Jackson Zoo could see changes, but plans are vague for now
By Molly Minta | Originally published by Mississippi Today
City officials announced their desire to scale back the Jackson Zoo amid plans to seek developers for the long-ailing property in west Jackson.
“What we want to do is evaluate the animals,” said Chief Administrative Officer Pieter Teeuwissen at a Friday press conference outside the mostly desolate zoo. “I will let the public know chimpanzees are a lot more expensive than ostriches.”
The plans could include repurposing exhibits or switching up some of the zoo’s dozens of animals for ones that require less space or expense. Take, for instance, the Zoo’s elephant house, an architecturally notable structure.
“It can be a historic elephant house and maybe we can use it for something else,” Teeuwissen said.
Before nailing down final plans, Teeuwissen said the administration is waiting for responses to a request for information it is planning to release later next month. In March, Mayor John Hohrn announced the city would seek developers for the property encompassing the Zoo and nearby Livingston Park.
“We’d like to return it to the top attraction in the state, and we think it can be an economic driver for west Jackson,” Horhn said at the time.
In the meantime, the city has been working to spruce up the zoo and the nearby neighborhood, officials said. Improvements include fixing pricey water leaks in some of the zoo’s exhibits, repaving Capitol Street and demolishing nearby dilapidated houses.
“The city of Jackson is proud of where the zoo is,” Teeuwissen said. “We want to make that clear.”
The zoo’s troubles date back more than a decade. In 2016, the zoo gave up its accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums due to financial concerns, preventing it from participating in certain breeding programs.
“I watched a bunch of children run around here and they didn’t ask the animals about accreditation,” Teeuwissen said, recalling recent activity.
Councilman Vernon Hartley, who represents the ward that includes the zoo, said he thought COVID was also to blame for the zoo’s decline in visitors.
But he’s hyped for its future: Hartley showed a picture on his phone featuring a rendering of a pavilion the city hopes to build next to the lake at Livingston Park. He thinks it could be the backdrop for weddings or other special occasions.
“Maybe even $5,000 per event,” he said.
Hartley added the city has drafted a memorandum of understanding with the Zoo Area Progressive Partnership, a community organization focused on revitalizing the surrounding neighborhood, to start fundraising to support operations.
Dave Wetzel, the zoo’s deputy director, said donations will go a long way to helping the zoo compete for exciting animals. Currently, Wetzel must have the City Council sign off on any purchases – by that time, another zoo with deeper, more flexible pockets has already nabbed the animal.
“Atlanta may be getting giant pandas again,” he said. “Good for them. Should we ever have that opportunity, we’re looking at $10 to $20 million for that exhibit.”
This article was originally published by Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Source: Original Article
