"Going to be wonderful": Dozens get exclusive peek at potential Elk Grove zoo designs
ELK GROVE - Elk Grove neighbors got a chance to see what it would look like to have a zoo in their town.
The city held an open house Saturday to unveil exciting designs and gather feedback from the community.
"Oh, it's going to be wonderful," one resident said.
The possibility of a zoo in Elk Grove has dozens of visitors to the city's open house Saturday where they got to get an exclusive peek into what the future could hold.
"I think it would be an amazing opportunity for the city," a resident said.
The goal is to create the best zoo in the Sacramento region featuring state-of-the-art facilities, catering to both animals and visitors.
"We aim to provide an exceptional experience for the animals while ensuring that the animal habitats are designed to delight our visitors," said Jason Jacobs, the Sacramento Zoo Director.
If the project is approved, Elk Grove's zoo would be the newest large-scale zoo in the U.S. within the last 30 years.
They hope to target at least a million visitors in its first year of operation.
"We're thrilled to share our exciting plans with the community today and eagerly await their input as we work towards this fantastic new zoo," Jacobs said.
Jacobs said this zoo would be a one-of-a-kind experience.
He noted the lion enclosure will not only be safe but provide visitors with an intimate experience with the animals you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else in the U.S.
"It's going to be the closest experience you can get to a walking safari without having to endure a 24-hour plane journey," Jacobs said. "We're determined to bring this unique experience to the greater Sacramento region."
The zoo would be about 100 acres and would take about two to three years to complete.
The city council is set to vote on the final project next year. If approved, city officials say the zoo could open its doors by the end of 2029.
