Zoo Atlanta

[megalopolis]

I was just wondering whatever happened with the idea of moving the Zoo to Lakewood Fairgrounds and I found this chain of AJC articles. What does everyone think about the decision to stay in Grant Park? It doesn't seem to me that there's much room for a world-class zoo there. It'd be awesome if Atlanta had one to match our world-class aquarium.



Zoo Atlanta may move to Lakewood Fairgrounds
Decision about Grant Park expected in the spring

By MARK DAVIS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 01/26/07

Zoo Atlanta, a mainstay at Grant Park for more than a century, may move to the old Lakewood Fairgrounds south of downtown, the zoo's top official said Friday. It also will embark on a multimillion-dollar fund-raising campaign to add more animals to its collection, he said.

The 120-acre site where bargain-hunters most recently prowled for antiques is more than triple the size of the zoo's 35-acre tract at Grant Park, said Dennis Kelly, Zoo Atlanta's president and chief executive officer. The site contains a floodplain and lake, which would make good exhibit space for some animals, he said.

If the zoo decides to remain at Grant Park, it likely will "reconfigure parking" — adding a parking deck is one possibility — to create more space for the zoo's animals, he said.

Zoo officials and consultants are working on a master plan that will recommend whether the zoo should move or remain at Grant Park, where it has been since 1889. It will be ready in the spring, Kelly said.

The zoo also is planning a campaign to raise between $150-$175 million from public and private sources over a 10-year period, Kelly said. "We've got to raise money, no matter what we do," he said.



Zoo or zydeco at Lakewood? Public gets say

By ADRIANNE MURCHISON
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 02/06/07

An expanded zoo and an amphitheater that caters to the neighborhood's musical tastes are some of the ideas to be discussed at a public meeting Tuesday night on redevelopment plans for the old Lakewood Fairgrounds.

Among those expected to speak are representatives from Zoo Atlanta.

Last month, Zoo Atlanta announced interest in moving the 118-year-old facility to the Lakewood site, where it could have room to expand. Since then, City Councilwoman Joyce Sheperd has received several telephone calls from residents who thought the zoo's move was imminent, but nothing has been decided, she said.

"For community-oriented residents, a zoo could be conducive to pulling the community together," she said.

"Based on residents' questions, I'm interested to know if the zoo can be compatible with the noise and traffic of the [HiFi Buys Amphitheatre]."

The zoo has hired a consulting firm to conduct a feasibility study on the move.

Representatives from the Atlanta Development Authority and Live Nation also are scheduled to speak at the 7 p.m. meeting.

Last July, concert promoter Live Nation, a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, bought House of Blues, which owned and operated Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre in Lakewood. According to Sheperd, Live Nation plans to overhaul the property and book more acts, such as jazz and R&B, that attract the local community.

"Over the years, the community didn't go to the concerts there," said Sheperd. "But [Live Nation] wants to offer a venue that the community embraces."

Community input is a major part of Lakewood's redevelopment plan, said Sheperd, who spearheaded the public meetings.

At the first meeting, held last November, residents suggested the redevelopment plan feature everything from a new music venue to a senior citizen recreational center. Many residents agreed the development should be family-oriented, not retail-oriented like Atlantic Station. They also expressed concern about neighborhood crime.

The Lakewood area is already being revitalized, as seen by the new and refurbished homes being built and the commercial developments going up. Sheperd expects the fairground redevelopment project to take about two years to complete.

The old fairgrounds is included in the Metropolitan Parkway Tax Allocation District, created to stimulate commercial growth. The Atlanta Development Authority would sell bonds to pay for improvements to the property in hopes of enticing developers, whose projects would increase the neighborhood's commercial tax base.

The district spans the commercial corridor north and south from Clair Drive to the Hapeville city limits and east and west along portions of Cleveland Avenue and Macon Drive to the East Point city limits.

The meeting will take place at Atlanta Technical College, Academic Complex auditorium, 1560 Metropolitan Parkway at 7 p.m.



Zoo Atlanta staying in Grant Park

By Mark Davis | Wednesday, February 28, 2007, 09:33 AM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Zoo Atlanta will remain in Grant Park and not move to the old fairgrounds at Lakewood, the zoo’s board chairman said today.

Instead, the zoo will redesign its current site and possibly add a few more acres from parking lots and a tract of city-owned land adjacent to the zoo, said Mickey Brown, who oversees the board.

