Minnesota Zoo asks state for bonding to build new veterinary hospital, address deferred maintenance

John Frawley, director of the Minnesota Zoo, told the Capital Investment Committee on Feb. 25 that the zoo is asking the state for capital support to replace an aging veterinary hospital and to address urgent asset-preservation needs across the 50‑year campus.

Frawley said the zoo is a state agency operating in a public‑private partnership and that it receives roughly a third of its general operating funds from the state, with the remainder raised privately. "We are a state agency, public private partnership," Frawley said, noting the zoo hosted about 1,500,000 visitors last year and serves roughly 5,000 animals.

Dr. Rivas, head of veterinary programs at the Minnesota Zoo, described the current hospital as the institution's first building, built in 1975, and said it "lacks the essential infrastructure to meet USDA and other regulatory standards," creating safety and infection‑control concerns for animals and staff. She told the committee the…