new vision, new experiences A Conceptual Facility & Site Planning Report for a
New Baton Rouge Zoo
Executive Summary
Conservation. Education. Community Engagement.
Long the hallmarks of any good zoo, a mission of conservation,
education, and community engagement is carefully woven into exciting
visitor experiences that also serve as enjoyable recreational opportunities
for families, school groups, residents and tourists. Zoos today are critical
centers of community life in so many ways, offering visitors the
opportunity to interact with wildlife and nature, enhance their wellness
through active play, explore the local heritage, and celebrate special
events. The most successful zoos are also seeking meaningful ways to
collaborate with other local organizations and venues to positively impact
and leverage the value of the cultural, educational and recreational
offerings of a city/region for residents and visitors alike.
This mission is no different for the Baton Rouge Zoo (the Zoo). At the
current time, however, the Zoo finds itself at a crossroads: make
significant changes to provide for the ongoing wellbeing of the animals;
make necessary infrastructure improvements; maintain the safety of the
visitors and staff; update exhibits and amenities to meet today’s
standards and expectations; and provide unique and interactive
experiences that will keep visitors engaged and wanting to return. The
critical planning issue is whether the Zoo should make these significant
investments at its existing site, or take the opportunity at hand to explore
the option of transforming the Zoo experience at a new site that will offer
advantages not available at the current site.
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The Zoo must begin the process of change through self-assessment and
community connection. It must dig into the hard work of identifying
weaknesses and analyzing choices; engage the community in decision-
making discussions; model fiscal responsibility through careful
stewardship of public and private investments; generate buzz, goodwill,
and genuine excitement at the prospect of a true transformation; and
demonstrate real leadership in the pursuit of creating a vital community
asset for the entire nine-parish community of greater Baton Rouge.
It’s not always easy to talk about big changes, let alone actually make
them. What is driving the thinking and work on this project is the
strong desire to make the best decisions for the greater good – the
greater good of the animals and staff; of the visitors and tourists; of
the taxpayers and residents of East Baton Rouge Parish; and of the
nine-parish Baton Rouge metro area.
The Baton Rouge Zoo has the opportunity right now to take a bold leap.
To reject the notion that good enough is good enough.
To accept and, in fact, welcome the challenge to define what a dynamic,
educational, entertaining, and exciting zoo experience should be by reinventing
itself.
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Though the Zoo is at its core a conservation organization, in order to
survive and thrive it can and should play a much larger role for the East
Baton Rouge Parish and the entire region. The Zoo has the potential to
significantly impact the entire community while advancing its mission,
serving as:
As the Zoo carefully considers the feasibility of realizing its bold vision, we
have benefitted from resources already developed by the Parish, such as
economic planning and population trend studies. Other information and
studies, such as the BREC’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, FuturEBR’s
Vision for East Baton Rouge Parish, Visit Baton Rouge strategic plan, and
Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s CityStats reports and Master Plan for the
Baton Rouge Health District, have also provided valuble information that
greatly informs our decision-making process and builds our confidence for
change. We are excited to share resources, reduce duplicative efforts,
and engage in win-win scenarios whenever possible.
A living classroom to invigorate lesson plans and inspire lifelong
learning.
A valued partner for other cultural and community
organizations.
A destination for tourists and conventioneers, supporting Baton Rouge's economic development.
A fun, safe, active family adventure promoting mental and physical
wellness that connects people to wildlife and conservation.
Throughout the planning to-date, the Zoo has focused on defining how it can provide the best
and highest use of its community and economic impacts to the broadest and largest audience
while simultaneously offering the most positive impact on our Parish.
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The Friends of the Baton Rouge Zoo engaged Schultz & Williams and
CLR Design, experts in zoo funding, operations, planning and design, to
conduct a thorough conceptual facility and site planning study. Guiding
this feasibility study, Schultz & Williams worked with Zoo staff to create a
new vision for the Baton Rouge Zoo – a vision that reinvents the Zoo
experience for the Parish.
An inventory of site options including the current site and approximately
eight locations within the Parish was undertaken. We worked together to
evaluate each site’s physical layout and economic potential based on
surrounding economic development (current and planned for the future),
population density, fundability of needed investment, proximity of
partners, accessibility, and visibility.