Board members on Tuesday agreed to keep the zoo at Grant Park, its home since 1889.

Redesigning the zoo could cost as much as $175 million, Brown estimated.

Zoo officials, consultants and others had considered moving to Lakewood, south of downtown, so that the zoo could expand. After reviewing the site, they decided it wouldn’t be worth the money, Brown said.

Some also felt an attachment to the current site, where generations of people have come to gaze at gorillas, elephants and other creatures.

“I tried to keep my personal feelings to myself, but I told people from Day 1, If there’s any way we can keep the zoo at Grant Park, that what we ought to do,” Brown said.

The zoo has scheduled a press conference later today.



Zoo to stay put, but redesign may include parking deck

By MARK DAVIS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/01/07

In deciding not to leave Grant Park for the Lakewood fairgrounds, Zoo Atlanta officials have answered one question — and created scores more.

What would a reconfigured zoo look like? What would it cost, and who will pay for it?

And, perhaps the thorniest query of all: Will the zoo want a parking deck to accommodate more visitors? One park advocate already wonders if it's necessary.

Dennis Kelly, the zoo's president and chief executive officer, said Wednesday that the zoo will remain at Grant Park, its home for 118 years. Zoo officials want to redesign its 35-acre site to make more room for animals and visitors. The proposal could cost $175 million or more in public and private funds, Kelly said.

The zoo will begin working on a year-long master plan detailing how it should change, Kelly said in a conference call from Africa, where he's leading a photo safari in Kenya.

"We'll take a fresh look at everything," Kelly said. That look includes parking — and, perhaps, a deck.

In 2005, a plan to build a deck for the Atlanta Botanical Garden at Piedmont Park infuriated area residents.

A deck to serve the zoo, said Phil Cuthbertson, director of the Grant Park Nature Conservancy, "is not something we'd be happy with."

The zoo's directors met Tuesday afternoon and agreed that moving to Lakewood would be too expensive, said Mickey Brown, Zoo Atlanta's board chairman. They voted not to send a letter signifying their interest in Lakewood to the Atlanta Development Authority. The city agency is overseeing the former fairgrounds' redevelopment.

"I tried to keep my personal feelings to myself," said Brown, "but I told people from day one, if there's any way we can keep the zoo at Grant Park, that is what we ought to do."

City Council Member Carla Smith, whose district includes the zoo, cheered the decision.

"It's always been: What's best for the zoo?" she said. "I'm glad they're staying."

City Council Member Joyce Sheperd, who represents the Lakewood area, said she understood the directors' decision.

"Now," she said, "our question still is: What's best for the Lakewood fairgrounds?"

Officials last year asked themselves if the zoo, a Grant Park mainstay since 1889, ought to move to a larger place to keep pace with Atlanta's growing population. Aided by consultants, they focused on Lakewood, encompassing more than 100 acres. The city-owned plot, just south of downtown, most recently had hosted an antiques mart.

On paper, Kelly said, the site looked good: a tract three times larger than the current space, close to interstates and MARTA, with a lake and a floodplain that could accommodate some animals.

But two findings in a development authority study changed that perception.

First, Atlanta Public Schools uses 23 acres, meaning less land for zoo development. Second, Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheatre, which hosts concerts at Lakewood, controls more than 60 acres. The zoo, Kelly said, either would have to buy out the amphitheater lease or build on a site slightly smaller than its current one.

"It just didn't make sense for us to pursue that," Kelly said.

Yet staying at Grant Park means the zoo may revise its parking. At present, the zoo offers parking for about 800 vehicles on 13 acres of blacktop. In an earlier interview, Kelly said the zoo might convert some of that space to exhibit area and redesign the remaining parking area, possibly building a deck.

"I think we're one of the last venues in the city where parking is free," he said Wednesday.

When city officials several years ago proposed a deck at Piedmont Park, area neighbors' reactions were fast, furious, and, ultimately, futile. The Atlanta City Council approved building a six-story, pay-to-park deck in November 2005 to serve visitors to the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

The city may get a comparable response if zoo plans suggest building a deck at Grant Park, said Cuthbertson, whose organization oversees tree planting and other improvements in the park.

"If the city hopes to move to a more greenspace, quality-of-life situation, [a parking deck] clearly does not move us in the right direction," he said.

