HEALTH CARE:

HEALTH CARE:
Bill Details

°

Homepage / Detroit Local News
Text Size

Mayor Says Zoo Closure Only Temporary

Rumors Swirl About Demise Of Belle Isle Facility

POSTED: 4:59 p.m. EDT May 6, 2002
UPDATED: 5:22 p.m. EDT May 6, 2002

City officials are denying rumors that the temporary closure of the Belle Isle Zoo for budgetary reasons could become permanent.

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick said last week that the zoo will close for the season because the city could not afford to keep it open as well as running the larger Detroit Zoo on Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak.

Kilpatrick visited children at the Roeper school in Bloomfield Monday and explained that the decision to shutter the facility was purely a dollar issue.

 SURVEY
Should the city reopen the Belle Isle Zoo, and keep it open?
Yes, it should be reopened.
No, the Detroit Zoo is enough.

"We need to really figure out what we want there, and how we would really put together or what we would do with that zoo. Not just continue to open it, and manage it and run it, and really flush money down the toilet," said Kilpatrick.

Attendance at the Belle Isle Zoo has fallen to about 10 times less than it was 15 years ago, Local 4 reported. By closing the facility, the city could realize a savings of about $500,000 this year.

Many Detroit residents have been upset by the closure of the zoo. Some community leaders have reacted negatively by the move to consolidate, at least temporarily, the zoo's operations at the suburban zoo location.

Kilpatrick said Monday that he does not want to close the zoo for good. He plans to avoid laying off workers at the zoo by having them work part time while the city figures out a way to improve the facility.

"We want to reopen the zoo, we want to reopen it right," Kilpatrick said. We want to do correct marketing, look at what should be there, look at what kinds of attractions should be there like we've done at the Detroit Zoo. And we think we have to end is this whole debate of the Detroit Zoo versus the Belle Isle Zoo."

Hot Topics

All 4 Halloween
Friday Football Frenzy - High School Football Highlights
Links We Like
Sponsored Content
You can pick your friends, but not your family -- or your neighbors. Here's what you need to know about how to deal with yours. More

Find out what a sputtering economy and an increasingly difficult to crack job market means to you. More

Are you often tired or rushed in the morning? Give your morning habits a makeover, and start the day feeling positive and energetic instead. More

If you're looking to save on your next new vehicle, a low sticker price is just one aspect. Consider all the costs and make the right decision. More

Hot Shots!

Fantastics Fall Colors
Share your Hot Shots of fantastic fall colors from Michigan's one of a kind tree lines to pumpkin patches!
More
Slideshow: Fall Colors

High School Football Highlights
Send us your Hot Shot photos of football action. Once your Hot Shot gets posted, show it off to all of your friends!
More

Slideshow: Football Frenzy Hot Shots

Sponsored Links

On Local 4

Days Of Our Lives
NBC’s daytime drama “Days of our Lives” will hold its first ever talent and fan search in Detroit at the MGM Grand on Friday, Nov.13 and Saturday, Nov. 14. More

www.DaysOfOurLives.com

He's a hometown boy made good but with some dark secrets. The Defenders reveal more on Dan Gilbert's hidden deal with Kwame Kilpatrick and an arrest he might not want you to know about.

Morning Home Delivery From Click On Detroit and Local 4 News

Most Popular

Question Of The Day

How do you feel about President Barack Obama's handling of health care reform?