Executive Summary of Conceptual Site Planning Report (March 2016)

new vision, new experiences A Conceptual Facility & Site Planning Report for a

New Baton Rouge Zoo

Executive Summary

Conservation. Education. Community Engagement.

Long the hallmarks of any good zoo, a mission of conservation,

education, and community engagement is carefully woven into exciting

visitor experiences that also serve as enjoyable recreational opportunities

for families, school groups, residents and tourists. Zoos today are critical

centers of community life in so many ways, offering visitors the

opportunity to interact with wildlife and nature, enhance their wellness

through active play, explore the local heritage, and celebrate special

events. The most successful zoos are also seeking meaningful ways to

collaborate with other local organizations and venues to positively impact

and leverage the value of the cultural, educational and recreational

offerings of a city/region for residents and visitors alike.

This mission is no different for the Baton Rouge Zoo (the Zoo). At the

current time, however, the Zoo finds itself at a crossroads: make

significant changes to provide for the ongoing wellbeing of the animals;

make necessary infrastructure improvements; maintain the safety of the

visitors and staff; update exhibits and amenities to meet today’s

standards and expectations; and provide unique and interactive

experiences that will keep visitors engaged and wanting to return. The

critical planning issue is whether the Zoo should make these significant

investments at its existing site, or take the opportunity at hand to explore

the option of transforming the Zoo experience at a new site that will offer

advantages not available at the current site.

Schultz & Williams CLR Design A Conceptual Facility & Site Planning Report for a New Baton Rouge Zoo Executive Summary – March 2016 Page - 2

The Zoo must begin the process of change through self-assessment and

community connection. It must dig into the hard work of identifying

weaknesses and analyzing choices; engage the community in decision-

making discussions; model fiscal responsibility through careful

stewardship of public and private investments; generate buzz, goodwill,

and genuine excitement at the prospect of a true transformation; and

demonstrate real leadership in the pursuit of creating a vital community

asset for the entire nine-parish community of greater Baton Rouge.

It’s not always easy to talk about big changes, let alone actually make

them. What is driving the thinking and work on this project is the

strong desire to make the best decisions for the greater good – the

greater good of the animals and staff; of the visitors and tourists; of

the taxpayers and residents of East Baton Rouge Parish; and of the

nine-parish Baton Rouge metro area.

The Baton Rouge Zoo has the opportunity right now to take a bold leap.

To reject the notion that good enough is good enough.

To accept and, in fact, welcome the challenge to define what a dynamic,

educational, entertaining, and exciting zoo experience should be by reinventing

itself.


Though the Zoo is at its core a conservation organization, in order to

survive and thrive it can and should play a much larger role for the East

Baton Rouge Parish and the entire region. The Zoo has the potential to

significantly impact the entire community while advancing its mission,

serving as:

As the Zoo carefully considers the feasibility of realizing its bold vision, we

have benefitted from resources already developed by the Parish, such as

economic planning and population trend studies. Other information and

studies, such as the BREC’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, FuturEBR’s

Vision for East Baton Rouge Parish, Visit Baton Rouge strategic plan, and

Baton Rouge Area Foundation’s CityStats reports and Master Plan for the

Baton Rouge Health District, have also provided valuble information that

greatly informs our decision-making process and builds our confidence for

change. We are excited to share resources, reduce duplicative efforts,

and engage in win-win scenarios whenever possible.

A living classroom to invigorate lesson plans and inspire lifelong

learning.

A valued partner for other cultural and community

organizations.

A destination for tourists and conventioneers, supporting Baton Rouge's economic development.

A fun, safe, active family adventure promoting mental and physical

wellness that connects people to wildlife and conservation.

Throughout the planning to-date, the Zoo has focused on defining how it can provide the best

and highest use of its community and economic impacts to the broadest and largest audience

while simultaneously offering the most positive impact on our Parish.


The Friends of the Baton Rouge Zoo engaged Schultz & Williams and

CLR Design, experts in zoo funding, operations, planning and design, to

conduct a thorough conceptual facility and site planning study. Guiding

this feasibility study, Schultz & Williams worked with Zoo staff to create a

new vision for the Baton Rouge Zoo – a vision that reinvents the Zoo

experience for the Parish.

An inventory of site options including the current site and approximately

eight locations within the Parish was undertaken. We worked together to

evaluate each site’s physical layout and economic potential based on

surrounding economic development (current and planned for the future),

population density, fundability of needed investment, proximity of

partners, accessibility, and visibility.