Keeping the zoo at Grant Park is right, said Sharon Milton of Lithonia. Wednesday morning, she and a handful of friends and children gazed at a zebra, its striped haunches twitching in the sun.

"It needs to stay here," she said, "but they need to upgrade it."

[ThrashATL]

Screw Lakewood too, bad spot. Ft. McPherson property would allow for a San Diego sized/quality zoo. A MARTA stop would allow the zoo to capture conventioneers from downtown and people on long layovers from the airport and Ft. McP has that.

[megalopolis]

Is McPherson still a possibility? If not, what was it ruled out?

[ThrashATL]

Is McPherson still a possibility? If not, what was it ruled out?

It's still open so anything is possible once it closes. At 488 acres, there's more than enough room for a world class zoo and anything else Atlanta needs to do with it. The golf course would be a ready made piece of land for a zoo leaving a monstrous piece along 85 for a commercial area.

[sprtsluvr8]

I'm pretty sure that Zoo Atlanta is already a world-class zoo. More acreage doesn't make a zoo better...it's the quality of the exhibits, the number of species, and the breeding/repopulation programs for endangered species. Zoo Atlanta has some excellent exhibits - the Giant Pandas, the Rain Forest Exhibit (including one of the largest primate collections in the world), the elephants, and several others; the zoo contains over 250 species; and is active in repopulation programs for several enadangered species. Zoo Atlanta was considered one of the worst city zoos in the nation in the early 80's, but has been greatly improved to become one of the best. It's also one of the oldest, founded in 1889 at it's present location.

[JiltedSnake]

I'm pretty sure that Zoo Atlanta is already a world-class zoo. More acreage doesn't make a zoo better...it's the quality of the exhibits, the number of species, and the breeding/repopulation programs for endangered species. Zoo Atlanta has some excellent exhibits - the Giant Pandas, the Rain Forest Exhibit (including one of the largest primate collections in the world), the elephants, and several others; the zoo contains over 250 species; and is active in repopulation programs for several enadangered species. Zoo Atlanta was considered one of the worst city zoos in the nation in the early 80's, but has been greatly improved to become one of the best. It's also one of the oldest, founded in 1889 at it's present location.

If all this is true (and I believe it to be, since your comments read like quotes from a brochure or a website), then, please explain why the Atlanta Zoo is laughed at when compared to other "national" zoos, and even most mid-sized zoos like the ones in Columbia, SC and NC.

I think a better location like McPherson would lend itself to higher attendance and better exhibits due to the fact it would be new with cutting edge exhibits, and not be a relic (like Zoo Atlanta circa 1889). . :notacrook:

[echinatl]

I went to the zoo for the first time a few months ago and was pretty disappointed. The panda exhibit actually made me feel really bad for the pandas.

[Teshadoh]

I loved Zoo Atlanta - we were season ticket holders in 2005 & would regularly walk over. But I would agree - more room would be nice.

[Fiorenza]

Keep the zoo and develop McPherson as a natural habitat observation area!

[sprtsluvr8]

If all this is true (and I believe it to be, since your comments read like quotes from a brochure or a website), then, please explain why the Atlanta Zoo is laughed at when compared to other "national" zoos, and even most mid-sized zoos like the ones in Columbia, SC and NC.

I think a better location like McPherson would lend itself to higher attendance and better exhibits due to the fact it would be new with cutting edge exhibits, and not be a relic (like Zoo Atlanta circa 1889). . :notacrook:

Laughed at by who...you? When you have some real information let me know...there is no need for me to comment further on nonsense.

[Andrea]

Laughed at by who...you? When you have some real information let me know...there is no need for me to comment further on nonsense.

People act like we're making all this stuff up about our town.

[TallTallScraperATL]

another option would be in the huge westside park being developed in the quarry.

[Tombstoner]

Zoo Atlanta is a good zoo. I think it's in a good location given its connection with the Cyclorama. It could stand to be spiffed up, but it doesn't have to be larger. Bigger won't make it better.

[JiltedSnake]

Laughed at by who...you? When you have some real information let me know...there is no need for me to comment further on nonsense.

DoughBoy, it's only an observation of how most first-time visitors feel about the crappy $hit we call a zoo in Atlanta. Compare Zoo Atlanta with DC's National Zoo or San Diego's zoo and you'd be embarassed to open your mudpit to defend what it obviously a poor example of a national zoo.

