Toledo Zoo drafts decade-long US$94.25m masterplan
Following a US$25m (€21.5m, £16.4m) renovation of its aquarium earlier this year, Toledo Zoo has drafted a US$94.25m (€86m, £60.8m) masterplan which, if approved, would be implemented over the next 10 years to modernise the Ohio visitor attraction.
The newly-drafted plan is dependant on voter approval of a capital levy renewal, to raise an initial US$67.5m (€61.5m, £43.4m) beginning in 2017, with the draft to be placed on public ballot in November.
First on the agenda is a renovation of the zoo’s Africa! exhibit to start next month, with the main feature of the US$2.75m (€2.5m, £1.7m) development being the addition of an aerial obstacle course with a zip line above the enclosures. Plans also include the addition of a viewing deck where visitors can hand-feed giraffes. A completion date is set for Q1 2016. The Africa! project will also gain additions later in 2016, with development of a pavilion to provide additional space for special events at the zoo.
The most significant development in the masterplan will be the US$30m (€27.3m, £19.3m) river exhibit. Included will be a reimagination and expansion of the zoo’s Hippoquarium, which will allow visitors to view hippos underwater in a new enclosed home. The river aquarium will also feature an outdoor brown bear exhibit, which will use an underground tunnel for visitors to pop up into viewing domes right in the centre of the enclosure.
The other significant investment in the masterplan is the US$22m (€20m, £14.2m) tiger exhibit planned for the zoo’s Cheetah Valley. Scheduled to open in 2023, part of the enclosure sits on the back of a restaurant where people can eat while watching the tigers in their habitat. In addition, a covered jungle-themed exhibit would replace the area's main plaza and a new temperature controlled habitat is being considered for more tropical species. With the tigers moved from their original home of Tiger Terrace, that area will be converted into a grasslands exhibit for North American species like bison, pronghorns and coyotes.
The final development in the plan will be the construction of a US$7m (€6.4m, £4.5m) retractable roof for the zoo’s amphitheatre, which will start in 2024 and be ready by 2026.
The remainder of the funding will go on smaller projects, such as the conversion of an existing café into a Komodo dragon exhibit and various upgrades to zoo entry corridors and parking, as well as ongoing infrastructure improvements, repair, maintenance, and professional services such as engineering and design.
A representative for the zoo confirmed to AM2 that at this stage no architects or engineers have been appointed to the masterplan, which is “in the very beginning stages”, and that the zoo is now “in the process of raising funds in order to move forward with the project.”
SFO-based EHDD Architects complete Toledo Zoo aquarium's US$25m redevelopment
Toledo Zoo's US$25m aquarium renovation nearly complete
Toledo Zoo Aquarium set for major revamp
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
