ARUNDEL — After months of presentations and discussions, construction is underway for Raptor Falls.

Led by Arundel residents Cliff and Bree Gajtkowski, Raptor Falls will be a dinosaur-themed miniature golf course on Route 1, located at the former location of longtime Arundel business, Fritz’s Tire.

During Planning Board proceedings, the Gajtkowskis remained sure that, pending approval, the project would commence when the ground thawed. True to their word, over the last week the location has been bustling with activity as construction commenced for the project.

“There were three buildings on the property, and they took care of them pretty fast,” Cliff Gajtkowski said during an April 15 interview. “In three days they were down and we were ready to proceed.”

While the construction phase was originally predicted to take only six weeks, according to Gajtkowski the completed project will take about 90 days, with excavation taking four weeks and another eight for the golf course aspect. The team has their eye on a mid-July opening for the park.

“We’re hoping to get some of the heavy tourist season in July and August, and then go into the September and October shoulder months,” Cliff Gajtkowski said. “It’s hard to believe it’s finally underway.”

While the project was met with enthusiasm from the town of Arundel, it had a few hurdles to jump prior to making it to this point.

The project has appeared in front of the Planning Board five times, on Sept. 27, Nov. 8, Nov. 29, and a site walk was held Oct. 13. At the Nov. 29 meeting, the team was granted a 30-day extension to remedy a discrepancy with the deed. While the project was scheduled to appear before the Planning Board on Jan. 10, the team was granted another extension in the days prior, since there had yet to be  a resolution.

The project was granted final approval on Feb. 14, having finally resolved the deed, which according to Cliff Gajtkowski had an easement built into it for the 8-acre property at 1912 Portland Road. The current deed holders have since amended the terms in order for the project to proceed.

“That was a trial,” Cliff Gatjkowski said with a laugh. “We’re glad that’s over.”

The Gatjkowskis are now working to ensure that the miniature golf course comes to fruition, complete with the most highly anticipated addition: animatronic dinosaurs.

The team has ordered the moving dinosaurs from Zigong My Dinosaurs Culture and Arts Company, based in China. Obtaining the dinosaurs is a collaborative process, with the Gajtkowskis paying a 50 percent deposit and receiving progress pictures regularly.

“We get to see them build the frame, and then watch them take shape,” Cliff Gatjkowski said. “As long as we’re happy with them, they keep going.”

The Raptor Falls course will house a brachiosaurus, a tyrannosaurus-rex, a velociraptor, a megalosaurus, an allosaurus, and a triceratops with two baby triceratops. The dinosaurs are large scale as well, with the brachiosaurus measuring 20-feet tall and the tyrannosaurus rex measuring 35-feet long.

There will also be a smaller tyrannosaurus-rex, complete with a saddle, for park attendees to take photos on.

All dinosaurs will be animatronic, a moving feature unlike anything found locally.

“We’re really excited to see this all come together,” Cliff Gajtkowski said.

The team has worked closely with Castle Golf, a miniature golf course design firm in Arizona, to ensure that the dinosaur theme will continue through the park, down to the shape of some of the holes, which will include one shaped like a dinosaur and another shaped like a large dinosaur footprint.

As construction is now underway, both Cliff and Bree Gajtkowski admit to some nerves accompanying this new phase.

“We have some anxiety over the little things, vendors and stuff like that,” Bree Gajtkowski said. “But overall we’re really excited.”

“It’s pretty surreal to see something we’ve dreamed of and planned for so long start to take shape,” Cliff Gajtkowski said.

Barring unforeseen complications, Raptor Falls will open mid-July.

Contact Staff Writer Abigail Worthing at news@kennebunkpost.com.