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Zoo Atlanta Zoo Atlanta to get a makeover

Discussion in 'United States' started by kiang, 7 Aug 2008.

  1. kiang

    kiang Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    The zoo is about to embark on a multi million dollar transformation, to bring visitor numbers up to 1 million visitors a year.
    Highlights include an extension to the African elephant enclosure
    A new hippo enclosure complete with underwater viewing
    and exhibits for new species such as cougar, black bear, manatee and bonobo.
    Zoo Atlanta makeover could cost $100M-$200M - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
     
  2. mstickmanp

    mstickmanp Well-Known Member

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    I hope this new master plan finally puts Zoo Atlanta in the top ten in the US.
     
  3. snowleopard

    snowleopard Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

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    I'm sure that many of you have read my recent review of Zoo Atlanta on the "Snowleopard's epic road trip" thread. I pointed out that the zoo was small, and after giant pandas, gorillas and orangutans the collection is a little sparse. I would love to see this little zoo undergo a massive renovation, but can it come up with the enormous amount of cash that will be required?
     
  4. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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    There's a lot of money in Atlanta...I mentioned this plan earlier in the zoo atlanta thread. It seems that the zoo has bold plans to compete/complement the aquarium hippos, bonobos, native georgia fauna, and manatees! It appears that Torre Design will be designing the masterplan, they have done great work in zoos (ie Audubon), but their designs are rather conformed...many of their exhibits are quite similarly built. And they rarely seem to think outside of their box of original designs. Much of their work in other zoos are very similar to each other: for example Audubon & Tampa & Memphis; Norfolk & Peoria.
     
  5. okapikpr

    okapikpr Well-Known Member

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  6. snowleopard

    snowleopard Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

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    Zoo Atlanta's reptile house already has an impressive collection, but in a sadly outdated facility. A $14 million replacement building will mean that yet again a zoo located in one of the southern States in the U.S. will have a fantastic reptile house. However, the new MOLA at the Fort Worth Zoo might still have the crown as the # 1 reptile/amphibian collection in North America when it opens in a month or two.
     
  7. Zooplantman

    Zooplantman Well-Known Member

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  8. Zooplantman

    Zooplantman Well-Known Member

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  9. fkalltheway

    fkalltheway Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Here's a link to a video showing renderings of the new entrance area.
    http://youtu.be/F4nuighT76M

    Based on the site plan at the end of the video, it looks like the new elephant exhibit will allow the zoo to possibly mix elephants with other species, and provide space to house bull elephants. Rhinos seem to be in the current elephant exhibit, flamingos may still be in place, the parakeet aviary and possibly warthog and meerkat exhibits seem like they will be removed or displaced by the new exhibits.
     
  10. tigris115

    tigris115 Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Is there a map of this master plan
     
  11. pscommodore2006

    pscommodore2006 Member

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    Are you referring to a map of the 2008 master plan or the savanna exhibit expansion?

    A map of the 2008 master plan can be found here:

    http://www.t-dcl.com/public/images/projects/compressed/Atlanta_Masterplan_w_titles_1100.jpg

    However, this may now be quite out of date. This was developed before the City of Atlanta donated the Cyclorama property to the zoo and the decision was made to renovate the zoo's current entrance. The 2008 master plan called for moving the entrance to the other side of the zoo (adjoining the Boulevard parking lot), whereas now the entrance will remain at the Cherokee parking lot. The old master plan also relocated the African savanna exhibit to the current children's zoo area. I imagine this will also be changed given that the current savanna exhibit is being expanded behind the Cyclorama. I know that a new master plan has been proposed, but I haven't seen it.

    If you want to see a map of the Cyclorama and expanded savanna project, there is one here:

    Ursa International • Cyclorama

    If you're wondering where this would fit on the 2008 master plan, it would roughly be between the areas marked "Event Lodge" and "Bird Complex".
     
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