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Old 10-11-2013, 02:05 PM
 
Location: South Central Texas
114,838 posts, read 65,456,109 times
Reputation: 166912

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Quote:
Zootennial Plaza to transform center of San Antonio Zoo, commemorate 100th anniversary
Zootennial Plaza to transform center of San Antonio Zoo, commemorate 100th anniversary | News - Home

Kronkosky awards $8.7 million in grants - San Antonio Express-News

Regardless of where this money comes from the Zoo has limited space and needs animals. Why build a restaurant to what ...cater to blue bloods? The zoo has never replaced the ape..not sure if we even have a polar bear any more. A rhino or two died recently and I believe we are without a giraffe. Elephants?

San Antonio Zoo used to be rated 2nd only to San Diego's Zoo ...If I recall correctly. I think they are no longer near that. Why blow all that money on a restaurant and a carousel? What your opinions?

Just dug this up..

http://www.kens5.com/news/local/SA-Z...-99269384.html
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Old 10-11-2013, 02:12 PM
Bo Bo won $500 in our forum's Most Engaging Poster Contest - Tenth Edition (Apr-May 2014). 

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Location: Ohio
17,107 posts, read 37,944,336 times
Reputation: 14444
Quote:
Originally Posted by SATX56 View Post
Why blow all that money on a restaurant (likely to cater to high brows) and a carousel? What your opinions?
Restaurants don't get much more lowbrow than the restaurant at the zoo. It's crowded, inefficient and stark white inside. It's clean, but the design is straight out of the 1960s.

Modern zoo patrons expect more. The people who run the zoo know that it's important that kids like the place, so that they'll beg their parents to come back. Keep in mind, too, that we live in a city with two amusement parks, so local kids have seen places that were better-designed than the zoo. The restaurant needs to be more like Rainforest Cafe or a Disney Animal Kingdom restaurant.

The carousel probably sets the zoo apart from the amusement parks. The animals can't be the only attraction if the zoo is expected to compete in this market.

And if the zoo should stop competing, there's a university president sitting on the other side of Hildebrand Avenue who would love nothing more than to buy that land from the city. He'd make a compelling case to council and probably be willing to pay top dollar.
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Old 10-11-2013, 02:17 PM
 
Location: South Central Texas
114,838 posts, read 65,456,109 times
Reputation: 166912
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bo View Post
Restaurants don't get much more lowbrow than the restaurant at the zoo. It's crowded, inefficient and stark white inside. It's straight out of the 1960s.

Modern zoo patrons expect more. The people who run the zoo know that it's important that kids like the place, so that they'll beg their parents to come back. Keep in mind, too, that we live in a city with two amusement parks, so local kids have seen places that were better-designed than the zoo. The restaurant needs to be more like Rainforest Cafe or a Disney Animal Kingdom restaurant.

The carousel probably sets the zoo apart from the amusement parks. The animals can't be the only attraction if the zoo is expected to compete in this market.
Oh, no doubt their food is crap! Almost as bad as Fiesta Texas. They could use a better food facility but why not allow a fast food outfit to operate inside. Spend their funds acquiring animals. Those carousel horses aren't living. Space is limited also. The Carousel was better suited for the parking lot where it used to be.
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Old 10-11-2013, 02:17 PM
 
Location: San Antonio
243 posts, read 331,635 times
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I was down there last weekend and I would say that it's starting to look like one of those roadside zoo's and right outside of the zoo looks like a dump. The zoo has seen better days.
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Old 10-11-2013, 02:25 PM
 
Location: Tejas
443 posts, read 948,136 times
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I would imagine that concessions bring in the bulk of operating expenses, so it's no surprise they would try and capitalize on an untapped market within that. Hey, it works for Disney.
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Old 10-11-2013, 02:28 PM
 
Location: South Central Texas
114,838 posts, read 65,456,109 times
Reputation: 166912
This is what San Diego Zoo looks like...
















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Old 10-11-2013, 02:45 PM
Bo Bo won $500 in our forum's Most Engaging Poster Contest - Tenth Edition (Apr-May 2014). 

Over $104,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum and additional contests are planned
 
Location: Ohio
17,107 posts, read 37,944,336 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SATX56 View Post
This is what San Diego Zoo looks like...
The zoo in Columbus, Ohio is more impressive than that. Last time I went there, it reminded me a lot of Sea World.

Parts of the San Antonio Zoo remind me more of what the Columbus Zoo looked like when I went there as a kid.
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Old 10-11-2013, 03:16 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX via San Antonio, TX
9,843 posts, read 13,570,722 times
Reputation: 5701
It's the 100 year anniversary of the zoo. Any non-profit/community organization goes big with 100 years behind it. I agree that the front of the zoo is kind of a mess but I liked the new part of the zoo that they recently added...the African part? But I agree that they do need some new animals. It looked a bit stark in some places.
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Old 10-11-2013, 03:46 PM
 
Location: San Antonio-Westover Hills
6,884 posts, read 20,317,461 times
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Didn't they just add a Sumatran tiger and her two beautiful cubs?
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Old 10-11-2013, 08:35 PM
 
Location: Grey Gardens
336 posts, read 481,667 times
Reputation: 322
Quote:
Originally Posted by SATX56 View Post
Zootennial Plaza to transform center of San Antonio Zoo, commemorate 100th anniversary | News - Home

Kronkosky awards $8.7 million in grants - San Antonio Express-News

Regardless of where this money comes from the Zoo has limited space and needs animals. Why build a restaurant to what ...cater to blue bloods? The zoo has never replaced the ape..not sure if we even have a polar bear any more. A rhino or two died recently and I believe we are without a giraffe. Elephants?

San Antonio Zoo used to be rated 2nd only to San Diego's Zoo ...If I recall correctly. I think they are no longer near that. Why blow all that money on a restaurant and a carousel? What your opinions?

Just dug this up..

S.A. Zoo dissed on worst-of list; officials say it's 'preposterous' | kens5.com San Antonio
My opinion is that you have a serious chip on your shoulder in regard to people with money (and how they opt to spend it).

Animals alone don't sell a zoo. Have you actually BEEN to the SA zoo in the last ten years? The design of the place is in desperate need of an overhaul. Starting with a real place to dine would make the experience a lot better for those of us who are members and longtime supporters.

And comparing the SD zoo to SA's zoo is like comparing Disney to Fiesta Texas. Two separate worlds and tons more money in California, as well as a lot more land space.
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