As an Atlantan, I can say without prejudice that everything in Atlanta is not great, and the zoo is a glaring example of underachievement. :yuck:

[ThrashATL]

The Zoo is a woeful embarrassment in a neighborhood it does not belong in. It is not world class nor does a new one have to be but it SHOULD befit the level of the city it occupies.

[sprtsluvr8]

I'm quite sure all of the harsh critics of Zoo Atlanta certainly have their annual memberships to show local support for vast improvements at their horrible zoo. Additional donations can be made at http://www.zooatlanta.org/home.htm
Hopefully those who feel that Zoo Atlanta is subpar have already been active in supporting the zoo financially in order to bring about changes.

I still have not seen any concrete evidence that Zoo Atlanta is horrible compared to other zoos around the country. Yes, if compared to D.C. and San Diego, two of the top zoos in the world, Atlanta would not compare as favorably. In this thread we've seen two or three opinions from people who probably haven't visited the zoo in years (if ever) and are bad-mouthing it with nothing to back up their claims.

[ATLaffinity]

on charity navigator, they give the zoo high marks for efficiently using donations but very low marks for growing and expanding the zoo.

ratings (http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3331)

for a city this size, our zoo is certainly an afterthought.

[sprtsluvr8]

on charity navigator, they give the zoo high marks for efficiently using donations but very low marks for growing and expanding the zoo.

ratings (http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3331)

for a city this size, our zoo is certainly an afterthought.

It's only an afterthought to people who aren't involved with the zoo and/or don't visit it regularly. I'm sure Zoo Atlanta gets low marks for growing and expanding - there is no room to grow or expand! I suggest anyone who feels so strongly that our zoo is a "woeful embarassment" get actively involved in making some changes. You may find out that it isn't such a bad zoo after all.

[sprtsluvr8]

DoughBoy, it's only an observation of how most first-time visitors feel about the crappy $hit we call a zoo in Atlanta. Compare Zoo Atlanta with DC's National Zoo or San Diego's zoo and you'd be embarassed to open your mudpit to defend what it obviously a poor example of a national zoo.

As an Atlantan, I can say without prejudice that everything in Atlanta is not great, and the zoo is a glaring example of underachievement. :yuck:

So you can provide statistics on how first-time visitors to Zoo Atlanta feel about the quality of the zoo? You are obviously speaking simply on your opinion or something you've heard, not on acutual information.

I've been to San Diego's and D.C.'s zoos - they are examples of the best zoos in the world. It's an awfully high standard to expect Zoo Atlanta to meet, considering it started as a traveling circus over a century ago. It's a good zoo - maybe not the very best or top notch - but certainly not an embarassment.

[Chris Creech]

I'm not sure if anyone else remembers back when the zoo was REALLY R-E-A-L-L-Y bad. There was actually a big national scandal and the city was pretty much embarrassed into completely revamping the zoo. The city actually considered closing the whole thing and selling off the animals, it was only through after setting up a public/private zoo assocation, and a massive, corporate and donor drive that it was saved.

The guy who ran the zoo only had the job because he was the vet for the mayor, they were having problems keeping the petting zoo stocked because employees kept taking animals home to cook for dinner, and the star attraction was Willie B. the Gorilla who sat in a small room all day watching TV.

If you think the zoo today is bad, belive me, it's 100X better than it was back then. It was one of the most delapidated, run-down, depressing places you could imagine. After all the scandals hit, it was also listed as one of the top-5 worst zoos in the country by the American Zoological Association. It was sort of the national poster child for "old school" zoos, with cramped sterile displays, stir crazy depressed animals, and no concern at all for education and conservation.

That said though, it is constrained with no expansion space, and though at the time it was completey rebuilt, it was designed as a state-of-art, progressive zoo, that' has been many years ago now. It seems like a move would give it a much needed shot in the arm.

Also, I've always argued that it would free up a nice chunk of land where Grant Park could finally be given a nice "village" development that it so sorely lacks.

[| BRAVO |]

I visited Zoo Atlanta once and was a little disappointed - not a lot disappointed. I remember being terribly confused trying to "find" the zoo as a guest in the city.

[sprtsluvr8]

I visited Zoo Atlanta once and was a little disappointed - not a lot disappointed. I remember being terribly confused trying to "find" the zoo as a guest in the city.

