OKC Zoo

[erasmusred]

Years ago the Dolphin exhibits around the country were getting protested to the point they hardly exist anymore.

I feel like I need to clarify, I am in no way suggesting I think they need to have dolphins come back to the zoo or any other type of "animal entertainment". I'm actually glad the dolphins are gone for their sake. I'm merely suggesting that the arena that they built for the dolphins shows is wasted space that could be better utilized.

[d-usa]

Well, short of tearing down and rebuilding the thing , it seems like the sea lion show is a pretty good use of that space. The building is just old and feels very dated, and the aquarium exhibits could use a lot of updating. Once they remodel I expect them to keep the sea lion exhibit as part of the building though. I would love for them to expand and maybe do some more outside exhibits as well. Increase the size of the outdoor portion of the sea lion exhibit maybe.

[d-usa]

As Halloween is approaching I was looking forward to our annual Haunt the Zoo trip.

Looks like they are completely changing it up this year though. Rather than doing the week-long Haunt the Zoo in the evenings, like they have been doing for quite a while now, they are now doing Haunt the Zoo only on the two Saturdays and Sundays prior to Halloween. It is also now a daytime event. They say that there has been a lot of demand to move it to the daytime and that people want to be able to do Haunt the Zoo and also see the animals and do all the other zoo things.

I'm pretty disappointed about this change, and I just don't see much of the benefit there. Haunt the Zoo has always felt like a separate event from the zoo itself, yes it was located inside the zoo, but it's never really been a trip to the zoo. And people were always able to go to the zoo during the day, and then do Haunt the Zoo at night. I feel that this will completely change the way this event feels, and having the whole zoo be open will mean that the event won't have the natural flow that it has always had. It's no longer a big route starting and finishing by the front gate, instead people will roam all over the place without much organic flow. Haunt the Zoo will now take a lot longer, and with Oklahoma temperatures it could mean that it quickly becomes uncomfortable for people wearing costumes. We have been doing family costumes for the past few years, but I don't know how many people would dress up for a whole day at the zoo rather than a 1-2 hour round trip through the old Haunt the Zoo.

But the two biggest issues for me:

- Changing the hours so drastically means that we simply cannot go this year. i work 12 hour night shifts every Thursday/Friday/Saturday. I have worked nights for the past 6 years, but with the old schedule there was always an opportunity to go on one of the days that I wasn't working. I simply won't have the time to make it.

- Haunt the Zoo has just been priced out of reach for a bunch of people. The price for Haunt the Zoo is unchanged, but since you are now doing Haunt the Zoo as well as actually visiting the zoo, you need tickets for both. If you are a family with three kids, Haunt the Zoo used to cost you $21, this year the same family will pay $70 for the same event. I feel like there will be a lot of families that will now be unable to attend what has become a family tradition for many. They have turned a very affordable family event and priced out a large portion of the community.

I think a compromise would be to maybe keep Thursday and Friday evening as the old fashioned "Haunt the Zoo" at nights, and then keep the new approach for Saturday and Sunday.

[Midtowner]

We went today, the new Asia exhibit is being actively worked on, the picnic area looks close to complete. Last weekend was the last weekend the aquarium was open and I can confirm they have already shut it down. You can go all the way to that end of the zoo to see just the sea lion, but that's pretty much all that's there. Some of the concrete pens of old are still being utilized for things like the red panda, meercats and porcupines, but I would assume they're moving those to the new Africa exhibit when it's complete. I'm almost sad to see the old pachyderm building is on the slate for demolition and redevelopment. There's not much at the zoo I recognize form my childhood which either hasn't been removed already or isn't scheduled for demolition and redevelopment within the next few years.

We went to Haunt the Zoo. We got in free with our Zoofriends pass. That pass is a hell of a deal.

[Pete]

Sanctuary Asia preview vid:

[HangryHippo]

Sanctuary Asia preview vid:

That video kind of had me wondering if it was going to be an Asia exhibit or a boardroom meeting space.

