Proposal To Fund Zoo Relocation Postponed By City Council
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A proposal that could generate money to move the Sacramento Zoo to Natomas is being postponed.
On Tuesday night, some Sacramento City Council members expressed concerns about dedicating money to a project before it's formally introduced.
It would have allowed tax revenue from new hotels in Natomas to go toward redeveloping the vacant Sleep Train Arena with a "destination site," like a new zoo.
Brandy Tuzon-Boyd is part of a group trying to move Sacramento's zoo to the old Sleep Train Arena site in Natomas – a site that has sat now empty for so long, it's been overgrown with weeds.
"Our community was master-planned around the old arena, and we deserve an economic engine, something that will create jobs," said Boyd.
She's excited about the new proposal that could potentially generate money for the re-location.
"If you think about Sleep Train Arena, it used to get 16,000 people there for a concert or a basketball game. Well, on a peak day, the zoo might get 16,000 people," said Jason Jacobs, director of the Sacramento Zoo.
Last year, zoo officials announced they needed a larger site to keep national accreditation and unveiled detailed drawings of what a state of the art facility could look like.