No giraffe news yet, but Animal Adventure Park's about to get bigger
Katie Sullivan Borrelli
pressconnects.com
If it gets the vote, Animal Adventure Park's about to get even bigger.
Town of Colesville, where the park is located, has applied for $30,000 in funding from Broome County Executive Jason Garnar's Small Communities Fund, to be used at the park. It will be considered as a resolution by the County Legislature this week, according to a news release.
How it all began:April the Giraffe rules Animal Adventure (and YouTube) in 2017
What's coming to the park?
At the forefront of the expansion, which would be funded by the Small Communities Grant Program, is a Discovery Station and Community Event Center at Animal Adventure Park, which would include the following:
Gem and Fossil Mining Sluice
Safari Express Train Ride
Community center to accommodate 200 people
Upgrades to aid the park's Critter Camp programs
Educational exhibits beyond the animal kingdom
"Here at the park we never just stay content with what we have," park owner Jordan Patch said in a news conference streamed live on Facebook. "We always continue to expand."
Giraffe update:Is April the Giraffe pregnant again? Animal Adventure posts video
Those expansions will include additions to the park's existing Discovery Station. It will also mean more exhibits and hands-on activities at the park, and not all of them will be related to animals.
"Moving forward we wish to bring more to the guests...educational exhibits like mining, our train ride station and more coming in our Wilds of Asia exhibit," Patch said. "The funds will be allocated to new programs, new additions and attractions."
In a statement, Garnar said the Harpursville park is the ideal candidate for the Small Communities Fund.
Behind the scenes:After surgery, great expectations for Animal Adventure park owner's daughter
"This is exactly what I designed this Small Communities Fund for — to support our small communities in Broome County and the businesses and organizations in these areas," he said.
Where is the money from?
Colesville's Town Supervisor, Glenn Winsor, submitted an application for the project to be considered for the Small Communities Grant Program. It's a fund of $150,000 Garnar unveiled in his 2018 budget address for Broome County, funneling the county's hotel-motel revenues to economic development projects in rural communities.
What's the economic impact?
Patch said the expansion effort will create 11 new jobs at the park and officials hope it will also draw more visitors to the area.
"Animal Adventure's success will facilitate residual success and growth for our town, county and beyond," Winsor said.
In 2017, on the heels of the park's live-streamed giraffe birth, admission tripled and the park was awarded the Tourism Excellence Award from the New York State Tourism Industry Association.
Garnar said Broome County's Hotel-Motel Committee has already approved the Town of Colesville's funding application, so it will now be considered as a resolution by the County Legislature this month.
Is April pregnant?
Still no official word from the park regarding the possible pregnancy of its female giraffe, April. Fecal samples were sent to another zoo's laboratory in June to confirm pregnancy.
Keep an eye on these social media platforms for updates:
Animal Adventure's Facebook page.
@AnmlAdvntrPark on Twitter.
Animal Adventure's live giraffe cam on YouTube.
Follow Katie Sullivan on Twitter @ByKatieSullivan