PHOTO BY THE DRONE GEEK Pictured is a portion of downtown Lock Haven, showing the then-in-construction Veterans Park project, taken by The Drone Geek — Chris Fravel — while in Lock Haven for an interview by newspaper staff in 2024.

LOCK HAVEN — As the City of Lock Haven and its staff, along with various organizations both in its limits and county-wide continue to work to improve the quality of life its efforts seem to be paying off.

According to information from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Labor & Statistics, in September 2024, the city’s unemployment rate dipped to a historic low at 3.1 percent.

According to the most recent American Community Survey conducted by the United States Census, about 5,700 residents are eligible to work, meaning about 175 able-bodied city residents are unemployed.

The American Community Survey conducted in 2024 also revealed the city’s poverty rate has dropped nearly halfway from its previous percentage — going from 40.7 percent from about 10 years ago to 27.8 percent, according to recent figures.

City Manager Gregory Wilson told The Express the drop in the city’s poverty rate was due to a combination of factors, including fixes to how the Census Bureau gathered statistics within the city’s limits.

Wilson explained certain apartment complexes — such as Evergreen Commons and other Commonwealth University-Lock Haven housing — should not have been counted in these stats, as they are considered “institutional housing.”

Institutional housing is housing that is adequate and affordable for public institutions such as universities, colleges, police, defence forces, government pool housing and prisons.

“Only off campus apartments should count,” Wilson said.

Wilson said he and city staff worked with the US Census to correct this information and ensure complexes that fell under institutional housing were not included in updated statistics.

Outside of corrections to these stats, Wilson said city staff have worked over the last five years — particularly in tandem with its 10-year Comprehensive Plan — to create an environment where people want to live and work.

“From a city perspective we’ve made a lot of investment in the wellbeing of city residents,” Wilson said. “Millions of dollars have been pulled from the state and federal level in the last five years… the bulk of money going to improvements.”

Wilson said ultimately the city wants to create a community where people want to live and choose to live.

In the last five years in particular, the city has been updating its parks — in particular undertaking a huge rehabilitation of Hoberman Park.

Hoberman Park in recent years has seen a large number of improvements, including the completion of a new concrete skatepark and pump track and a new playground constructed by volunteers in conjunction with KABOOM!.

Through American Rescue Plan Act funds, funds from the Department of Community and Economic Development, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the PA Municipal League and Kaboom, the city was able to accumulate roughly $1.7 million in grants for these improvements.

City Planner Abbey Roberts noted final touches to the park should be completed this year. This includes the creation of a multi-use court, basketball court, paving of parking lots, construction of pavilions, creation of a walking path, benches and other amenities.

Outside of Hoberman, the city has also improved Hanna Park, Piper-Harmon, and is beginning to get community input on improvements to Hanna Park.

In its central business district, Wilson and Roberts spoke about improvements made to its downtown business section to help bring people into local businesses.

In 2022-2023, and with assistance from a $50,000 T-Mobile grant, the city revamped Fallon Alley, which brings foot traffic to East Main Street from its Water Street parking lot — the largest of the city-owned spots.

The upgrades included repaving the alley, creating a seating area and the placement of a little art library.

Other improvements downtown include the recent placement of benches along East Main Street through a recent initiative from the city’s planning department and the creation of murals in various places through a partnership with Dripped on the Road — a traveling art program.

Both Wilson and Roberts said the success of many of these projects was due to the community input involved in the planning processes.

“We have been really receptive to what people want during these processes,” Wilson said.

Roberts said when she was first hired in 2019, her goal was to integrate community involvement in the planning process for projects.

“When I first came in I wanted to get these surveys going. At first we didn’t get responses.It took a couple of years to build that up and it’s been successful,” she said, noting the skatepark saw a large amount of input from the public to ensure it was exactly what residents wanted.

That public involvement also included other initiatives, such as Dripped on the Road bringing its artistry to Robb Elementary School to allow the students to create their own mural to be hung outside of the school along Church Street.

The business district has also been a focal point for the city and other organizations.

“Having a shoppable downtown with support from the city is important,” Wilson noted.

Since 2020, local business has seen a boom in downtown Lock Haven, through support from the city and organizations such as non-profit Downtown Lock Haven, Inc.

In particular, businesses in and around the central business district have taken advantage of the city’s commercial loan program.

According to Roberts, the Commercial Loan Board gave out five loans to local businesses in 2024-2025 totalling $151,280.

Roberts said the fund balance for the program currently sits at $334,610.14.

“We’ve had some interest in loans, people are always coming and talking to the board,” Roberts said. “With a $50,000 cap on our program, we often look to partner with the county, which has two loan programs, and SEDA-COG,” she said.

Wilson noted anyone who may be interested in the program can reach out to Roberts by email at aroberts@lockhavenpa.gov.

While the city staff continues to work towards improvements in its public spaces, supporting local businesses and other initiatives and upgrades to infrastructures where feasible, it has other hopes for the future to continue to see its growth.

This includes continued work to make the city a family friendly environment while also still providing opportunities for younger adults and its senior population.

“We’re looking for ways, with public input, on how to be family friendly. This is through investments in parks which are beneficial for both classes of people (children, young adults and seniors),” Wilson said.

Wilson further expressed the city’s hope to find ways to increase homeownership within the municipality.