Developers are seeking the permits to build a new adventure park called Osprey Aerial Adventures on a 12-acre site just south of Chesapeake, Va., a city that’s home to nearly 250,000 people. According to The Virginian-Pilot, the plan calls for 17-20 zip lines, “obstacle courses,” and walking trails.
The report said that developers are modeling the park’s design after The Adventure Park at Virginia Aquarium, which is owned and operated by Outdoor Venture Group, located in nearby Virginia Beach. Construction could begin by the end of the year and the park could open in 2024 if permits are approved as planned.
“We have owned this land for over 25 years and waited patiently to improve it,” developer Timothy McEvoy, principal at Seaboard Development Co. in Virginia Beach, said in an email, according to The Virginian-Pilot.
Planned facilities include three yurts for registration, gear and concessions, and restrooms, as well as a small parking lot.
Local residents expressed concerns about additional traffic that the park will bring to the area. Developers estimated the park will attract roughly 75 customers per day in peak season, equating to about five cars per hour coming in and out of the facility, and 20 customers per day during the off-season. It would employ about 25 people during peak season and five people the rest of the year.
According to the report, the project would leave around 90 percent of the site’s forest intact. McEvoy hopes to partner with a local environmental group, such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, to host educational programming at the park.
