LOCK HAVEN — The City of Lock Haven has partnered with Downtown Lock Haven, Inc. in its efforts to rehabilitate Santa’s Hut.

The hut, which typically is placed in Triangle Park from the last weekend of November until the weekend before Christmas, has not been used since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Council member Steve Stevenson, who serves as the city’s liaison on DLH’s board, presented the “Save the Hut” campaign during Monday’s meeting.

Stevenson said he approached DLH’s board of directors about beginning a campaign to rehabilitate the hut, which would require an OK from council. The city owns the hut, which is stored at the Second Avenue Public Works Building.

“The hut hasn’t been used since pre-COVID and it has fallen into disrepair,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson said he worked with Public Property Foreman Jared Gist to get a rough estimate on the cost for the hut.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Angela Harding — who also serves on DLH’s board — reached out to Central Mountain High School’s Career and Technical Center to see if its students would be interested in taking part in the rehabilitation.

“Commissioner Harding has reached out to the CTC at the school district and talked to Bill Probst,” Stevenson said.

Stevenson said Probst is onboard, and asked that he and his students be able to look at the hut themselves and get their own measurements, he said.

“We’re not only going to make children happy, who go see Santa. But the kids up at the Career and Technical Center would get a chance to work on Santa’s Hut,” Stevenson said. “It’s not something they do everyday. They can take pride and ownership in it.”

Stevenson said Probst indicated his class would be able to begin working on the hut in the spring. If the rehabilitation isn’t complete by the end of the school year, it could be picked up in the fall, he continued.

“(DLH) would be the one to raise the funds via corporate and private donors,” Stevenson said. “We have a list of go-to, possible donors to solicit from.”

Stevenson thanked Harding and the DLH board of directors for taking on the project.

Stevenson said the fundraising campaign, tagged as “Save the Hut” is still in the works within DLH’s Promotions Committee and will be announced at a later date.

Council unanimously granted Downtown Lock Haven, Inc. permission to rehabilitate the hut.

Stevenson thanked his fellow council members for the approval.

“The hut was part of growing up….Going to see Santa at the hut in Triangle Park,” he said. “This is for the kids… they’re good memories.”