SANFORD — Close to 5.8 million people live within 50 to 100 miles of Sanford, and that is projected to increase to 7.1 million in 2018, according to a 12-page summary of a report completed by two theme park consultants last year. About 3.9 million of those folks will be under 45 years old in 2018, and they will be living within a two-hour drive of Sanford.

The idea, of course, is to build a year-round theme park and attract those folks to come and enjoy.

Proponents of a theme park ”“ that could include a white water canoe adventure, rustic camping, tree house adventures, zip lines and much more, like an indoor water park ”“ are planning to attract lots of those folks to the area, but the first order of the day is to attract developers that build theme parks.

H. Allen Mapes, one of those spearheading the theme park proposal, said the city has one chance to make an impression on the 20 or so companies worldwide in the theme park business.

And so even though it’s been a relatively quiet summer, with little news about the proposal, that doesn’t mean nothing’s been happening, he said. So far, 45 people have contributed to a fund to help put together packages to attract the attention of developers. They’re looking for $25,000 to match the state’s pledge of $25,000. As of last week, they had raised about $20,000, with contributions from a cross section of the community ”“ businesses, trusts, doctors, lawyers, school teachers and others have contributed to the fund. Mapes said he asked for $400 donations, and that some people gave less and some people gave more.

The pitch is expected to include a letter from the governor, a letter from the Sanford mayor and an array of Maine-themed gifts to pique developers’ interest and more, Mapes said.

The 12-page summary of the theme park proposal, tentatively known as York Pines, was released late last week on the Sanford Regional Economic Growth Council website by Executive Director Jim Nimon.

Once developers and investors are lined up, phase one of construction is tentatively pegged to commence in late summer 2016, with a grand opening set for June 2018, according to the summary.

But there’s a lot of work to do between now and then, proponents say. And the timeline, as laid out in the summary, is a target. The cost of the project is estimated at upwards of $290 million.

Consultants Larry Wyatt and Fred Cochrane, who between them have decades of experience in the industry, concluded that a theme park in Sanford has “real merit,” proponents said in January in a news release announcing some conclusions contained in the confidential feasibility study they generated following a visit to Sanford last summer.

“Who wouldn’t be excited,” said Sanford Mayor Tom Cote in an interview earlier this year. “The idea that families from all over New England choosing Sanford, Maine as their vacation destination is an exciting prospect. The enormous economic impact to Sanford and Springvale and the state of Maine is extremely compelling.”

The targeted location is south Sanford, where there are several parcels of land that might be available, ranging in size from 100 acres to 1,100 acres ”“ the latter the site of a proposed oil refinery in the 1970s by Gibbs Oil Company that never materialized.

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