Isn't the zoo located just off of I-20 at the Boulevard exit? It's in Historic Grant Park, one of the city's largest parks...and, incidentally, almost a million people are able to find the zoo each year. The signs directing people to the zoo seem to be pretty clear, as do the directions on the website (which are essentially the same as in numerous publications around Atlanta):

Getting to the Zoo
Zoo Atlanta is located in historic Grant Park, minutes from downtown Atlanta and less than a mile from Turner Field - home of the Atlanta Braves.


Driving:
Off of Interstate 20, Take Exit 59A (Boulevard) and proceed south 0.5 mile. Park in the lots on Boulevard.

Off Interstate 75/85, take Exit 246 (Fulton Street) and drive east on Fulton Street. Turn right at Capitol Avenue. Follow Capitol to first light, turn left on Georgia Avenue. Georgia Avenue ends at the Cherokee Avenue lot.


Public Transit:
Bus service is available to Zoo Atlanta from the Five Points MARTA station via Route #97 and from the King Memorial MARTA Station
via route #197.

ROUTE 97 (A to Z Bus):
Enjoy under sea and land animals all in one day! The bus route also known as the A to Z bus (Aquarium to Zoo) runs between Zoo Atlanta and The Georgia Aquarium.

[greg30127]

I'm not sure if anyone else remembers back when the zoo was REALLY R-E-A-L-L-Y bad. There was actually a big national scandal and the city was pretty much embarrassed into completely revamping the zoo. The city actually considered closing the whole thing and selling off the animals, it was only through after setting up a public/private zoo assocation, and a massive, corporate and donor drive that it was saved.

The guy who ran the zoo only had the job because he was the vet for the mayor, they were having problems keeping the petting zoo stocked because employees kept taking animals home to cook for dinner, and the star attraction was Willie B. the Gorilla who sat in a small room all day watching TV.

If you think the zoo today is bad, belive me, it's 100X better than it was back then.

I remember that.

I moved to Atlanta in 1984. I'm a fairly emotionally hardened guy I have to admit, but I was teary-eyed when I left the zoo my first trip back then. I wrote some harsh words to the city. Lions kept in concrete floored cages like a dog shelter. Bears little better. And yes, Willie B. in that tiled room with a TV and a car tire to play with and that was it. It wasn't sad - it was disgusting.

And actually, it became an international scandal when some sort of ratings came out and Atlanta's zoo was listed as one of the worst zoos in the WORLD - not just the U.S.

So I agree - it's indeed 100X better than it was. The only thing that hurts it is lack of access for tourists on foot. People hate buses. I'd love to at least see that light rail/trolley "loop" that would connect the Aquarium/park area to the Zoo, and loop around those areas at least.

[greg30127]

Public Transit:
Bus service is available to Zoo Atlanta from the Five Points MARTA station via Route #97 and from the King Memorial MARTA Station
via route #197.

ROUTE 97 (A to Z Bus):
Enjoy under sea and land animals all in one day! The bus route also known as the A to Z bus (Aquarium to Zoo) runs between Zoo Atlanta and The Georgia Aquarium.


Most folks I know who travel won't fool with buses. Too crowded, slow, and don't usually run on time. Likewise, while many find the zoo, there are many more who don't feel like navigating Atlanta's traffic trying to find it in a car as well. I'm not sure but didn't they recently suspect that A to Z route, too?

I still say light rail/trolley lines would attract more tourists - not just those riding to the zoo, but those who would ride it to see the loop in general. Surveys have been done in the past that show people have a very "zzzz" mentality when it comes to a bus - rails of any sort are more like Disney rides to folks and entertain kids, etc. They're 3 to 1 more likely to ride any type of rail than a bus.

[sprtsluvr8]

Most folks I know who travel won't fool with buses. Too crowded, slow, and don't usually run on time. Likewise, while many find the zoo, there are many more who don't feel like navigating Atlanta's traffic trying to find it in a car as well. I'm not sure but didn't they recently suspect that A to Z route, too?

I still say light rail/trolley lines would attract more tourists - not just those riding to the zoo, but those who would ride it to see the loop in general. Surveys have been done in the past that show people have a very "zzzz" mentality when it comes to a bus - rails of any sort are more like Disney rides to folks and entertain kids, etc. They're 3 to 1 more likely to ride any type of rail than a bus.

