A burst fire suppression line left Jim Thorpe’s Memorial Hall with water damage early Monday morning, forcing some employees to relocate offices and prompting officials to move at least one upcoming event at the facility.

The water damage comes just months after the borough rededicated Memorial Hall in October following a nearly $10 million renovation project that consolidated borough administration, police operations and community event space under one roof for the first time in the borough’s history.

The pipe burst occurred around 3:15 a.m. Monday when an elbow joint failed in the ceiling above the women’s restroom, according to Borough Manager Maureen Sterner.

“It was the fire suppression line,” Sterner said. “We took all the precautions for the freezing temperatures but this was not a normal water pipe. Every room that had a sink, we had the faucet dripping. There’s just no faucet on the sprinkler.”

An alarm system alerted staff to the break, allowing workers to respond quickly, but the damage was extensive.

“We were able to get out here quickly and shut it off, but still, it did quite a bit of damage, because it’s a very large line,” Sterner said.

Water spread throughout the building’s main and lower levels. The women’s restroom sustained the worst damage, with water flowing into the building’s foyer, main hall, break room and multiple office areas. The file room also was damaged, and some water reached the zoning office ceiling.

The manager’s office, executive conference room and rear employee entrance were spared.

On the lower level, the majority of water damage occurred in the unrenovated section of the former roller skating rink. Water also reached the police station locker rooms, foyer, front office and community center but did not affect the squad room.

The borough began planning the Memorial Hall renovation in 2016 but faced significant delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Construction costs nearly doubled overnight, from about $5 million to nearly $10 million, according to previous reports. The project was funded through U.S. Department of Agriculture financing, federal appropriations and interim construction loans from Jim Thorpe National Bank and John Trust Company.

The renovation transformed one-third of the building’s top floor into borough office space, with the remainder reserved for community events. The Jim Thorpe Police Department moved into the lower level, upgrading from a 1,000-square-foot facility to a 5,000-square-foot headquarters.

Restoration workers have removed carpets from affected offices, and officials are assessing whether underlying flooring and drywall sustained damage.

“The carpets in the offices that were affected have already all been pulled out,” Sterner said. “They will need to be replaced. We’re hoping the flooring does not have to.”

Despite the damage, the borough office remained open for business Monday. Employees relocated to various areas of the building, using laptops purchased with COVID-19 relief funds to continue their work. The IT system remained operational because equipment was stored off the ground.

“Everybody affected had to vacate their offices,” Sterner said. “With our laptops, we’re able to continue. We didn’t even close the office yesterday. We were open for business.”

Borough officials were awaiting visits Tuesday from a restoration company estimator and an insurance adjuster to determine the full extent of damages and repair costs. No timeline has been set for when employees can return to their permanent offices.

The water damage forced relocation of the America 250PA Kick-Off Event, originally scheduled for the borough hall. The event has been moved to Jim Thorpe Area School District, 1 Olympian Way, and will still take place Feb. 5 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

A small birthday party scheduled for the end of the month will likely be redirected to find an alternative venue. Borough officials said they are trying to give the party organizers as much notice as possible.

Borough council’s work session will proceed as scheduled Thursday night.