Brookfield Zoo Master Plan Discussion and Speculation

[pachyderm pro]

Anything can happen but I'm doubtful we will see the western end of the zoo that is currently mostly forested developed into exhibits to the extent that folks on here are discussing. Full disclosure I work for the Forest Preserves of Cook County which owns all of the land the zoo is on. I'm the ecologist for this region and I would normally be consulted about developments in the "natural areas" within the zoo grounds. For example I advised when MWRD needed access to sewer lines for repairs in this western section of the zoo. I also advised when Riverside Brookfield High School wanted to convert a section of the zoo grounds in the far south east to a baseball field. We and the zoo rejected the plan because it would have obliterated a nice remnant oak woodland.

As far as I know the zoo has not approached the Forest Preserves about any sort of development in this area. Much of this land is floodplain, that regularly floods and would be problematic for exhibits and public access and amenities. If it was built up it would increase cost and lead to compensatory storage issues and need approval from the US Army Corps of Engineers. To the extent the zoo uses wooded areas on the west I would expect it to be in areas east of Salt Creek perhaps by Swan Lake and Dragonfly Marsh.

My dream exhibit would be a recreation of the Amur River region which is home to Amur tigers and leopards. I would love to see a large outdoor naturalist emersion exhibit that includes those two species as well as prey species like wild boar, red deer, moose, sika deer, musk deer, etc. and perhaps other predator species like Asiatic brown and black bears.

Thanks for providing some useful insight Craig. Perhaps I misunderstood what Dr. Mike meant, although I’m not really sure what other area could be in reference here. Here's his exact quote in talking about plans for this undeveloped land:

"The undeveloped acreage we have at the zoo is going to allow us to do some really expansive and incredible animal habitats," Adkesson said. "We're looking to keep that forested environment that we have on the west end of the zoo, but put animals out into it.

When he said west end, I interpreted that as the furthest west portion of the property. I apologize if I misled some people regarding the actual land in question. Maybe this suggests the area surrounding swan lake is what’s being developed, although I have a difficult time envisioning how that would work out as a cohesive exhibit complex. I suppose we will find out in due time.

 

[Joseph G]

There has always been an abundance of dead space in the northwest quadrant of the zoo. I don’t know how Habitat Africa: The Forest fit into previous masterplans, but its placement has always baffled me.

Depending on how a future Africa area is developed, I think there’s a load of repurposing that can be done within the zoo’s current footprint.

 

[JVM]

I've never been to the Brookfield Zoo, but some of these ideas caught my eye.

1. Isn't the Taxonomic Advisory Group recommending a decrease in size of the Sichuan takin program? Gorals also seem kind of unrealistic given that the population isn't fairing to well. Perhaps one or two large Asian deer species could be incorporated amongst the more popular Asian animals instead.

If we could see a new Asian deer species at the zoo, or Moose for example, I would absolutely be pleased with it, but since there's talk here and there about the difficulty of importing and moving deer species, it's not easy to view these as a slam dunk. I was under the impression the goral program was looking to expand with some of the recent breeding. Interesting about takin as I'm not quite as excited about them since they are held at nearby Lincoln Park, but I figured we might see them since they seem readily available and were on a previous master plan some years ago. My preference out of caprids would be markhor, I think.

Not exactly super rare, but Mangshan mountain vipers are among my most desired reptiles I want to see at the zoo. I'd love if they could get featured here one way or another, or in the one of the reptile/bird houses.

Harpy eagles were only held from 2015-2016 as part of the Festival of Flight bird show. Most if not all the birds used in the show were owned by Natural Encounters Inc. and returned to them once the show stopped running.

I considered name-dropping the Mangshan vipers specifically, haha. Thank you for clarifying about the eagles - I thought I'd had a conversation with someone else about this who was adamant the Harpy Eagles were owned by the zoo; given they were only present for the show, I was skeptical, but assumed they know better, but I think you're correct here.

@Craig Billington Thank you for the reality check. I definitely would have expected you guys would have been informed before Dr. Mike started dreaming this up in a public conversation.

 

[Tapir Master]

Whatever it may be, best thing we can do is wait things out. Give it a few months and we'll see what to really expect for the zoo's future plans in an actual visual, the master plan itself.

 

[Craig Billington]

Thanks for providing some useful insight Craig. Perhaps I misunderstood what Dr. Mike meant, although I’m not really sure what other area could be in reference here. Here's his exact quote in talking about plans for this undeveloped land:

"The undeveloped acreage we have at the zoo is going to allow us to do some really expansive and incredible animal habitats," Adkesson said. "We're looking to keep that forested environment that we have on the west end of the zoo, but put animals out into it.

When he said west end, I interpreted that as the furthest west portion of the property. I apologize if I misled some people regarding the actual land in question. Maybe this suggests the area surrounding swan lake is what’s being developed, although I have a difficult time envisioning how that would work out as a cohesive exhibit complex. I suppose we will find out in due time.

@ pachyderm pro I'm not meaning to be critical of you or anyone else in this thread and I always appreciate your valuable insights. I agree Dr. Mike's quote could certainly lead one to believe much of the western forested area is a possibility for future exhibits, but I would think the FPCC would have heard more about this and there are some logistical hurdles to overcome. I could be wrong about this. Maybe there have been conversations with the FPCC above my pay grade.

 

[JVM]

@ pachyderm pro I'm not meaning to be critical of you or anyone else in this thread and I always appreciate your valuable insights. I agree Dr. Mike's quote could certainly lead one to believe much of the western forested area is a possibility for future exhibits, but I would think the FPCC would have heard more about this and there are some logistical hurdles to overcome. I could be wrong about this. Maybe there have been conversations with the FPCC above my pay grade.

