SOUTHBRIDGE, Mass. - The largest municipal police training center in Central Massachusetts will be housed in the Southbridge Innovation Center. 

Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito was in Southbridge on Thursday to make the announcement. 

The complex once served as the manufacturing flagship for the American Optical Company. 

The police training center will use the second floor of the Southbridge Hotel and Conference Center.  It features 36,000 sq. feet of classroom space and can accommodate up to 1,500 people.

"What we owe them as a state and community is to train them, to give them everything they need to become the best officers possible in the 21st century,” Terrence Reidy, Massachusetts Public Safety and Security Secretary, said.

"Whether it's a police officer in New York or Western Massachusetts or downtown Boston, these police officers need to be trained the same, to carry forth the mission of protecting the public,” Robert Ferullo, executive director of the Municipal Police Training Committee, said. “We're here to have a first grade facility that we can deliver training."

The training center will have 14 classrooms, 20 break rooms, and a full library. It will also include food service, lodging and a health club to support the training progra