In most cases the cost to build would be one of the primary considerations in

a study like this. However, in this case, the cost to build is not different

whether the transformation occurs at the existing site or at a new site due to

the significant infrastructure and deferred maintenance issues at the existing

site compared to the suitability of the other two sites under assessment.

Our planning process focused in on answering the following strategic

questions related to executing the new vision and evaluating the criteria

for success at each site:

1. Is there land available to

execute the new vision and new experiences?

2. Could funding be secured to implement the

vision?

3. Once built, is the new vision sustainable?

4. Is there political leadership and willingness to make the vision a

reality?


The answer to question one is: Yes.

The list of potential sites was then narrowed down to three sites within the East

Baton Rouge Parish: Current Zoo site at Greenwood Park, Nicholson Corridor, and

Airline Highway Park Site.

It is important to note that the Zoo will continue to evaluate both the currently identified

sites as well as any new site options that may emerge from future conversations.

Is there land available to execute the new vision and new experiences?


As each of these prospects is feasible from a site perspective (enough acreage and suitable for

building out), the key decisions then rely on the answers to the next two strategic questions:

Based on our feasibility study findings, prospective individual, corporate and foundation

donors, who are community stakeholders, have expressed pessimism about the Greenwood

site, indicating that they would be less likely to give (or give as much) to the Zoo if it were to

be re-imagined at the current site. Without strong financial support and the community’s

loyal backing, the Zoo will not be able to generate the required funding for the necessary

capital facility investments in a timely manner. This would also affect the Zoo’s ability to

raise the ongoing annual support required to meet its budgetary needs.

Key Factor: If private support is limited, the Zoo would have to look for additional public

support (BREC) to meet the capital investment and operating budget

shortfall. At the identified new sites, prospective donors, supporters and

community leaders have offered a strong willingness to support the new

vision in a new location.

Could funding be secured to implement the vision?

Nicholson

Corridor Zone

Airline Highway

Park Site


A sustainable and viable future for the Baton Rouge Zoo is dependent on the Zoo’s ability to

generate earned revenue and to maintain strong public and private funding streams on an

annual, ongoing basis. Attendance projections for the two proposed new sites as opposed to the

existing site are quite different (500,000+ annual visitors versus an optimistic 375,000 visitors).

This differential will greatly impact operating revenues and is due to several factors:

Proximity to larger populations and areas of expected population growth;

Proximity to strategic partners who already have a visitor base/ core audience and with whom collaborative programs can be developed; and

Proximity to major tourist routes that would attract more potential visitors driving through Baton Rouge.

Once built, is the new vision sustainable?

Nicholson

Corridor Zone

Airline

Highway

Park Site


At a new site location, the ability to partner with other organizations

creates opportunities the Zoo simply cannot replicate on its own and

these opportunities will lead to a win-win situation for the Zoo and Parish:

Finally, the larger potential audience will also increase awareness and

recognition of the Zoo as a community asset, making ongoing funding –

both public and private – a less challenging prospect.

The question that remains unanswered is the fourth one:

This question is really for the leadership of the East Baton Rouge Parish

to answer as it reflects on the needs and opportunities for the community.

attracts more visitors

raises awareness

develops engaging

programming

becomes an economic

driver in EBR

advances mission

New Vision,

New Experiences,

New Baton Rouge Zoo

Is there political leadership and willingness to make the vision a reality?


As this dialogue continues taking shape, it is our strong belief and

recommendation that the Zoo should take advantage of this opportunity to

embrace change and position itself for a dynamic, sustainable future.

The existing site is not fully capable of capitalizing on all of the opportunities made

available with the Zoo’s new vision. For that reason, at this time we believe the Zoo should

eliminate the existing site as a possibility for the newly imagined Zoo and instead look to

the community for how Greenwood Community Park could be enhanced to best serve their

needs and expectations.

Consideration of the two remaining sites should continue with additional

planning, feasibility studies and community conversations. BREC and the

Zoo leadership is still open to exploring other additional sites that may

become available or that are brought to their attention.

While undertaking the hard work required by this bold initiative, BREC

should remain focused on making the most of this opportunity to embrace

change and position the Zoo for a dynamic, sustainable future. The Zoo

has untapped potential to play a larger role for the East Baton Rouge

Parish and the entire region while advancing its mission. We are excited

by the possibilities ahead for the Baton Rouge Zoo and are eager to see

this initiative move forward.

Documents

Executive Summary of Conceptual Site Planning Report (March 2016)