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Lake Superior Zoo asks Legislature for $6 million to fix century-old systems, preserve accreditation
Summary
The Lake Superior Zoo told the House Capital Investment Committee it needs about $6 million in bonding to replace aging HVAC and electrical systems, repair leaking habitat basins and restore ADA-accessible pathways—repairs proponents say are necessary to maintain AZA accreditation and prevent life-safety risks highlighted by a 2012 flood.
Director Hobbs of the Lake Superior Zoo requested roughly $6 million in state bonding to address deferred maintenance and infrastructure failures at the zoo in Duluth. He told the committee that "the century-old infrastructure now requires some generational investments," citing failing furnaces and electrical systems, leaking habitat basins and a paved mile of pathways that no longer meet ADA standards.
The testimony said the work is aimed at preserving the zoo’s accreditation and ensuring animals and visitors are safe during harsh winter conditions. A zoo representative recounted that seven furnaces in the main building are more than 30 years old and that the zoo operates across a 19-acre campus with more than 120 species and over 300 animals. Committee members were shown two animals brought from the facility as part of testimony.
Witnesses also recounted a 2012 flood that inundated the zoo’s midsection after culverts clogged, leaving several exhibits underwater and causing the loss of animals; presenters said the zoo has not completed repairs from that event and that some deferred work remains tied to that event.
Committee members did not take a formal vote at the hearing. Presenters framed the request as preventive and focused on life-safety, ADA accessibility and maintaining participation in national conservation networks.
