city to make repairs by Sept. 24. An early October inspection found some progress.

Now the city has until Nov. 7 to show proof of further action.

"They can either fix everything, or they can respond to show cause on why they should not have to fix these things, or request a variance, or extensions of time for compliance," said Troy Thompson, a spokesman for the labor and industry department.

He did not believe the department had received yesterday's letter from Mr. Costa.

Charles Hanlon, vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said rank-and-file officers from Zone 3 are more focused on a smooth transition to the new building at 830 Warrington Ave.

Their top priority is a secure parking area for both marked police cars and officers' personal cars to avoid vandalism.

Mr. Hanlon said the city was trying to acquire more property near the new station to build a larger parking lot with a closed-circuit television security system.

"If they're really going to move by April 1," he said, "then to fix those problems at the current building would be wasted money."