Riverbanks Zoo eyes major expansion that could include new orangutan habitat, black bears, more

Less than a month ago, Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo opened the new, multimillion-dollar Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center to great fanfare, with a ribbon-cutting featuring Gov. Henry McMaster and the introduction of a host of new animals and habitats.

Now, just weeks after a successful debut of that attraction — officials said more than 110,000 people have visited Riverbanks since the March 2 opening of the reptile center — the zoo is turning its eyes toward its next proposed expansion, one that would bring with it a host of new animal habitats and exhibits, a riverside multi-purpose facility and enhancements to popular attractions.

The prospective expansion would be the the second phase of Riverbanks’ multi-year Bridge to the Wild plan to bring improvements to the zoo that is one of South Carolina’s leading tourist attractions.

The $32 million first phase, which was privately funded, saw a number of upgrades to the zoo, including bringing rhinos back to Riverbanks for the first time in three decades, upgrading infrastructure and establishing the recently opened aquarium and reptile conservation center. The aquarium was largely funded by donations from the Boyd Foundation.

Now the zoo will be asking the Richland and Lexington county councils later this year to approve bonds totaling $80 million to support the proposed expansion project, the zoo said in a news release Thursday.

The expansion would include, among other things, a new shared-species habitat for orangutans and endangered primates; a South Carolina nature preserve that would feature black bears, red wolves and bald eagles; enhancements to the zoo’s lion and tiger habitats; and the construction of a multi-purpose facility along the banks of the Saluda River. The orangutans, black bears, red wolves and bald eagles would all be new animals to the zoo.

Riverbanks is turning its attention toward the proposed expansion as it approaches nearly a half-century as the centerpiece of Columbia’s tourism landscape. The zoo will have its 50th anniversary in April 2024.

“Phase Two of Riverbanks’ Bridge to the Wild development will boost tourism and the economy at major time of growth in South Carolina — bringing one of the area’s most treasured natural resources, the Saluda River, to the forefront of the guest experience,” Riverbanks CEO Tommy Stringfellow said in a statement. “Fifty years is a major achievement and a great opportunity to celebrate our successes as one of our state’s top destination attractions, a powerful economic driver in our region, and a trusted education and conservation resource.”

If the two counties eventually approve raising money for the zoo expansion via property taxes, the bond would be spread evenly across the two counties based on assessed property value, with Richland County carrying a $44.8 million investment and Lexington County carrying $35.2 million, according to the Riverbanks release. Taxpayers would see an increase of about $7.20 on $100,000 of assessed property value, the zoo estimates, with a gradual decrease each year until the bond expires.

Riverbanks currently has a nearly $149 million annual local economic impact, according to zoo statistics. The attraction has more than 500 employees, and the zoo said there is nearly $52 million in local spending each year from Riverbanks visitors from outside of Columbia.

The zoo said in its Thursday release that the planned expansion could boost the annual economic impact of the zoo to $175 million, would create 500 new jobs in the community and could boost attendance from about 1 million visitors per year to 1.6 million.

Stringfellow pointed to the early response to the new Darnall W. and Susan F. Boyd Aquarium and Reptile Conservation Center as an example of the power of the zoo as a tourism draw.

“The completion of this privately funded, incredible new facility is a testament to the progress and impact Riverbanks has on the region and beyond, and the subsequent surge in tourist visits is the milestone we wanted to reach in order to go back to the counties and ask for their support of the next chapter in our history,” Stringfellow said.