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Memphis Zoo lays out $250 million campus plan, asks city for $1.5 million more in annual operating support
Summary
Memphis Zoo officials presented a $250 million comprehensive campus plan on April 22 and asked the city to increase its annual management‑fee subsidy — currently about $1.2 million — by roughly $1.5 million, with the zoo proposing a matching amount from Shelby County.
The Memphis Zoo told a city committee on April 22 that it has a new comprehensive campus plan, that capital campaigns and a recent state appropriation have advanced the project, and that the zoo needs additional ongoing municipal operating support to restore depleted reserves.
Matt Thompson, president and CEO of the Memphis Zoo, told the Budget and Public Service committees the zoo attracts roughly 900,000 to 1 million visitors a year and that roughly half of paid attendees come from beyond 50 miles — making the zoo a regional destination. He said a recent economic-impact study estimated the zoo’s contribution at about $89.4 million.
Capital plan and projects: Thompson described a roughly $250 million multi‑phase plan to finish the campus. The first major project is an African savannah exhibit — a 14‑acre facility with elephants,…
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