Most folks? Like...who? 69,000,000 people ride Marta BUSES each year.

[Teshadoh]

I think his point is valid - he's referring to tourists or the typical suburban resident who would visit the zoo. Let's not get into the issue of why people don't ride buses -

And keep in mind, there are not a total of 69 million people who ride MARTA buses each year. You might be reading that stat wrong wherever you saw it.

Otherwise, I have ridden the bus to the zoo & at least the trip is pleasant, it goes through the Grant Park neighborhood. But it did take longer than you would think from downtown, not to mention the whole issue of transferring from rail to bus is a big killer for most people. Not to mention having to wait for a bus around the Five Points MARTA station.

[greg30127]

Not to mention having to wait for a bus around the Five Points MARTA station.

I've had more than one visitor tell me that after the oh...17th time they get asked for money, they don't exactly want to hang out around there much... much less for a bus.

It's no longer much of a secret that some city officials want to write off the Five Points area and "quietly divert" tourists to the Centennial Park/Aquarium area as a new downtown central spot for visitors. If they're going to go the bus route, they should create a bus depot area around Centennial Park that just has the routes that go to the tourist destinations such as the zoo.

[sprtsluvr8]

I think his point is valid - he's referring to tourists or the typical suburban resident who would visit the zoo. Let's not get into the issue of why people don't ride buses -

And keep in mind, there are not a total of 69 million people who ride MARTA buses each year. You might be reading that stat wrong wherever you saw it.

Otherwise, I have ridden the bus to the zoo & at least the trip is pleasant, it goes through the Grant Park neighborhood. But it did take longer than you would think from downtown, not to mention the whole issue of transferring from rail to bus is a big killer for most people. Not to mention having to wait for a bus around the Five Points MARTA station.

I doubt it took longer than walking to the zoo...if those are your two choices and your goal is to go to ZooAtlanta, the bus is probably the better choice.

[sprtsluvr8]

I've had more than one visitor tell me that after the oh...17th time they get asked for money, they don't exactly want to hang out around there much... much less for a bus.

It's no longer much of a secret that some city officials want to write off the Five Points area and "quietly divert" tourists to the Centennial Park/Aquarium area as a new downtown central spot for visitors. If they're going to go the bus route, they should create a bus depot area around Centennial Park that just has the routes that go to the tourist destinations such as the zoo.


Oh no! They got asked for money...horrors! You're in the big city now, that kind of thing just might happen...

[Harry Cane]

.

[Fiorenza]

that kind of thing just might happen...

Just don't expect to see a lot of business and tourists coming to such places.

[sprtsluvr8]

Just don't expect to see a lot of business and tourists coming to such places.

It happens at the zoo? No, not that I'm aware. They are talking about Five Points...and no one HAS to go to Five Points to get to the zoo. They can take a cab like tourists do in other cities. Why is that even an issue? The problem here is that there are a few people in this forum that have tried to pooh-pooh all over ZooAtlanta and I've defended it as much as possible. It's a pretty well-respected zoo among people who really KNOW zoos...this is a few people going on hearsay and old information.

I just looked looked up ZooAtlanta reviews on yahoo travel, and seven pages of users rated it an average of 4 out of 5 stars. There was one well informed person who noted that the zoo is one of the top 5 in the nation and has the top primate and flamingo breeding programs in the country. Someone else needs to step in and take over here. I'm sick of arguing with these idiots...I come here for information on development in Atlanta, not to argue with the misinformed.

[SAV]

I've never really heard a bunch about ZooAtlanta untill I moved here from Savannah. If it was one of the top 5 Zoo's, wouldn't it be more popular.

[sprtsluvr8]

I've never really heard a bunch about ZooAtlanta untill I moved here from Savannah. If it was one of the top 5 Zoo's, wouldn't it be more popular.

.

[Tombstoner]

I've never really heard a bunch about ZooAtlanta untill I moved here from Savannah. If it was one of the top 5 Zoo's, wouldn't it be more popular.

ZooAtlanta started cleaning up its act earlier than a lot of other major zoos. There was a period of time under Maple when it had a very good vibe and could be said to be "leading" in some senses. I think other zoos have caught up and surpassed it, but it's still 100x better than it was in the bad ol' days.

