Mother builds Florida's longest ADA-compliant zipline to honor son
Jordan Klausner was a daredevil.
“He would be the one to jump off the rooftop,” said his mother, Casey Glant.
She remembers taking her son to Disney, where he would laugh so hard on the rides that his face would turn blue.
Jordan was a “fun-loving kind of person,” she said, despite all odds.
He was born with cerebral palsy, a brain disorder that affects movement, and passed away when he was just 4.
Florida’s Longest ADA-Compliant Zipline
That’s what inspired Glant to build Florida’s longest, 494-foot ADA-compliant zipline, called “Jordan’s Jamboree.”
With an all-terrain power chair and motorized lift, wheelchair riders who are 4 feet to 7 feet tall, weigh 70 pounds to 270 pounds and are capable of upper-body control can ride Jordan’s line.
Zip! at Haile Quarry features six available lines, including the one dedicated to Jordan, as well as the Double Dragon, Florida’s longest zipline, which measures 1,303 feet in length.
The project cost around $5.3 million to build and was executed by Spain Development LLC, owned by Karl Spain, Glant’s fiancé. The company then found investors to support the project, according to Glant.
Location & Inspiration
The park is located in Newberry, less than 30 minutes away from Gainesville.
Although Glant is grateful that there are accessible activities for those with disabilities, such as the playground at Gainesville’s Kiwanis Challenge Park, she wanted to create something more.
“Jordan’s spirit was different,” she said. “To him, that was so lame.”
Five Years in the Making
The project has been five years in the making and has taken numerous twists and turns.
“We really did not anticipate the complexity that this project involved,” Glant said.
Between an 18-month-long environmental study required by Alachua County, a months-long wait for a disability waiver from the state, and a slew of permits and contracts, the building process was far from easy.
Almost Ready to Fly
The park doesn’t have an official opening date yet, according to manager Anna Carter.
But it shouldn’t be long. Zip! only needs two more inspections until it’s free to fly: the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Fair Rides Inspection and the city’s occupancy permit inspection.
“If they say we’re all good, then we can pretty much open,” Carter said.
Reservations & Pricing
Though the park’s opening date is still unclear, it has started taking reservations.
Full-day pass: 6 lines for $115
Half-day pass: 3 lines for $65
Jordan’s Jamboree only: $35
More Than a Zipline
Carter says when she refers people with questions about Jordan’s line to Glant, she’s reminded of why they’re doing this.
“It’s a heart project,” Carter said.
Glant said she can’t predict how people will react, but she’s grateful to be able to give those with disabilities the chance to experience the park.
She’s also happy her son can be remembered and honored.
“His life was not in vain,” she said.
And she knows he would have loved riding Jordan’s Jamboree.
“I can just picture him smiling from ear to ear,” she said.
Sources
Casey Glant: 352-215-3248
Anna Carter: 240-520-7413