The former Beverage Shop building on East Cherry Street has undergone a transformation of its exterior as plans continue to turn it into a police assistance center.

Police Chief John Rodger hopes to have new signage and awning completed before the holidays while a local electrician’s union will be donating resources.

The heating, ventilation and air conditioning is just about completed and there’s some asbestos abatement to be done, said Rodger, who has been pleased with the pace of progress over the last month to six weeks.

The facade would have been $15,000 if they had to pay for it, said Rodger, and still to be done are things like acquiring classroom and cubicle furniture and installing flooring and a phone system.

Rodger hopes to have the building at least partially in use by January or February and be completely finished by March.

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at Rahway was downgraded by Moody’s Investors Services, according to a report in Crain’s New York last month, and expects to end 2010 with “sizable operating losses,” like it did in 2009. The rating agency downgraded the hospital’s long-term debt rating and lowered its outlook from “stable” to “negative,” citing declining admissions.