Hoberman Park Undergoing Improvements

By Lou Bernard
Lock Haven’s Hoberman Park will be getting the finishing touches on improvements over the summer.
The project began in 2023 with the installation of a new skate park. In the spring of 2024, a meeting was held to take suggestions for needed playground equipment, and in early August, over a hundred volunteers gathered to help create the new playground. Nearly two million dollars in grants were received from a variety of sources, including the Department of Community and Economic Development and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The final phase of improvements began earlier in the month, with crews arriving to install the rest of the plan. This will include a new basketball court and multipurpose court, upgrades to the baseball field, better parking, a walking path, pavilions, and new restrooms.

“I hope with the new upgrades the park will be enjoyed by everyone in a respectful manner,” stated city council member Heather Alexander. “I hope parents encourage their children to play and have fun but respect the property.”

The upgrades are expected to be completed by this September, and the playground will be open in the meantime. The public is asked to remain respectful and cautious while the construction crews are at work.
The western parking lot, off Logan Street, will be closed for the foreseeable future. The eastern lot, off of East Park Street, will remain open, but that may change as the project continues. The city has requested that the public use street parking when possible.

“Hoberman Park is an example of how the city is working with the limited resources available to improve the quality of life in the city,” said Mayor Joel Long. “By working with what we have and re-envisioning how we use the space, we’re opening up new recreation possibilities. And better monitoring with security cameras. Staff has worked very hard on this.”

Hoberman Park was founded on March 8, 1938, when Lock Haven resident Benjamin Hoberman donated land to the city to create a new park. Hoberman, an immigrant from Russia, died in 1951 at age seventy-three and is buried in Beth Yehuda with his wife, Mollie.

Updates and further information on the project can be found at https://lockhavenpa.civilspace.io/en/projects/hoberman-park or through the city planning department at 570-893-5904.