[Eric]

A New Location For The Sacramento Zoo?

Quote

The Sacramento Zoo wants to expand, but they may not have the room. Now, the Zoo is looking beyond its borders for future projects.

The Sacramento Zoo has been improving as much as they possibly can at their current location. That includes a new giraffe exhibit that will break ground soon. One thing they can’t improve on is parking within the 14 acre park.

For the last 80 years, the Sacramento Zoo has been a place to bask in the sun for both animals and families.

Although Mary Healy, the Executive Director of the Zoo says they’re fully committed to improving at their current location, growth is inevitable.

“The challenge here in Land Park is that we really can’t grow. We’re landlocked and don’t have the space,” says Healy.

Space that she says, could be used to benefit not only that animals, but the families that go to the zoo.

“Our dream for the new zoo is much more than just a bigger version of this. It would encompass classrooms, we’ll have conference meeting space, recreational activities, all themed around the animals,” says Healy.

The new zoo would cost about $60 million dollars to build from the ground up. The board of directors is in the early stages of talking about a move. They plan on staying in Land Park for the next 15-25 years.

http://cbs13.com/loc..._120205053.html

[attagirl]

I think that it is a good Idea, if they have no room in one area to relocate, or maybe they should see if there are properties around them they can buy.

[wburg]

The problem is that there aren't a lot of large properties for sale that are anywhere nearby...if they are 14 acres I imagine they would want at least a 20 acre space to expand into (if not larger) and land in the central city of that magnitude is pretty cost-prohibitive...other than the Curtis Park and downtown railyards areas, I can't imagine any place that would work.

Although Land Park itself would suffer without the zoo--what would go in its place? Part of the draw of the area is the combination of recreational uses in close proximity (Fairy Tale Town, the zoo, the park) and losing the biggest one would be a drain on the others.

[Mike]

Sorry, but nonsense.  The zoo could expand well into the park, or to the west beyond the unused railroad tracks right up the the edge of Riverside Bl.  The benefit to the Land Park neighborhood of having such an attractive neighbor as the zoo can't be calculated, and the benefit to the zoo of being tucked into a quiet corner of one of the city's nicest parks (in fact the nicest, period) is also very substantial.  Who could complain about parking near the zoo?  There are long blocks in all directions (except on Land Park Drive itself) with almost unlimited free street parking.  Take a little walk; it won't kill you.  You do walk around inside the zoo, right?  While this doesn't seem to be a hot topic, and my rant may be unnecessary, the loss of the zoo would be a terrible blow to Land Park and the Land Park neighborhood.