In most cases the cost to build would be one of the primary considerations in
a study like this. However, in this case, the cost to build is not different
whether the transformation occurs at the existing site or at a new site due to
the significant infrastructure and deferred maintenance issues at the existing
site compared to the suitability of the other two sites under assessment.
Our planning process focused in on answering the following strategic
questions related to executing the new vision and evaluating the criteria
for success at each site:
1. Is there land available to
execute the new vision and new experiences?
2. Could funding be secured to implement the
vision?
3. Once built, is the new vision sustainable?
4. Is there political leadership and willingness to make the vision a
reality?
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The answer to question one is: Yes.
The list of potential sites was then narrowed down to three sites within the East
Baton Rouge Parish: Current Zoo site at Greenwood Park, Nicholson Corridor, and
Airline Highway Park Site.
It is important to note that the Zoo will continue to evaluate both the currently identified
sites as well as any new site options that may emerge from future conversations.
Is there land available to execute the new vision and new experiences?
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As each of these prospects is feasible from a site perspective (enough acreage and suitable for
building out), the key decisions then rely on the answers to the next two strategic questions:
Based on our feasibility study findings, prospective individual, corporate and foundation
donors, who are community stakeholders, have expressed pessimism about the Greenwood
site, indicating that they would be less likely to give (or give as much) to the Zoo if it were to
be re-imagined at the current site. Without strong financial support and the community’s
loyal backing, the Zoo will not be able to generate the required funding for the necessary
capital facility investments in a timely manner. This would also affect the Zoo’s ability to
raise the ongoing annual support required to meet its budgetary needs.
Key Factor: If private support is limited, the Zoo would have to look for additional public
support (BREC) to meet the capital investment and operating budget
shortfall. At the identified new sites, prospective donors, supporters and
community leaders have offered a strong willingness to support the new
vision in a new location.
Could funding be secured to implement the vision?
Nicholson
Corridor Zone
Airline Highway
Park Site
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A sustainable and viable future for the Baton Rouge Zoo is dependent on the Zoo’s ability to
generate earned revenue and to maintain strong public and private funding streams on an
annual, ongoing basis. Attendance projections for the two proposed new sites as opposed to the
existing site are quite different (500,000+ annual visitors versus an optimistic 375,000 visitors).
This differential will greatly impact operating revenues and is due to several factors:
Proximity to larger populations and areas of expected population growth;
Proximity to strategic partners who already have a visitor base/ core audience and with whom collaborative programs can be developed; and
Proximity to major tourist routes that would attract more potential visitors driving through Baton Rouge.
Once built, is the new vision sustainable?
Nicholson
Corridor Zone
Airline
Highway
Park Site
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At a new site location, the ability to partner with other organizations
creates opportunities the Zoo simply cannot replicate on its own and
these opportunities will lead to a win-win situation for the Zoo and Parish:
Finally, the larger potential audience will also increase awareness and
recognition of the Zoo as a community asset, making ongoing funding –
both public and private – a less challenging prospect.
The question that remains unanswered is the fourth one:
This question is really for the leadership of the East Baton Rouge Parish
to answer as it reflects on the needs and opportunities for the community.
attracts more visitors
raises awareness
develops engaging
programming
becomes an economic
driver in EBR
advances mission
New Vision,
New Experiences,
New Baton Rouge Zoo
Is there political leadership and willingness to make the vision a reality?
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As this dialogue continues taking shape, it is our strong belief and
recommendation that the Zoo should take advantage of this opportunity to
embrace change and position itself for a dynamic, sustainable future.
The existing site is not fully capable of capitalizing on all of the opportunities made
available with the Zoo’s new vision. For that reason, at this time we believe the Zoo should
eliminate the existing site as a possibility for the newly imagined Zoo and instead look to
the community for how Greenwood Community Park could be enhanced to best serve their
needs and expectations.
Consideration of the two remaining sites should continue with additional
planning, feasibility studies and community conversations. BREC and the
Zoo leadership is still open to exploring other additional sites that may
become available or that are brought to their attention.
While undertaking the hard work required by this bold initiative, BREC
should remain focused on making the most of this opportunity to embrace
change and position the Zoo for a dynamic, sustainable future. The Zoo
has untapped potential to play a larger role for the East Baton Rouge
Parish and the entire region while advancing its mission. We are excited
by the possibilities ahead for the Baton Rouge Zoo and are eager to see
this initiative move forward.