SANFORD — There’s one in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. called “Dollywood,” and of course, there’s Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. And there’s SeaWorld and any number of other theme parks across the country.

Could there be a theme park in Sanford?

Some say it is an opportunity worth exploring, and two local folks are among those who say “let’s take a look”: A retiree with a background in the travel and tourism industry, and a local businessman with deep roots in the community and an interest in seeing that the community has a prosperous future.

Businessman H. Allen Mapes said he thinks it’s an idea worth exploring. And so he signed on, along with some others, including the city council, to bring a couple of theme park consultants to Sanford. The consultants are expected during the last week in July, to look the area over, meet with local folks, and brainstorm the possibilities and potential.

Bill Underwood, who retired here a decade ago to be closer to his children and grandchildren, spent 15 years in travel and tourism in Pennsylvania and is a member of Sanford Downtown Legacy’s economic restructuring committee. He said he began thinking about the community and the possibilities. After he thought about what Sanford doesn’t have ”“ no ocean, no shopping mecca like L.L. Bean, and no attraction like Strawbery Banke in Portsmouth, N.H. ”“ he thought about some of its assets.

One of the assets is Sanford’s location, smack dab between two major travel corridors. It’s 10 minutes from the I-95 exit on the Wells/Sanford line and just a hop, skip and a jump from Routes 16 and 202 ”“ and the folks who motor to points in New Hampshire, said Underwood.

“Maine had 28 million visitors in 2012,” Underwood said, “and a lot of them came up I-95.”

There were 34 million visitors to the Granite State in 2012, he noted.

So he got looking around and came up with two names in the theme park industry: Fred Cochrane and Larry Wyatt, both consultants who hail from California. Wyatt has been involved with projects that include Six Flags, Lego Parks, Daytona Speedway and more, according to his website, while Cochrane’s resume includes an early affiliation with Disney and in golf, ski and water-oriented resorts in the United States and Canada. Both men have wider contacts among theme park developers.

In initial conversations, Cochrane thought the idea might have some potential, said Underwood, so he suggested Wyatt and the conversation has continued. They’ve both expressed enthusiasm, he said.

Mapes heard Underwood talk about the theme park possibility, and became intrigued, especially, he said, because he hasn’t seen much industrial development locally in recent years.

“When Bill mentioned tourism, I said ”˜wowee.’ It’s the number one industry in Maine, and it’s growing in spite of the economy,” said Mapes.

And theme park revenue is growing, too, nationwide. According to a May 30 article in Bloomberg Businessweek by reporter Christopher Palmeri, the theme park business has recovered from the recession much faster than other leisure pursuits.

“Theme park sales, which fell 5.5 percent, to $11.6 billion, in 2009, have come roaring back,” Palmeri wrote in the piece. “Revenue for U.S. parks is expected to break another record at $13.4 billion this year, a 2.8 percent increase from 2012 ”¦ and climb an additional 2.4 percent annually through 2017. That compares with 1.8 percent growth from 2007 to 2012.”

Mapes pointed out there is ample land for a park, especially in south Sanford, near Sanford Seacoast Regional Airport and just a few miles away from I-95 and the Downeaster train station.

The study will cost $35,000. The city has contributed $5,000, and with contributions from Mapes and others, the study fund is at $30,000 so far.

Underwood said there have been early discussions on a Maine outdoor-themed park, and Underwood has had conversations with Carolann Ouellette, of the Maine Office of Tourism, whom he said has expressed enthusiasm about the idea. Ouellette was out of the office Friday and unavailable for comment.

“We want something new and different and exciting, not to duplicate or compete with existing attractions,” he said. “This could be a major development.”

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, Ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.