While compliments for the proposed renovations to the Baton Rouge Zoo were abundant on Saturday for the unveiling of BREC’s master plan, little attention was given to actually paying for the renovations to the zoo.
The first phase, set to begin next summer and finish by early 2022, will address areas needed for the zoo to regain its accreditation and is estimated to cost somewhere between $25 million and $35 million. However, just five days prior at Press Club, BREC Superintendent Corey Wilson estimated the project would cost $30 million to $40 million. These dollar amounts do not include proposed upgrades to the surrounding Greenwood Park.
A new $2 million giraffe exhibit is planned, allowing the public to feed the animals, as well as an underwater exhibit for pygmy hippos. Several million dollars will also be spent on relocating the entrance of the zoo, a new parking lot and road improvements.
BREC intends to pay for the entirety of the first phase themselves, Wilson says, using $5 million allocated from the Imagine Your Parks 2 strategic plan approved by voters in 2014 and savings to cover the remaining balance.
Mayor Sharon Weston Broome said on Saturday that “this zoo is going to be on the map of the United States of America,” while one of the designers for Sasaki, the firm selected to design the master plan, called the future zoo a “world-class facility.” Although it’s unclear how much the total 30-year master plan will cost. No cost estimate was given for any phase of construction besides the first.
Funding sources for the following phases, expected to start in 2024, are not ironed out. By funding the first phase themselves, Wilson hopes the public, philanthropists and businesses will be excited about the project and will “knock on (BREC’s) doors wanting to participate.” He also says by that time, BREC will be in the habit of improving the property periodically, which will help soften the blow for fundraising.
He also plans to apply for federal dollars to help fund the upgrades. A lot of the master plan involves water, he says, with the plans including a stormwater pond to help reduce flooding, so he’ll also look to the state, federal agencies and the Army Corps of Engineers for flood mitigation money.
