Well in regards to the exclusion of the black bear in the Florida exihbit, i have heard it was just a cost issue, not that the species was not a welcomed addtion, but the require a lot of space, and since their key point was to create a state of the art exihbit, it would have not been possible with the curret budget.
The next plan for the zoo should be the Australian remodeling, as mention before this area lacks in different areas compare to all others in the zoo, currently they have a small building that houses Koalas and tree kangaroo (don't remember if it is Bennett's or Goodfellow's), outside the small house, there are red kangaroo, new guinea singing dog, and a crocodile monitor.
Recently the zoo built a temporary exihbit for southern cassowary in the Asian section, close to the wings of Asia aviary.
So the current plans include in 2010 to expand the small australian house, by the way you can only view its two residents from outside the house, to a much larger building, to include an australian reptiles section, as well as stripped possum and an outdoor area that you will be able to view from inside the house that will house several marsupials species, including Numbat.
There will be a small walk thru aviary, where you will be able to feed birds, and will house a couple of more rare species in individual exihbits.
The sorrounding area is the one that looks to me the best by far since i have seen a drawing, that i was unable to scan, and if it ends up being anything like it, will look spectacular. There will be an enclosure with underwater viewing of australian saltwater crocodile, and a smaller exihbit will house the crocodile monitor, right next to eachother.
A mixed species exihbit that will include the red kangaroo, and a very cool looking exihbit that will bring you face to face with the new guinea singing dog.
This is all i have so far, i have no idea what are the plans for the cassowary, but i really hope it will be included, the drawing is the one that really got my attention, since it really looks like an australian outback, since this area will be much smaller in scale to Amazon and beyond, they will be investing a lot of money in landscape, it is said that there are already two big trees that will be moved to this location from outside the zoo, one from a private botanical gardens in homestead.