Let’s house humans before rhinos. Using public funds on the Sacramento Zoo is a bad idea
The operators of the Sacramento Zoo say the nearly century-old facility could go extinct if the city doesn’t authorize its relocation to a larger space. For decades, expansion efforts have been hampered by false starts while strict space requirements have forced the Sacramento Zoological Society to send animals elsewhere, making the Land Park zoo less relevant.
Yet in a city where thousands of human beings live on the streets, it’s hard to make the argument that the city should allocate public funds to help pay for a new zoo with a $150 million price tag. We need more homes for people, not new digs for lions, tigers and bears.
“The relocation would allow the zoo to more than double its footprint and the projected cost of the first phase is nearly $50 million, according to a city staff report,” The Bee’s Michael Finch II reported. “The zoo hopes to receive a public contribution between $15 million and $20 million to begin rebuilding, relying on a surcharge, new tax or municipal bonds issued by the city.”
The Sacramento Zoo, which opened in 1927, has outgrown its 15 acres of city-owned property in Land Park. There’s never enough parking, let alone enough space inside to meet accreditation standards and still manage a variety of exotic animals.
“We have had to in the last 25 years send out our bears, gorillas, hippos and elephants,” Sacramento Zoo executive director Jason Jacobs told the city’s investment committee last week. “And when you dwindle that away, you limit the ability to increase your revenue or attendance.”
Opinion
The city needs to honor its commitments to the zoo and finalize a new site. But a multimillion-dollar public subsidy is out of the question at a time when the city is in the midst of a homelessness crisis.
Sacramento is getting an estimated $121.6 million from the latest COVID relief package. Given the array of pressing community needs, those funds will disappear quickly. Revenue from Measure U, which Mayor Darrell Steinberg previously suggested using to help the zoo, is also needed more urgently elsewhere.
Sacramento is at a critical juncture in its response to the homeless crisis. Two safe grounds sites are open, but much more are needed to help move our unhoused population off the streets. Over 11,200 people experienced homelessness in Sacramento County last year, according to Sacramento Steps Forward.
Using city dollars to attract affordable housing developers is crucial. The demand for rental housing in the Sacramento region led to the seventh-highest price jump in the country since February 2020. Displacement is already occurring in areas like Oak Park where the city vowed to prevent gentrification in its community benefits agreement for Aggie Square. Last week, multiple council members called for a quick turnaround of the $50 million fund committed to affordable housing.
Councilwoman Angelique Ashby has been a loyal advocate for the zoo and is leading the city’s discussions with the Sacramento Kings to potentially reuse the long-vacant Sleep Train Arena site. Although, North Natomas Regional Park is a favorite of the zoo’s board of trustees. Both were identified in a recent study as viable sites.
Yet Ashby has also been cautious about committing public dollars to the cause.
“Nobody’s saying we’re going to pay for the zoo,” she said. “We’re just saying here’s an OK spot for you to use from a land-use standpoint.”
Projects like the downtown Railyards and potential Major League Soccer stadium warrant some public investment. They come with housing, offices, a new hospital and real economic engines that will boost the Sacramento economy.
The Sacramento Zoo is a special amenity to the city and draws in hundreds of thousands of visitors. It also barely breaks even, according to financial reports. Zoos have also become increasingly controversial, with some questioning whether they foment animal cruelty.
Sacramento needs many things, but does it need a new zoo? Anyone who strongly believes that the answer is yes should spearhead a private fundraising campaign and help realize those dreams. We can think about spending public dollars on housing for elephants once we’ve made sure Sacramento has enough housing for people.
