via flickr/sorenwolf
The zoo's long-term future plan includes a habitat for Giant Pandas, though zoo leaders admit hosting the endangered species is "a long shot."
When it comes to the future, the Saint Louis Zoo is dreaming big.
Zoo leaders released a draft plan Wednesday for a $500 million, 20- to 30-year redevelopment and expansion that would overhaul the southern half of the park’s 93-acre campus and transform the now almost-empty Forest Park Hospital site the zoo purchased in 2012.
Proposals include a Zoo-themed hotel and restaurant with views of the lions, a gondola and bridge connecting the two sites across Interstate 64, tall platforms for feeding giraffes, a mesh flight cage that would be the largest aviary in the U.S., a dog park, a farmer’s market, and even a home for endangered Giant Panda bears.
See also: How a Saint Louis Zoo Researcher Is Saving Zebras, Foxes, and Wolves
Whether these plans become a reality depend on a confluence of factors, especially a proposed sales tax increase to fund much-needed maintenance and a new conservation breeding site for dwindling animal species. For now, the proposals are exciting visions for the long term future of what’s already one of St. Louis’ most popular and celebrated cultural attractions.
Saint Louis Zoo
An artist rendering of the gondolas proposed for the Saint Louis Zoo, which the plan's executive summary calls "an attraction within itself."
"We are excited about this plan because not only will expansion of the Zoo's footprint enhance the Zoo visitor's experience, it will also significantly improve the site to the benefit of nearby communities, the city and region," said Jeffrey P. Bonner, president and CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo.
Over years of planning, zoo officials have developed what they call a “baseline” to guide new construction and renovation at the Forest Park attraction. The report, detailed Wednesday by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, includes plans ranging from basic construction, such as new parking structures and an expanded veterinary center, to groundbreaking new experiences, such as a cove where visitors can wade among stingrays, a rooftop garden, and giant plastic bubbles to shield visitors from bad weather.
One big dream is to host giant pandas in a habitat that would also house snow leopards, takin, and red pandas, though zoo vice president David McGuire calls that “a long shot.”
“We’re trying to be aspirational,” McGuire told the Post-Dispatch. Of the 2,000 giant pandas left on the planet, only about 300 live in zoos and breeding centers, mostly in China.
Contact Lindsay Toler by an email at LToler@stlmag.com or on Twitter @StLouisLindsay. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated from an earlier version.
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