The identical mosaic tile maps of New York City on the sides of the police substation in Times Square hark back to a different era. Some of the Monopoly-like symbols among the tiles that once helped tourists locate landmarks are gone. So, too, are a number of those landmarks, like the old Metropolitan Opera House.

The mosaics, designed by the artist Edward Meshekoff and installed in 1957 but overshadowed in recent years by flashier attractions, have an uncertain future as the Police Department plans a $3.5 million transformation of the substation into an attraction for visitors and recruits, according to officials involved with the project.

An architect has not yet been hired and no designs have been drawn, but officials said on Tuesday that they expected to solicit proposals in the coming weeks to turn the concrete, metal and glass bunker into a sleek, modern space fit for today’s Times Square.