It has been a challenging process, as one would imagine, to take a church that is more than 100 years old, and had been vacant for 15 years, and transform it into a place kids can challenge themselves physically, mentally and socially. The inspiration came from an outdoor activity park in Italy, near where Giulia is from. A few years back, her children, who at the time were ages 10 and 6, had an amazing experience and could not wait to tell her all about it.
"They said, 'We have done the most amazing thing. We were climbing on ropes, and drawbridges and zip lines. it was fantastic.' I needed to see that. I went back and I was astounded," recalls Giulia.
She took pictures and videos and sent them to her husband. She also spoke with teachers who organized field trips to the park to get an educational perspective. Each platform had a different challenge the kids had to overcome. The skills, determination and sense of accomplishment she witnessed, even with her youngest child, made this seem like a dream worth pursuing, in Homestead.
From that point the dream involved bringing the designers of the Italian facility to Pittsburgh to specially design the course at St. Mary's. Giulia and Bill sat at their dining room table with the European designers and painstakingly thought out each aspect of the Dragon's Den, which takes its name from the mascot of the former St. Mary Magdalene School.
Due to the uniqueness of the project, many firms were interested in building this indoor course, but Giulia says, unfortunately, they did not follow through. That is when she and her husband decided to keep the project in the family, which includes the Dragon's Den Board of Directors, and build it themselves.
"We wanted to have the designers back. They have a ton of experience and they can tell us exactly how to do it, how it's done," and between January 4 and the middle of February, Giulia's idea started to come to life, before her eyes. "It was a fantastic 40 days," she recalls.
The two month period came with many challenges. Getting the 25 feet poles in the building was the easy part, anchoring them to the walls, another story. Because of the safety issues involved, excessive time is being taken to make sure things are done properly. Each aspect of the rope course had to be approved by a structural engineer from the Department of Agriculture. But as of right now, a two week period in April is all that is needed to complete the second level of the course and move closer to opening. All the pieces are precut and with the poles already being anchored to the walls, the assembly time will be a lot less than the first level.
In the meantime, work is happening behind the scenes as well to expand the board of directors to include individuals with a local connection. Within the next couple weeks, the nine person board will increase to thirteen, four of whom have ties to the Steel Valley area.
Treasurer Lisa Earle explains why the expansion is necessary. "Not only to get the word out but to help us adjust and tailor what we are going to be doing - the other programs later on and things like that." Giulia adds, "We are doing this for the community and you need to know the community you are going to help."
Many on the board have experience with non-profits and foundations and have been trying to encourage support of the Homestead project. Giulia says the idea is to be something the community can really take advantage of. "We have a place and a lot of non profits and schools have programs, but do not have a place. We really plan to partner with non profits to have even more to offer these children."
The vision is for the Dragon's Den to be open to the public a few nights a week and during weekends and then to serve as a field trip destination. Schools will be able to utilize the space and be provided a customized experience tailored just for them and the kids they are serving. For the local community, the facility will be a place for kids after school who may not be a traditional athlete, whose parents are working and may not have a place to go.
Kids will be able to chose their challenge level and progress each time they visit. The experience will also incorporate the unique architecture (brickwork, archways, terracotta medallions) of the Italian Renaissance style church, which is certified by the National Register of Historic Buildings. Bill says, "Someone that goes to church - those details are 25 to 30 feet away. These kids are going to be right up against this."
The slow process of the project does come with some limitations. Foundations are slow to back something, which is not yet up and running. Although Giulia says many groups and individuals have been generous in donating to the effort so far, more funds are needed. Once the course is built, many new expenses come to light: harnesses, helmets, staff and insurance.
"I'm sure the community is thinking 'when are they going to open?', but it is the same feeling for us. We just want to open and start making a difference because that's the reason why we started this huge project," explains Giulia."There are lots of people who are really connected to this place and can't wait to see those doors open, but we need help (additional funds) to see this through."
For more information on the Dragon's Den visit dragonsdenpgh.org.
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