[greg30127]

Someone else needs to step in and take over here. I'm sick of arguing with these idiots...I come here for information on development in Atlanta, not to argue with the misinformed.

No, I have a feeling you come here for other reasons.

[alleystreetindustry]

i think the zoo is perfect where it is. everything associated with a city should be concentrated in a general locale. sports stadium and other tourism-oriented development located in gwinnett just doesn't work. i would like to see the city develop the way it is, and remain similar within 100+ years. its the american way to change something when it hasn't served a full lifespan (look at rome). when something gets dated/old, we demolish/move it.

[STrek777]

It happens.

Alright sprtsluvr8 you are getting tossed around here pretty bad. I know we don’t see eye to eye on everything but here is my .02 worth.

First, I don’t want the Atlanta Zoo to ever move from its Grant Park home. This city is unique among those on the east coast in that we have a history as old as the nation but structures only as old as the late 19th century. We do not have to fortune of having very many structures to look to as surviving the times. The Atlanta Zoo has a history that is more than 100 years old and that history should be preserved.

Second, it would be different if that meant that the zoo was squeezed in some tiny corner as an after-thought. But the zoo sits on 40 acres of land in a very large (by Atlanta’s standards) public park. In fact the Atlanta Zoo consumes just over 1/4 of the 144 acre Grant Park.

However, having said that I do have some critiques to offer.

1) Security is abysmal!

I don’t know if anyone knows there is in fact a mini police precinct located on the South/West tip of the park. The building looks as if it was a dilapidated home that was hastily converted into an office. You hardly ever see the police driving around the area or biking it through the park to offer a deterrent to those that might need some deterring. I understand the area is trying to pull itself up from its boot-straps but you have to give visitors a least sense of safety.

2) MARTA is a joke.

For all those public transportation freaks out there let me just say something. MARTA is filthy, MARTA is often off schedule, MARTA changes there routs so often that unless you are a frequent rider there is no way to keep up, and MARTA riders do not appear like they would come across as the friendliest group of people. Say what you want but at some point in our lives we all have cast a stereotype on someone or a group of people. I know quite a few people that are very open and friendly with everyone but see MARTA as a safety hazard. It also doesn’t help that the state legislature has made it legal to carry a concealed firearm onto MARTA.

3) Parking is a nightmare.

The Piedmont Park Conservancy and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens have shown us that nature and infrastructure can work in tandem with each other. The parking deck that they finally go approval for will be so integrated into the park that unless you are watching the cars go in and out it is unlikely you will ever know it is there. The surface parking in Grant Park takes up an enormous amount of space. Fortunately the park has a very rolling terrain that such a large deck could be sunk into. I’m not talking about a Novare monstrosity that sticks 10 levels into the sky. But a 4 or 5 level gated underground parking garage might just do the trick. Manicure the land around it and you would never even know it was there. The Atlanta Zoo, the Cyclorama, and Grant Park all get plenty of parking and since the top of the deck would be at street level then that is where you would put the school and/or tour busses.

4) Grant Park is dark and wooded

Let the sun start dip towards the horizon and watch how fast the park gets dark very quickly. There are very few well lit walking paths and while the park has some of the most beautiful GIANT OAKS you can never get near them for all the foliage that thickly covers the ground. There are some grills littered around pick-nick tables with a gazebo thrown in the mix that leaves you thinking if they even tried to give the area rhyme or reason. There is no rod-iron gate or stone wall entrance that inspires the visitor to remember that this park holds with it the souls and memories of a lengthy past. Grant Park just has this “Well here I am just sitting around occupying space in a rundown South of I-20 neighborhood” feel.

The APD, Atlanta Zoo, Cyclorama, and Grant Park Conservancy need to sit down and have a “come to Jesus” meeting. The parking deck could be sunk into the (very unused) land behind the Cyclorama. The top of the deck could be large enough to hold a mini APD precinct as well as the administration offices off the Atlanta Zoo and still have room for the school and/or tour busses on top at street level. This would allow for the Atlanta Zoo the option of expanding their exhibit space all the way to the edge of the streets of Cherokee Ave, Atlanta Ave, and Boulevard and greatly increasing the acreage that they have available to them for exhibits. The Grant Park Conservancy could work with the groups to make sure that the project naturally connects nature with infrastructure.

