DALLAS — The Dallas Zoo presented a $100 million capital improvement plan to Dallas City Council on Monday, highlighting a number of improvements to the facility.
Dallas residents will vote whether to support a $1.25 billion bond referendum in May, which will include funding for $30 million for the Dallas Zoo's improvements, with the rest of the money being raised by the zoo itself from various sources.
A presentation from the zoo to the city highlights that the focus of the capital campaign is discovering wildlife, inspiring generations and connecting communities. That includes reactivating 15 acres of land on the zoo into a safari trail, adding an elephant great room, and a new parking garage.
The safari trail would be the new home for 24 species and allow rhinos to return to the Dallas Zoo, and would also be the only zoo in the U.S. with a rhino and cheetah mixed species habitat.
The elephant great room would be a climate-controlled indoor space with freedom for multi-generational family herds of elephants to move in and out.
Another project that would be funded by the plan is a Wild Earth Discovery Center, which would be the only full-time nature-based preschool in North Texas, featuring classroom space, an auditorium, an outdoor classroom and orientation space for field trips.
The south parking garage would add an additional 580 parking spaces to the zoo and new pedestrian connections to the zoo, as well as Southern Gateway Park.
In the last year, after numerous incidents, the Dallas Zoo has invested more than $1.1 million in security upgrades, and the bond request would continue supporting that investment.