Sedgwick County commissioners have unanimously approved $6 million in funding to help begin the first phase of improvements for the Sedgwick County Zoo.
The money from the county will provide for a $3.5 million visitor entry center that will provide a new entrance for the Zoo. It will also fund half of the $5 million cost of a new administration building.
The Sedgwick County Zoological Society is working to raise $9 million in private donations for the first phase of a 25-year master plan that was developed in 2018. The first phase will include an expanded gift shop, an expanded and enhanced Amur Leopard Habitat, and an electric train to carry visitors around the Zoo.
Sedgwick County will provide $2 million a year for three years to cover 40 percent of the total cost for the first phase. These improvements will be completed in time for the Zoo’s 50th anniversary in 2021. County commission chairman David Dennis said there will be eight phases of improvements that are aimed at keeping the Zoo as the number one tourist attraction for the state of Kansas.
Sedgwick County Zoological Society board president Kevin Arnel said the new entrance complex will provide a positive welcoming experience for the millions of visitors who will enjoy the Zoo in the future.