I would love to hear about the challenges that would be involved, genuinely, if that is something you are comfortable/allowed to share. It could provide some interesting insights, and freely admitting I'm not always good myself at judging the challenges for building new facilities and habitats, so learning about what needs to actually be considered and worked around is helpful. For example, do you think an exhibit built with a boardwalk approach would help avert the flooding issues you mentioned in your previous post?

 

[Craig Billington]

FEMA Flood Map Service Center | Search By Address

The link above is for the FEMA flood hazard for the area. You may need to scroll around to get to the zoo. Essentially everything shaded blue and with blue and red hashed lines has significant flooding risks and while not impossible to build in would pose significant practical and regulatory challenges.

Some of the challenges include figuring out compensatory storage, ensuring animal welfare and safety (I don't think it would be safe, desirable, and possibly even allowed to have a significant portion of an animal exhibit in the floodplain), building indoor animal and keeper facilities, building trails and roads for visitor and logistical access (need to be more substantial than traditional boardwalks), building restrooms, building concessions, connecting electricity plumbing and other infrastructure to the site.

Other challenges are political including significantly disturbing a functional natural area which goes against much of the mission of the Chicago Zoological Society and Forest Preserves.

All of this can be overcome with enough political will and money... but it will be very difficult.

 

[StoppableSan]

Waiting for Brookfield Zoo's master plan like...

 

[CMP]

Waiting for Brookfield Zoo's master plan like...

I find it more fulfilling to simply wait for the next announcement that they'll delay it instead

 

[Kifaru Bwana]

I wonder what really is holding them back from announcing the final product of the long awaited Masterplan for Chicago Brookfield Zoo. It is high time the zoo re-invent itself after years of not moving much .... under some of the last Presidencies' ...!

 

[JVM]

I wonder what really is holding them back from announcing the final product of the long awaited Masterplan for Chicago Brookfield Zoo. It is high time the zoo re-invent itself after years of not moving much .... under some of the last Presidencies' ...!

Given this is being marketed as a centenary plan and the zoo's ninetieth anniversary is in July, I wouldn't be surprised if they were holding off on it to bring it as close to that date as possible.

 

[Tapir Master]

Well we have a little taste of it in the newest article of the Australian house getting a revamp and a new amphitheater with free flying macaws, but that’s it. The final plan will probably be revealed later.

 

[pachyderm pro]

Let's talk about the amphitheater. Not the most exciting development compared to other things that have been discussed, but interesting nonetheless. This was actually teased a few months ago when the zoo announced their rebranding. Per the website:

"A new amphitheater will be home to live programming for families, student field trips, community groups, and more featuring lively offerings from concerts to animal encounters."

I didn't realize it was going to be this significant of a project. After briefly analyzing the render, I've determined it will be located on the largely empty plot of land between the big cat grottos and the east mall - you can clearly see the grottos in the background. Very interesting placement, but I think it could work well and am glad it isn't fully replacing an existing animal area. The design itself is also really sleek and modern, avoiding any sort of thematics which I appreciate. It's also a much more professional set-up for concerts instead of just using the lawn. Plus, if this is what's necessary for the macaws to be fully-flighted then I can definitely get behind it.

It's also interesting to consider how this impacts other areas of the master plan. It definitely limits possibilities for the cat grottos, both in regards to physical space available and proximity to what will be an often rather loud area. Makes me wonder if they'll opt for another non-animal attraction in this space. One other thing to think about is what this means for the nature stage. They just refurbished it last year for animal ambassador demonstrations, but it would feel pretty superfluous when they have this far more impressive space for presentations in the future. Perhaps that's another area where they can fit a small-scale exhibit similar to many recent projects like the prairie aviary, turtles, etc.

Here's the render shown in the annual report:


And I highlighted the area where it appears it'll be located:

 

[JVM]

If the renovated amphitheater will see regular use, it could be a great boon for the zoo, and improvements would hopefully lead to increased usage - but the cynic in me remembers how many 'event spaces' I've passed that seem unused more often than not, including some of Brookfield's own such past developments. It was a very good point about its use for concerts though, that's a regular thing enough - and a regular bird show accompanying it might not be a bad idea.

I'm not sure I understand the placement well though. I really think the eastern side of the zoo could use more animal exhibits, not more guest spaces. I always imagined adding some Asian hoofstock across from the cats.

 

[Craig Billington]

It's here:
Brookfield Zoo Chicago unveils $500 million renovation project (chicagotribune.com)

 

[Craig Billington]

This has been updated on the BZC website check out the video:
Brookfield Zoo Chicago - Next Century Plan

 

[Craig Billington]

Here is the video. At about 1:24 you can see a map of the zoo with the new layout. This is a much more expansive transformation than I imagined with significant expansion west of Salt Creek and even "newer" exhibits like the Great Bear Wilderness and Living Coast transformed.

 

[CMTM]

Well I for one am considering moving to Chicago all of the sudden.

 

[USZOOfan42]

My only issue with the plan is that they will remove many great areas (habitat Africa the forest) and could remove many species (pangolin, elephant shrew) but it still looks amazing.

 

[wilson]

My only issue with the plan is that they will remove many great areas (habitat Africa the forest) and could remove many species (pangolin, elephant shrew) but it still looks amazing.

One of the maps in the Executive summary shows that Habitat Africa! The Forest building is staying put, and the pangolins are getting a brand new exhibit. You can find the map on page 26.

https://www.brookfieldzoo.org/custom.czs/files/81/81f42ebd-4781-40e2-a77d-65738a8ad9a2.pdf