BY LUCY MAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden will spend $2.75 million for a nearby commercial building and parking lot, enabling the zoo to move ahead with plans to expand its popular elephant exhibit.
The zoo board voted unanimously Thursday to buy the property at 3333 Vine St., giving the zoo 360 additional parking spaces near the corner of Erkenbrecher Avenue and Vine Street and a building that might one day be used for offices.
Sensitive to Hamilton County voters' rejection of a 1997 tax increase that would have helped pay for a $20 million parking garage, board member Wayne Carlisle stressed the zoo won't use tax proceeds to pay for the purchase.
In fact, rent revenue from the partially leased building will help pay for the purchase, he said.
Parking has been a major concern at the zoo. Plans for expanding the cramped elephant exhibit call for eliminating 160 of the zoo's parking spaces. The Vine Street purchase more than makes up for that loss.
To make the parking more appealing, zoo officials plan to create a walk-up entrance at Erkenbrecher and Vine.
Board President Robert Sibcy said the purchase allows the zoo to expand without disturbing homes in the largely residential neighborhood.
"The community should love this. This is a win-win," Mr. Sibcy said. "It's going to be far superior than what they have now." Also at Thursday's board meeting, Director Ed Maruska said inspectors continue to evaluate the damage from a May 20 fire at a manatee exhibit under construction. Inspectors still are unsure of a cause, he said.
While it might be possible to open the exhibit in January if the damage is limited, Mr. Maruska said he doesn't think there's much advantage in opening before next spring. "Put the decoys out when the ducks are flying," he said.
Zoo Education Director Thane Maynard, who had just returned from a manatee conference in Florida, assured board members the zoo will get its manatees.
"There was no hesitancy whatsoever of the zoo getting manatees," he said. "Just an outpouring of support."
The zoo also reported record-high membership numbers, with 47,348 member households. The zoo hopes to hit 50,000 members by 2000.
The zoo saw an increase in admissions revenue during April, too, despite soggy weather. Admissions revenue was 22 percent higher in April than April 1997, and year-to-date admissions revenue is 21 percent higher than this time last year.
The zoo said visitors are going to the zoo in droves to see Ganesh, the elephant born March 15. He now weighs about 400 pounds.
