Construction for the first phase of renovations planned for BREC’s Baton Rouge Zoo and Greenwood Park is expected to start this fall, according to park officials.
Mobilization, site work and some selective demolition at both sites will start in September, says director of communications Cheryl Michelet. Park officials had expected construction would either start in late summer or early fall, she says. The pandemic and its related closures have not impacted the timeline for the project nor how it will be funded.
The first phase of the zoo renovation is expected to wrap up by early 2022 and will address areas that must be updated for the zoo to regain its accreditation. The first phase is slated to cost somewhere between $25 million and $35 million and will be funded entirely by BREC. Wilson told Daily Report last year that $5 million will be allocated from the Imagine Your Parks 2 strategic plan approved in 2014, and the remaining balance will be funded through savings.
Among the first phase plans is a new $2 million giraffe exhibit, which will allow the public to feed the animals, as well as an underwater exhibit for pygmy hippos. Several million dollars will also be spent on a new parking lot, road improvements and relocating the zoo entrance.
Overall, Michelet does not expect the coronavirus to have a severe impact on BREC’s budget. While revenues are down because the agency has been unable to reopen certain aquatic areas and recreational programs, she says it has been leaning on its $6 million emergency fund.
“We have the emergency fund in place for emergencies like this one and so far we’ve been able to make the adjustments we’ve needed to make,” Michelet says. “During this time, the virus has highlighted the importance of parks and green spaces for the community. We never closed them, and we’ve seen a big increase in usage at those spaces.”