[bombermwc]

Yeah thats was a TERRIBLE video. Not only did it not tell you anything about any of the animals that will be there, but it used videos of all the existing areas and only showed us a meeting hall so the zoo can get into the wedding reception business. That is definitely not what i'm giving the zoo money for. It's supposed to be a zoo first, come on guys.

[Midtowner]

Yeah thats was a TERRIBLE video. Not only did it not tell you anything about any of the animals that will be there, but it used videos of all the existing areas and only showed us a meeting hall so the zoo can get into the wedding reception business. That is definitely not what i'm giving the zoo money for. It's supposed to be a zoo first, come on guys.

They had to replace the event space they lost when they closed the aquarium and its event space. It's good that they're looking at alternative funding streams. Especially when you have city councilmen who are threatening their appropriation from the city.

[jerrywall]

I miss the event space under the aquarium. It was cool holding an event where you could see dolphins through the windows.

I feel bad for them. I personally believe zoos can be (although not always are) good for education and conservation, as well as helping endangered species. There is so much pressure from certain groups attacking zoos though. It is becoming a political minefield.

[Thomas Vu]

I got that they'll have a red panda, which I thought the internet would be all for.

[Midtowner]

I got that they'll have a red panda, which I thought the internet would be all for.

They've had the red panda forever. It's over in the older part of the zoo with those tiny pit cages near the old aquarium.

[Midtowner]

I miss the event space under the aquarium. It was cool holding an event where you could see dolphins through the windows.

I feel bad for them. I personally believe zoos can be (although not always are) good for education and conservation, as well as helping endangered species. There is so much pressure from certain groups attacking zoos though. It is becoming a political minefield.

I don't think the OKC Zoo is really subject to those pressures except for when they take on an animal from someplace like Seattle. The recent issue was that Shadid had proposed redirecting the Zoo's sales tax take to police and fire.

[HangryHippo]

I miss the event space under the aquarium. It was cool holding an event where you could see dolphins through the windows.

That was a cool space. Are they ever going to redo Aquaticus?

[jn1780]

I miss the event space under the aquarium. It was cool holding an event where you could see dolphins through the windows.

I feel bad for them. I personally believe zoos can be (although not always are) good for education and conservation, as well as helping endangered species. There is so much pressure from certain groups attacking zoos though. It is becoming a political minefield.

The viewports were cool, however, the building definitely needs a lot of work. A friend had a wedding reception there. It was humid and the HVAC system was dripping on to the floor. It was at night so you of course couldn't see into the sea lion pool which kind of defeated the purposes of the room. The price was reasonable though.

[Plutonic Panda]

I wish the zoo would get giant pandas ��

[stratosphere]

Yeah thats was a TERRIBLE video. Not only did it not tell you anything about any of the animals that will be there, but it used videos of all the existing areas and only showed us a meeting hall so the zoo can get into the wedding reception business. That is definitely not what i'm giving the zoo money for. It's supposed to be a zoo first, come on guys.

There are a few more details at the zoo website:

https://www.okczoo.org/habitats#collection=972

OKLAHOMA CITY ZOO BREAKS GROUND ON SANCTUARY ASIA
As part of the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden's strategic plan outlined in 2010, the new 6.6 acre, $22 million expansion called Sanctuary Asia will create an expansive environment where endangered animals from the Asian continent can thrive while receiving world-class zoological animal care and where a lush, stimulating natural environment can be admired by new audiences in new ways.

Sanctuary Asia is truly a refuge where Asian elephants, and other Asian animals, are protected from predators and habitat loss. Animals within Sanctuary Asia, like all those within the Oklahoma City Zoo, are safe and free to live, socialize, eat, play and explore. The animals are expertly cared for and revered by more than one million annual guests many who will be seeing these animals for the first time and may never visit Asia. Visitors to Sanctuary Asia will be inspired by these magnificent animals, informed about their urgent plight in the wild and be moved to take immediate action to protect them. Sanctuary Asia will be open to the public in Summer 2018.

