A decision to move the Jackson Zoo to the Northside likely won’t change, even after Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba came out against it.
Last week, the mayor, along with Ward Five Councilman Charles Tillman and leaders with Working Together Jackson, held a press conference to denounce plans to move the zoo from its West Jackson location.
“It is the position of myself and the administration that we do not support the moving of the zoo,” Lumumba said. “We understand the challenges the zoo is facing (but) if there is a significant investment in the zoo, it should be made (at its current location).”
The mayor and Tillman said they would not stand for another resource leaving West Jackson.
“When you take all the (resources) out of one section of Jackson, what’s left?” Tillman asked.
The zoo is located at 2918 W. Capitol St., in Tillman’s ward. The proposed location would be located in Northeast Jackson, near four other museums and LeFleur State Park. The area is part of the Museum District.
Even after an impassioned response from Mayor Lumumba and usually reserved city council president, Zoo Executive Director Beth Poff said the zoo is likely moving forward with plans.
However, she said the decision to relocate was not an easy one, and that it’s not a sign the zoo is abandoning West Jackson.
“I know passions are flared and people have (fond) memories of us being here, but this is the path we’re on,” she said. “People think we’re abandoning the neighborhood. But it’s not about that. It’s about survival.”
Poff would like to meet with the mayor to discuss the matter further, and hear his plans for the area.
However, she’s not sure how much longer the zoo can hold on.
Her goals now are simply to maintain the zoo’s current attendance rate and revenues, while funds are raised for a new location.
She estimates that a new zoo could be open in three to five years, depending on funding.
In all, about $50 million will be needed for the new construction, which could be done in phases.
The zoo will be located on approximately 25 acres. Construction itself will run about $2 million an acre, according to previous estimates.
Planning work will cost an additional $350,000, Poff said.
All funds will likely have to come through private and corporate donations, as well as grants or loans from the state.
The city contributes about $980,000 a year to the park, which is used for current operations.
The park also leases its current location from the city. The lease is up this September, meaning city and zoo officials will have to talk about plans to move sooner than later.
“I’m open to conversation, but one reason we chose this path was because it was time to make a decision,” said Poff.
Late last month, the Jackson Zoological Society voted to begin studying relocating the zoo to the golf course at LeFleur’s Bluff State Park.
In a news release, the 13-member board said the decision was made because of declining attendance, aging structures and budget cuts, which have “caused the park to slowly fall behind other zoos of similar size in the areas of conservation and education.”
Attendance has dropped dramatically in recent years, in part, because of the zoo’s surroundings.
The park is located in one of the most dangerous areas in the capital city. The park itself is surrounded by blight.
A 2016 study conducted by Schultz and Williams stated that the zoo’s current location was a major detriment to donors.
The zoo has been on West Capitol for nearly a century.
At its peak, the park attracted more than 200,000 visitors a year.
“We had the most visitors of any (tourist attraction) in the state,” said Laurie McRee, a former zoo board member.
However, in recent years, attendance and revenues have steadily dropped.
Last year, the park attracted just 100,100 visitors, down from around 185,000 in 2003. About 100,000 people are expected to go through the park’s turnstiles again this year.
Between I-220 and the park’s West Capitol entrance, visitors drive past approximately 17 dilapidated structures.
Poff said the city, in the past, has promised to improve the Capitol Street corridor.
“In my heart, I hoped things would turn around where the zoo is, but the blight and roadways ... I didn’t see it happening at a quick enough pace,” Poff said previously. “We’ve been fighting downward attendance for so long. If there had been no zoo in Jackson at all, (LeFleur’s) would have been the site we picked.”
McRee said the zoo has fought the good fight for years, and worked to preserve the West Jackson community while she was on the board.
Among steps, zoo leaders helped form the Zoo Area Progressive Partnership, (ZAPP), a neighborhood group that is still in existence today. The zoo also planted trees along I-220 and installed banners to help boost the appearance of the Capitol Street corridor.
“This has been a long-fought battle and is being fought every day out there,” McRee said. “(The board) did not make the decision lightly.”
Visit northsidesun.com for the latest details on the zoo moving.
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