DUNCANSVILLE — After a sudden increase in estimated project costs, the Duncansville Borough Council unanimously approved a scaled down plan for the second phase of the ongoing renovation project on the community center during a Monday night meeting.

The first phase, which was completed in late October 2024, moved the borough office and police department from the Municipal Building on Third Avenue to the upgraded community center on 14th Street using funds from the sale of the now-unused building.

The second phase plans initially included a completely redone parking lot and metal siding along all four exterior walls of the community center building, alongside a number of interior decor and technology upgrades, but had to be reassessed due to rising costs, according to Borough Manager Rodney Estep.

Upgrades in the second phase were scheduled to be undertaken utilizing a $119,338 no-match Department of Community and Economic Development grant that was applied for in 2024.

The $119,338 figure was drawn from work estimates received from local contractors at the time of application, Estep said.

With current costs, the lowest bid submitted to complete the full project included in the grant proposal was more than $50,000 higher than the original estimate, he said.

This new number is “nowhere close” to what the borough had anticipated and is out of reach with Duncansville’s current capital reserves, according to Estep.

Estep presented the council with five options for different degrees of reduced-scope projects.

Council member Dave Shaw and Mayor Eric Fritz voiced support for the fifth option Estep outlined, which included the parking lot project, new vinyl flooring, new ceiling tiles and a new enclosure for the air conditioning duct in the corner of the Community Center building.

This route would offer “the best bang for our buck,” Fritz said, while only requiring an additional contribution of approximately $100 from the borough beyond the costs covered by the grant funds.

The council authorized Estep to proceed with a work change order to pursue the fifth option by unanimous vote.

While not yet officially awarded, Estep said Mid-State Construction Inc. of Altoona would likely receive the bid contract as they had submitted the lowest bid so far.

Other business

The council unanimously approved a $76,000, 5.05% five-year loan from First National Bank to purchase a 2025 Ford F-600 dump truck for use by borough municipal workers.

First Commonwealth Bank and Ford Financing also submitted bids for the $94,000 truck, but the council opted for the lower interest rate loan proposed by First National.