Animals: Asian Elephants (adding 3.5 acres to their existing 4.5-acre habitat), red pandas, Asian rhino, langurs, Komodo dragons, raccoon dogs, cranes and cassowary birds.

Restaurant: A two-story building with vast windows will seamlessly unite animal habitats with guest services to create highly visual and memorable experiences. In addition to providing daily food service, the facility is designed for after-hours special events. The restaurant offers views into the elephant, rhino and Komodo dragon habitats.

Water Zone: A splash area for kids to play in the summer

Landscape: The landscape design will include plantings native to Oklahoma, but will resemble Asian themes.

[warreng88]

Sanctuary Asia on track to open in May

By: Molly M. Fleming The Journal Record January 29, 2018

OKLAHOMA CITY – Timberlake Construction has gone through a lot of sticky notes while working on the Sanctuary Asia exhibit at the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden.

In the construction management trailer, a dry-erase board hangs on the wall, divided into columns and rows, spanning the next few weeks. Inside the boxes are different-colored sticky-notes, placed on top of the other, detailing which subcontractor will be on site, doing what part of the job. The subcontractors and the Timberlake team meet regularly to update the board as needed.

“This helps us to coordinate work,” said Lawrence Walker, assistant superintendent. “It helps out a great deal.”

Timberlake Construction President Bryan Timberlake said the company started implementing these practices, known in the industry as the last planner system, about two years ago. It’s part of the Lean Construction Institute’s best practices.

He said the plan at the zoo wasn’t just created by Timberlake and implemented. The subcontractors sat down and discussed it.

“The individual has made a commitment to themselves, which is a greater commitment than if someone else made them do it,” Timberlake said. “It’s a democratic process versus a dictatorship.”

The scheduling is working. The $22 million project started in February 2017 and will be completed in May. It was designed by Torre Design Consortium of New Orleans.

For the zoo, having Timberlake on track means it can start marketing the two-story, 400-seat restaurant building as an event space. The zoo’s catering company, Salt & Surrey, has been to two wedding conventions where it displayed a video about the new space, and people were awed.

Zoo Chief Executive Dwight Lawson said the main goal for the Asia exhibit was to improve the visitor experience. It provides food service at the back of the park and an air-conditioned place for families to rest. There’s also a splash pad for warm-weather enjoyment.

Lawson said the zoo didn’t specifically want to build special event spaces, such as the Asia exhibit and the updated picnic area, but any additional revenue is helpful.

“It’s never been a big part of our business, but it’s a big opportunity,” he said. “We are catching up with a number of zoos.”

The updated master plan includes more areas specifically for events.

Getting into the events business lets the zoo reach a different crowd, the group that may have aged out of their regular zoo visits, but isn’t coming back yet with their own children or grandchildren.

“Any line of revenue you can do is helpful,” Lawson said. “(Having events) helps people stay engaged. Even if they’re having fun, we can still get our message across.”

At the Sanctuary Asia exhibit, people can have a meeting on the second floor, where a large glass window overlooks the elephant area. Visitors can eat lunch on the first floor while watching the Komodo dragons.

There will be cassowary birds to see as well, which will be new to the zoo.

While in the area, visitors can see rhinos, a raccoon dog called a Tanuki, red pandas, Indian rhinos, the new langurs, and the Asian elephants. The elephants will have an additional 3.5 acres, adding on to their existing 4.5 acres.

The addition comes with pools, trees, and for guests, an upfront look at the elephants while eating or attending an event. The building and habitats are adorned with carved-rock columns, which were designed by Arizona-based Cemrock Landscapes Inc. They are one of a few subcontractors that Timberlake hired for the zoo job.

Duggan Timber Design, from Missouri, installed the timber pieces. The company works with Bass Pro Shops frequently.

The job also required a specialist in animal containment systems. Ohio-based Thermeq is doing the work.

