BREC will hold its final public meeting tonight on a controversial plan to move the Baton Rouge Zoo before voting next week on whether to move forward with the proposal.
Opponents of the move, who have held several gatherings of their own in recent months, will continue rallying support in the coming weeks for maintaining the zoo at its current location, holding their final meeting before the Aug. 24 vote.
The BREC Commission vote will determine whether BREC Superintendent Carolyn McKnight can take the first step toward moving the zoo: finding a suitable location for it. Commissioners have been quiet about their feelings on the vote, with several saying they wanted to wait until the process is over to publicly take a position.
But some of those against the move—an unconventional alliance of north Baton Rouge leaders, conservatives from south Baton Rouge and others—say they feel the tenor of the conversation has changed since BREC Superintendent Carolyn McKnight unveiled the proposal more than two years ago.
“I think the BREC officials have been worn down by the barrage of us coming to them a little bit,” says Coleman Brown, who has helped rally opponents of the move. “I think they’ve softened a little bit. I hope they have.”
Councilwoman Chauna Banks, an outspoken opponent of the zoo move, says she and others have met with seven of the nine BREC Commissioners and given their side of the story. “At least half” of those commissioners indicated BREC would have to make a compelling case for moving the zoo, a sentiment Banks called “encouraging.”
“I think that we have made a very impactful and significant difference just in educating the community in the facts surrounding the zoo,” Banks says.
Meanwhile, BREC spokeswoman Cheryl Michelet says the agency’s leaders remain “firm in their position.”
“The proposal to reimagine Greenwood and create the first regional park in the BREC system is the best solution to revitalize the area and bring in visitors who will contribute to the local economy,” she says.
Michelet notes a mix of opinions have been expressed at public meetings, but notes that opponents, while “passionate,” have not disputed the professional recommendations of consultants who helped develop the plan.
A proposal to move the zoo from its current location has come under fire from those who want north Baton Rouge to retain a key cultural attraction, as well as those who see the $150 million price tag as far too costly, among others. Those in favor of relocation say the current zoo is dying from a lack of exposure and would benefit more parish residents in a more high-profile and accessible location.
The $150 million price tag includes $110 million for swapping the zoo and $40 million for a complete renovation of the existing site at Greenwood Regional Park.
“I think if the zoo stays where it is, I don’t think it has a bright future,” says BREC Commissioner David Tatman. “I also don’t know if the taxpayers of Baton Rouge are willing to support additional taxes to build a new zoo. … It’s a tough position to be in to have to make this decision.”
Read a recent Business Report cover story on BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo.
—Sam Karlin
