New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Urban Air Adventure Park to open its doors Saturday
Urban Air Adventure Park will open its doors Saturday
ORANGE — Urban Air Adventure Park, often described as an indoor family entertainment center “on steroids,” will open its doors Saturday — but however you want to characterize it, it’s likely the kids will sleep well after visiting.
The new adventure park — located in an 84,200-square-foot building at 260 Bull Hill Lane, behind New Haven Islamic Center — is the biggest yet in the nationwide franchise in terms of size and most attractions.
And the only facility of its kind in Connecticut.
“This is going to be a destination park in Connecticut,” said Veena Chowdary of North Haven, a partner
in the business with Lakshman Paidi, who owns several pharmacies in the Northeast, including Apex Pharmacy and Home Health in Hamden. “Families always need a wholesome place to go. Good times make good memories.”
The park, a first of its kind in the area, will open its doors to the public for the first time Saturday at 10 a.m. The first 300 grand opening attendees in line can win their choice of free bowling, go-carts or jumping for a year with the purchase of an Ultimate Pass for a day.
The park is home to more than 10 attractions — ranging from a Sky Rider zipline-type attraction, gocarts, indoor ropes course, a trapeze, bumper cars, virtual reality, slam dunk zone, climbing walls, laser tag, bowling, and even a ninja warrior playscape.
There’s a cafe, party rooms, arcade games, WiFi, televisions tuned to sports, and even massage chairs likely to be used more by parents and grandparents.
The park will employee about 200 people.
On Thursday, the park was filled with workers putting the finishing touches on the venue.
General manager Dawn Fanara, of Milford, said they’ve been working around the clock this week.
“I love it,” Fanara said of her new gig. After years of being in the restaurant management business, she welcomes less stress and being around children, she said.
Paidi, who started as a pharmacist, then went on to own pharmacies, said he wanted to shift his business interests away from pharmaceutical.
“I wanted to do something fun, and my kids wanted to do something fun,” he said. His children are ages 9 and 11.
The Urban Air Adventure Park franchise originated in Texas and there are 50 open now, including Orange, with 200 more in some stage of development, said Josh Tate, the chain’s vice-president of marketing.
“We’re about creating experiences,” Tate said.
Chowdary, who works at the Hamden business, specializing in marketing and business development, went into the Urban Air Adventure Park business with him.
Chowdary, a mother, said she loves the location because its well-lit, easy access from shopping areas and not tucked away in some industrial park as these types of venues often are.
She said it’s perfect for a rainy or cold day or for a break while shopping or doing errands. Chowdary said they will be adding Mommy and Me classes during the week.
She also said there is plenty to keep parents and grandparents busy, including participating in the adventure park activities.
The Orange Chamber of Commerce will hold a ribbon-cutting for Urban Air Adventure Park Friday at 5 p.m. The building stood vacant for years.
On Friday, they plan to open at no charge to first responders and their families.
It won’t be a cheap day with the kids — it’s $17.99 for a go-cart ride and $7.99 per game for virtual reality — but there are special package deals that knock those costs way down.