New York: Governor Hochul Marks Groundbreaking for $135 Million Project at Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on October 27 the groundbreaking of a $135 million transformational project at Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, Monroe County, New York, anchored by a new Tropics Complex Exhibit building scheduled for completion in late 2029, with $42.5 million in state support.
The Tropics Complex will include Tropical Forest, Tropical Island Habitats and Pacific Reef Habitats exhibits, education space, event space, administrative offices and a new zoo gift shop. It will house 60,000 gallons of aquatic habitats, including a 30,000-gallon Amazon River tank, a komodo dragon pool, a Madagascar cichlid tank, a coral reef tank and a shark touch tank. Anticipated species include orangutans, lemurs, siamangs, coral cat sharks, Amazon fish and rays, jellyfish and giant Pacific octopus.
Funding comes from several partners: alongside the state's $42.5 million, first announced by Hochul in March 2022, Monroe County is investing $67.6 million, the State Historic Preservation Office has committed $1.9 million, and the Seneca Park Zoo Society has committed to raising an additional $23 million. The groundbreaking comes as Monroe County celebrates the 100th anniversary of its county parks system.
Seneca Park Zoo, established in 1894 and home to more than 90 species, draws more than 350,000 visitors a year and supports over 14,000 member households, making it the region's second-biggest tourist attraction. "For more than 130 years, the Seneca Park Zoo has been an important part of the region's history, educating and entertaining hundreds of thousands of visitors and residents alike," Hochul said. "Through this public-privately funded transformative project, we will ensure that tradition continues." Monroe County Executive Adam J. Bello called the groundbreaking a monumental leap for the zoo, and Zoo Society President and CEO Pamela Reed Sanchez called it the most transformative project in the zoo's history. The Governor's Office noted that New York welcomed a record 321 million visitors last year, generating more than $97 billion in direct spending and $152 billion in total economic impact, with tourism supporting one in nine jobs statewide.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 塞内卡公园动物园入口（资料图）。CC BY-SA 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The entrance to Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York (file photo). CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