Finally, Grant Park must be cleaned up. The renovation work that was completed on Piedmont Park has shown us that a public park can be an inviting and open public space and even be expanded while still preserving its architectural heritage. Grant Park needs a theme and an organized design that is welcoming and inviting to everyone.

Ok I’m done… take care everyone! :)

[smArTaLlone]

$100M-$200M project would change entrance, add features


The Zoo Atlanta of the future will have a larger Africa exhibit with more elephants, include aquarium-like underwater viewing of frolicking hippos and return the entry to its original space off Boulevard Avenue.

Zoo officials released the preliminaries of its revamping of the attraction to city officials and community leaders this week after more than eight months of study. The project would take 10 to 15 years to complete because the work would be done without closing the attraction.

The new design calls for the zoo to stay in its current roughly 35-acre to 38-acre footprint inside Grant Park. Officials had toyed briefly with the idea of moving to Lakewood fairgrounds.

Officials said in most cities, about 23 percent of the population visits the zoo. In Atlanta, the number is about 17 percent. Kelley wants to increase that number to 1 million visitors annually in the next decade. The zoo had 830,000 visitors in 2007 — a year after giant panda Mei Lan was born — and estimates about 720,000 this year.







By LEON STAFFORD
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://www.ajc.com/living/content/living/stories/2008/08/07/zoo_atlanta_expansion_entrance.html)

[Matthew]

The zoo is hyped by local TV, the CVB and others to sound impressive. When I visited, I expected a zoo on three to five hundred acres or larger, with every type of animal. I thought it would be a two day attraction, but it wasn't. People do did ride the bus there and a restaurant across the street sells water, for those waiting on the bus. Those who know about streetcar parks will guess Atlanta's streetcar investors built the zoo and the Cyclorama's building leads a visitor to believe the zoo's buildings will be historic neoclassical structures. After entering, it is small and can be seen in three hours. The gorillas exhibit is high quality and a visitor can spend a large amount of time there. The zoo is also a garden, which adds another unexpected attraction. The workers there know the animals, are excited to be there, will tell you the best time to see them and become part of the show (something they don't do at the NC Zoo). The small size also makes the zoo a perfect one day family attraction. The zoo's small size does have some benefits.

The downsides:
The pandas are in a building with airbrushed walls and vents. It's not bad, but I expected something better. Some animals are in cinderblock buildings, with the cinderblocks clearly seen. The NC Zoo would hire artists to create fake rocks, etc., to hide this. I would say the lower quality of the exhibit spaces is the only real downside. Also the train doesn't circle all the attractions and is more focused on paintings of animials than the real thing. No one notices the small size until after they have seen everything and around this time, the visitor realizes how much fun they had. I have photos of the zoo and area around it. I should share them. It is fun and worth seeing, but it is a three or four hour attraction. I've never seen the Cyclorama. Winston-Salem is one of the three cities that had one and I think all three paintings are the same?

[atlantaguy]

I don't think so Matthew. Our Cyclorama painting is a depiction of the Battle of Atlanta.

[| BRAVO |]

It's in Historic Grant Park, one of the city's largest parks...and, incidentally, almost a million people are able to find the zoo each year. The signs directing people to the zoo seem to be pretty clear, as do the directions on the website (which are essentially the same as in numerous publications around Atlanta):


Finding Grant Park wasn't the problem... circling the park while trying to figure out where to park and finding the entrance to the zoo was the problem. I did not see clear signage. Thank you very much.

[Matthew]

The zoo is preparing for the possible birth of another Panda. I saw this on the news a few days ago and it was in today's paper.

[Atlantan26]

Finding Grant Park wasn't the problem... circling the park while trying to figure out where to park and finding the entrance to the zoo was the problem. I did not see clear signage. Thank you very much.

I had a similar problem. i could never find where the zoo entrance was so a friend and i just ended up going to do somethin else. and i still have yet to go to the zoo and that was 3 years ago lol

[Matthew]

The new Panda was born earlier today.

[trainiac]

The new Panda was born earlier today.

No way! We were at the Grant Park Shade Fest most of the day so we were right there. That's great news

[Chris Creech]

No way! We were at the Grant Park Shade Fest most of the day so we were right there. That's great news

I think it's going to be a while before the new baby is out on display.

Though she's a Panda with a chinese name, you can tell the mom's definitely a southern girl - she's getting pretty adept at staying barefoot and pregnant.