New Philadelphia, Ohio (WJER) - Tuscora Park Foundation members say they are ready to get to work now with their non-profit status officially approved. 

Foundation President Mike Ernest says the federal government approved the application months after it was submitted. He says the status allows them to start receiving grants from a wide range of sources.

“It’s for projects just like we are pursuing with the Southside Community Park,” he says. “These funds can be applied toward significant infrastructure steps that we need to take to make that park more viable such as a road and a bridge.”

Ernest says the foundation was originally awarded Clean Ohio grant money to begin that project, but he says the delay with their 501(c)(3) status is forcing them to reapply in a new round.

“We don’t believe anything that has changed with our project. There may be some additional requests for lighting that we didn’t have before, which, to some extent, that could be positive if that lighting funding comes through, but we believe we still have a project that is consistent with what Clean Ohio tends to do,” he says.

New Philadelphia has already acquired about $400,000 in state and federal funding for the project. They were also seeking a million dollars from Clean Ohio to begin phase one of the project, before the foundation’s non-profit status brought progress to a halt.   

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