Timberlake said his team visited all the specialty subcontractors, so they could meet them and see their work. He joked it was an especially important trip to check on Thermeq’s work.

The animal containment system is built into the new rhino house. The floor is heated. But to keep the large, thick, steel beams in place, there are 488 metal pieces embedded into the concrete.

The three specialty subcontractors are a small part of a job that has 2,500 work-hours logged a week, with 150 to 180 people on site every day.

That’s why the sticky notes are needed, Timberlake said. It takes a lot of coordination. And while he’s had some pushback from people who have been in the business for years, once they see it work, they realize it makes sense.

“The amount of sitting around and planning is the hardest part,” he said.

[warreng88]

I couldn't find an Adventure District thread, so I thought I would post this here since it is the most recent thread. Admin: feel free to move.

Adventure District development slow to meet potential

By: Brian Brus The Journal Record March 20, 2018

OKLAHOMA CITY – Neal McGee still believes in the Adventure District, and he can’t understand why it feels like he’s one of the few who see so much development potential.

“It’s a diamond in the rough,” he said. “You’ve got people going to the zoo, the racetrack, the softball museum … but there’s not a nice hotel in the whole area.

“It’s an uphill battle, no doubt,” McGee said. “But that doesn’t mean I’ve given up. You just have to pick your battles.”

The owner of Neal McGee Custom Homes has about 14 acres at NE 36th Street and Interstate 35 that would be perfect for a 185-room hotel conference complex, he said. It’s a short drive west to Remington Park, the zoo and museums such as the USA Softball Hall of Fame Complex. The Frontier City amusement park is right down the interstate.

And yet, no takers. McGee said city leaders could do a better job of drawing attention to the area.

City Hall and the business community haven’t given up on the potential of tourism adventure – just the opposite, said Councilman John Pettis Jr., who represents the ward. He pointed to City Council action at the end of 2015 that established a business improvement district, or BID, to financially help improve infrastructure and curbside appeal with streetscaping and signage.

Property owners within a BID’s boundaries pay a small assessment fee toward enhancement projects that benefit everyone. They’re common in commercial districts throughout the nation and have proven to be an integral part of revitalization efforts.

And it’s not as though the district is entirely lacking momentum, said city planner and BID specialist Kim Cooper-Hart. For example, Tom Parrish, who owns the Grand Woods development just south of the Tinseltown theater on N. Grand Boulevard, has filed at City Hall for a planned urban development allowance. Cooper-Hart gave credit to Parrish for his vision in his mixed-use projects and rallying neighborhoods around them.

The Remington Park casino needed to be open 24 hours a day to lure a hotelier, she said; that’s much more likely now than a few years ago. And Oklahoma Gas & Electric chose the district to launch a big LED streetlight pilot program.

“If you look around the city at various other districts, I think you’d agree that it is hard to agree on what the tipping point is. These things take time,” Cooper-Hart said. “It’s happening maybe slower than we’d like. … We’re still in the revitalization phase, trying to help elevate or de-blight some of the properties. Some of that is remedial and not quite at a tipping point yet.”

Pettis described the effort as more of a marathon than a sprint. Like McGee, he believes in the district’s potential, even if other developers are slow to step up. He said the Adventure District marketing team is doing what they can to promote the area.

“I’m sad to say that some of the resistance is because it’s in the northeast part of the city,” Pettis said, referring to a racial mix that historically has more African-Americans. “We continue to meet with retailers and other developers almost 24/7 trying to get them in. … It’s not happening because we’re not trying.”

Jerry Hocker with Coldwell Banker Hocker & Associates said he won’t give up on the district either. He can’t really afford to, since the company holds 5 acres.

“All of the businesses already in place are doing extremely well,” he said. “I think it’s a perception issue more than anything else. It carries a stigma no one wants to talk about, but it’s there whether you want to say so or not.”

[scottk]

" … but there’s not a nice hotel in the whole area.”

