Teen center evolves as community needs change

After 20 years of serving teenagers as a place to hang out with friends after school and on weekends, the Park Place Teen Center at New Philadelphia’s Tuscora Park is making a transition to serve a wider range of people in the coming months and years.

Renamed the Park Place Youth Center, the facility will expand its mission and scope of operations under the leadership of Holly Claus, a full-time employee of RTY Inc. The reopening is tentatively planned for spring 2021, depending on any COVID-19 restrictions still in place at the time.

RTY is a not-for-profit organization run by the Rotary Club of New Philadelphia and operates Park Place, the amusement rides, concessions and catering at Tuscora Park, as well as offers the free Summer Showcase concerts during the summer months at the park’s amphitheater.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, amusement rides didn’t open until July this year. Park Place has been closed since mid-March, and the Summer Showcase concert season was canceled. Only concessions and catering have operated on a regular schedule.

Claus was hired by RTY in May to replace retiring Sam Hitchcock, who helped to found Park Place and directed its operations since opening in 2000. While the COVID-19 pandemic has kept Park Place closed during this transition in leadership, RTY board chairman Rick Pipes said the process is well underway to expand the role of Park Place as a youth center.

“Well before COVID-19 came along, RTY and the city administration were talking about the needs and issues facing Tuscora Park now and in the future,” Pipes said. “With those needs in mind, we expanded the role of the Park Place director. Holly Claus has a great background in marketing and event planning and will be a great asset to RTY and to our Tuscora Park operations.”

Claus is a native of Canton and a graduate of Kent State University. Most recently she was director of events and marketing at the Davis Chamber of Commerce in Davis, California. While COVID-19 has kept Park Place closed since mid-March, Claus said she’s been busy in starting the Park Place transition process.

“We are planning a Park Place Youth Center that will provide year-round experiences with nature, history and educational themes for children of all ages and their families,” Claus said. “We want to help welcome visitors to the park, see our displays, and let them know about what the park and the surrounding community has to offer.”

This transition of Park Place from a teen center to a youth center has been planned in cooperation with the New Philadelphia City Administration, according to Mayor Joel Day.

“Rick Pipes and RTY have worked with me, City Parks superintendent Rod Miller and the City Parks board members to expand the role of the RTY Park Place director,” Day said. “Holly will add to the services for youth offered at Park Place and help to let the community know more about the park’s attractions.”

This fall Claus is overseeing the remodeling of the interior of the Park Place facility to accommodate its new and expanded role. Details about youth programs and activities will be announced next year as COVID-19 restrictions allow at the time.

To improve public access to information about the park, social-media channels include Facebook@TuscoraPark and Instagram@Tuscora_Park.

A new and improved website is available at www.tuscorapark.com.

Claus may be emailed at holly@tuscorapark.com.