Bill for Columbia Crossing improvements jumps to $500,000

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

Columbia Borough Council voted to increase its grant request to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) from $200,000 to $250,000 for renovations at the Columbia Crossing building. Derek Rinaldo, borough engineer, recommended the increase at the April 28 Columbia Borough Council meeting.

The request comes after Rinaldo undertook a facilities feasibility study that identified opportunities to improve the building, in addition to repairing existing problems. The total estimated project cost has jumped to $500,000, with the borough on the hook for half that, at $250,000.

The centerpiece of the proposed improvements is the removal of a large stone wall separating the interior exhibit space from the outdoor river view deck, to be replaced with a set of large glass doors. Rinaldo described the wall as the main barrier preventing the two spaces from working together.

"Those are the best views," Rinaldo said of the deck area. "When you're in the building, you can't even really see the river."

The proposed glass doors — which could be accordion-style, sliding, or hinged — would remain closed and locked to the public and opened by staff only when needed for larger events. A preliminary structural evaluation found the design to be feasible using the existing framing and columns, though Rinaldo noted engineers may look at eliminating a center column during final design.

Rinaldo: "The number one thing that we identified that would enhance the site is the ability to host larger events."

Currently, the facility must limit program attendance to 75 to 80 participants due to separate capacity ratings for interior and exterior spaces. With the spaces unified, staff estimates the center could host up to 150 or more people at once.

Columbia Crossing staff members Hope Byers and Megan Salvatore told Rinaldo that schools have often been turned away because the building lacks the capacity to accommodate full classes. Canoemobile programs, for example, typically bring 100 students, a number the facility currently cannot hold.

The grant application also includes improvements to ADA accessibility. Rinaldo said the borough would expand accessible parking, which earns additional credit in the DCNR scoring process.

The current proposal is not the first renovation at Columbia Crossing. In 2016, a three-phase plan (shown above) for customizing the building's interior was introduced. Several repairs have also been done, including roofwork and recoating the concrete steps.

 

Structural repairs

The project also addresses deteriorating columns on the outdoor deck. Currently, they're wrapped in stone veneer — a design that trapped moisture and contributed to structural decay. The interior columns would become black painted metal. Rinaldo noted that the wide stone-wrapped columns create tight clearances that make navigation difficult for wheelchair users.

Corner columns and any structural or facade-facing columns will keep their stone veneer appearance so the building's exterior aesthetics remain unchanged. Deteriorating horizontal beams will be replaced with a glue-laminated material to match existing materials.

What happened to the paperwork?
Renovation is necessary due to construction deficiencies dating to the building's completion around 2014–2015. Some issues were known as early as 2013, as Columbia Spy reported HERE. Rinaldo and Evan Gabel, borough solicitor, acknowledged that pursuing legal action against those responsible is unlikely to succeed due to expired statutes of limitations and a significant lack of documentation.

The building as it appeared in July 2014, when it was known as the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail Services Building.

Resident Sharon Lintner recalled that a prior council had voted to have the original firm re-evaluate the structure and paid several thousand dollars for that report, but no record of the outcome can be found.

"If you paid several thousand for something, you certainly hope it exists somewhere," Lintner told council.

"There was a prime engineer, an architect — there were others brought on at various times," Rinaldo explained. "By the end of construction, there wasn't adequate as-built documentation." He added that the original engineer of record was removed from the project before completion, breaking the chain of professional responsibility and leaving no one clearly accountable for the faulty connections now causing problems.

Gabel confirmed the borough has explored legal options but concluded the case would be difficult to pursue. The borough has since pivoted to grant funding as the most viable path forward.

Timeline and Funding
The DCNR grant application was due April 30. Rinaldo said the borough would not learn the outcome until fall, putting construction on track for spring 2027. Council members also discussed using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds as part of the local match, with staff confirming that federal funds can be used to match state grants.

"I feel pretty strong that we're on the right track," Mayor Leo Lutz said, noting that the DCNR engineer present at their planning meeting was enthusiastic and offered tips to help bolster the application. "It was probably one of the better meetings I've had with DCNR when you're asking for funding."