An interesting article on the closing of Berlins iconic Tempelhof airport, so what you say, but at the end of this BBC article there is mention amongst other ideas of a zoo being built on the site. And what a site it is the terminal building would have to be preserved, but it is massive and spectacular, being an airport there would be 100's of acres to use here of flat land, a blank canvas. Could one of the city zoos be on the move? BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Auf Wiedersehen, Tempelhof
Well, I love zoos and all, but this option is really a totally unrealistic one. Those informed on German zoos know that the Berlin Municipality has been pulling strings over the last few years to look for spending cuts in the Berlin zoos' budget (and even talk of shutting Berlin Tierpark at one point). Their current policy is to have no duplication in animal and plant collections at either facility and so several species have left either zoo for others within Germany. A third zoo would just be a killing ... joke!
How about non or limited public conservation center. Maintaining large numbers of a few species or would the property be better suited for economic development? Or restore the land and maintain a conservation/outdoor recreation park?
Tempelhof is at the southern central end within Berlin suburbia (in NeuKoeln). Unfortunately, a significant main road (Columbiadamm) cuts right through the Airport and the city park (Volkspark Hassheide) to the north. Whereas the notion of a large city park sounds imaginative. Just imagine the London Nature Garden as an obvious example. I wonder whether this idea can be put to practice at all. Perhaps some of our German forumsters with intricate knowledge of Berlin Sued may be able to give more informed comment on this!
In my opinion space is no problem for Berlin's zoos. The Tierpark has plenty of free space left and as jelle already mentioned money is even limited for maintaining the existent facilities. Apart from that I suppose that the authorities will try to get the biggest benefits possible from using the Tempelhof area. A huge new housing area at a good site in the city would certainly be more profitable than a conservation center.
