A plan to expand the student union at Reading Area Community College has been put on the shelf.
Members of the Reading Planning Commission learned during a meeting Tuesday that the school has withdrawn its plans for expanding the building.
The project hit a snag last month when, during a special meeting held to approve RACC’s plan, the commission learned that additional investigation was needed to determine if it met federal regulations in addressing the building’s location in a Schuylkill River floodplain.
Parts of the building are about five inches below the base flood elevation. The expansion plan called for the use of flood-proofing methods, including using materials that won’t be damaged by floods and doors that can be opened to allow water flow.
However, at last month’s meeting it was still unclear whether those measures were enough to move forward with the project.
Commission members said Tuesday that an email from Dr. Susan Looney, RACC president, said the school plans to revisit the expansion project in the future with alternative design options.
Looney also said in the email that she understands the city’s need to balance its regulatory responsibility with the college’s goals.
Officials from RACC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The student union building, 25 S. Front St., was purchased by RACC in 1994, being renovated the following year to meet the school’s needs.
The new plan called for an expansion of the building’s footprint and the addition of a second story. The extra space would be filled with student club offices, meeting spaces, a fitness center, computer lab, event space, food pantry and clothing closet for students in need and other amenities.
The project was slated to cost about $15 million, with college officials saying they hope to cover some of that with grant money.