Tourists may soon have a new reason to visit North Park, about 15 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald asked the County Council to approve a 10-year contract with Go Ape, a treetop adventure course company - as an attempt to improve the park and generate revenue, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.
Go Ape, which began in the United Kingdom in 2002, has three similar courses in the U.S. since it came to the country in 2010, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Dan D'Agostino, USA managing director for Go Ape, told the Post-Gazette that with the council's approval, the course could open this season. Although the company hasn't yet developed a design for the site, he said, Go Ape courses typically include zip lines, rope ladders and swings appropriate for visitors ranging from 10 to 90 years old.
"Each one of our courses are a custom design because of the different characteristics of each park," D'Agostino told the Post-Gazette. "The course in North Park would be unique because it has a different terrain and different trees than the other sites."
"It's a gorgeous, gorgeous park," he added. "We've walked the trees a bit and we have some ideas, but we're waiting for approval before we move ahead with a design."
Although the deal calls for a 10-year contract, the Post-Gazette reported, it offers two five-year extensions - and the county would receive $20,000 the first year, gradually growing to $40,500 by the fifth year, according to the Post-Gazette.
Go Ape's three current U.S. sites are Rock Creek Park in Rockville, Md., Eagle Creek Park in Indianapolis and Freedom Park near Williamsburg, Va.
Maureen Faul, public information officer for the Indianapolis Department of Parks and recreation, told the Post-Gazette that her department's partnership with Go Ape has been "phenomenal."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
