I bring some good news. The Tierpark will receive some 4 mio € for the extension of the outside boxes at Brehm-building. The money comes from a publicly owned lottery that regularly donates money for public projects. They so far invested some 20 mio € in the Tierpark (fence around the tierpark grounds, Africanum I-IV, Asian and European mountain zoo, tropical hall in Brehm-building. You'd also have to add another 6 mio+ € from energetical funds which would not have been granted to the tierpark without an initial investment of the lottery and now another 4 mio+ for the Brehm-building. So altogether this even amounts to about 30 mio € (or all large projects of the last two decades) and the Tierpark just wouldn't be the same place without this crucial support. Besides that most of the small and medium projects have been funded by the development association for Tierpark and zoo. At the same time the city government has consistently cur the funds each year for quite some time.
In fact today a body of local politicians visited the Tierpark, but I almost bet they will stick to the old statements: "Great place with a lot of potential. Try and cut costs and find some private investors as well as double visitors and you'll be just fine. We would wish to help as well but unfortunately we have to carry on cut funds. So see you in a year." Of course their rhetorics are far better and they put this point across more subtly...
I am glad, however, that both Brehm-building and pachydermy-building (i.e. the largest buildings) receive/ received an energetical renovation that will help cut costs. The letter even received some solar panels. Besides the development association started an aid foundation that by now amounts to some 750.000 € and soon will start supporting both zoos with the interests (as of now some 10.000 € a year for each zoo which sounds very little but may actually stretch the possibilities for medium projects, particularly if this amount is to further grow in years to come). Also Berlin's public transportation company just intensiefied its strategic partnership with the Tierpark. The passengers may buy tickets on the train stations while they find adverts for the Tierpark in customer magazines and infotainment screens on stations, trains and busses. And some aditional events have been established that drew up to 20.000 visitors. I hope they can build on this trend.
In fact today a body of local politicians visited the Tierpark, but I almost bet they will stick to the old statements: "Great place with a lot of potential. Try and cut costs and find some private investors as well as double visitors and you'll be just fine. We would wish to help as well but unfortunately we have to carry on cut funds. So see you in a year." Of course their rhetorics are far better and they put this point across more subtly...
I am glad, however, that both Brehm-building and pachydermy-building (i.e. the largest buildings) receive/ received an energetical renovation that will help cut costs. The letter even received some solar panels. Besides the development association started an aid foundation that by now amounts to some 750.000 € and soon will start supporting both zoos with the interests (as of now some 10.000 € a year for each zoo which sounds very little but may actually stretch the possibilities for medium projects, particularly if this amount is to further grow in years to come). Also Berlin's public transportation company just intensiefied its strategic partnership with the Tierpark. The passengers may buy tickets on the train stations while they find adverts for the Tierpark in customer magazines and infotainment screens on stations, trains and busses. And some aditional events have been established that drew up to 20.000 visitors. I hope they can build on this trend.
I'll enjoy reading through this!