Are there restrictions/reasons why Remingtion Park couldn't add-on/build a hotel and event center attached or next to it's existing property?

It seems every other Oklahoma Casino that has a large hotel attached to it (Hard Rock, River Spirit, Choctaw Resort Durant, Winstar, etc) seems to do well in pulling in both local and out-of-state guests. With the OKC Zoo, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Science Museum Oklahoma, softball stadium, etc, and close proximity to I-35, it would seem all parties would benefit from a resort/large hotel being built, especially in becoming a destination if additional amenities can be added to Remington Park's casino and racetrack that would compliment a resort-style hotel.

Choctaw Casino Durant has built a lot of "family friendly' activities on their casino/resort property in addition to just the casino floor. They have a huge pool/waterpark area, movie theatre, bowling alley, spa, etc to make it a destination.

The current setup of the Adventure District is a place to spend a few hours and then head back. When the main feeder for the Adventure District is OKC itself, many just head home and head back the next weekend for another activity/museum.

I could see events at the Zoo amphitheater during the summer helping fill a near by hotel if a "stay and play package" partnership could be developed.

[Pete]

Remington Park has been planning a nicer hotel in the northern part of their parking lot.

It's been on the board for a couple of years and I believe it is still in the works, but probably still won't happen for a while longer.

Also, there is another mixed-use project planned for the immediate area that would include at least one hotel, but I'm not 100% sure it will get off the ground.

[HOT ROD]

I REALLY do not understand why this area has not taken off. Look at the 30+ years since Remington and not much has been done to improve the area as a destination other than the moniker 'Adventure District'.

I thought, long ago, that there would be several hotels built on Martin Luther King at and near the racetrack. I just can't believe there has been nothing, particularly the fact that modern facilities of this type have a hotel attached and several others nearby as aluded to earlier.

I think we all could agree that the Adventure District amenities together likely is the top destination (or at least top 3) of the entire state; yet are there ANY hotels nearby? And don't include Frontier City, it is too far disconnected from the NE 50th and MLK rough center of the "district" to try to lump that in and even then the FC motels are not much better than freeway motels you see in non-destination areas. ...

Where is the Holiday Inn Oklahoma City Adventure District? or the Hilton Oklahoma City Remington Park? or even the Hampton Inn Oklahoma City Zoo/Adventure District. .. These are the hotel brands that I have been expecting to be built and am surprised still not there. ...

[Laramie]

This rendering shows plans for a feature of the planned Sanctuary Asia exhibit at the Oklahoma City Zoo. [Rendering provided]

Elephant-sized debate for the Oklahoma City zoo: http://newsok.com/article/5539219


Elephant exhibits are a favorite of zoo visitors. Here, Nick Newby leads a demonstration with Rex at a crowded pavilion at the Oklahoma City Zoo. (Steve Ringman / The Seattle Times)

[Johnb911]

Question: Can anyone explain why the zoo gives out gift cards that then have to be exchanged for tokens to actually buy anything? My wife took the kids yesterday and had an extremely frustrating time. We've got $30 on a gift card but apparently that can only be used to feed the giraffes or lorikeets or pet stingrays. We can't actually used it to buy lunch or a stuffed animal in the gift shop.

Anyone have any insight into why that is? Different point of sale systems that don't talk to each other (which would be silly)? Some scheme to make you change your dollars into tokens and then not give you change on your tokens so you essentially round up to the dollar and the zoo gets to keep that?

[BBatesokc]

Question: Can anyone explain why the zoo gives out gift cards that then have to be exchanged for tokens to actually buy anything? My wife took the kids yesterday and had an extremely frustrating time. We've got $30 on a gift card but apparently that can only be used to feed the giraffes or lorikeets or pet stingrays. We can't actually used it to buy lunch or a stuffed animal in the gift shop.

Anyone have any insight into why that is? Different point of sale systems that don't talk to each other (which would be silly)? Some scheme to make you change your dollars into tokens and then not give you change on your tokens so you essentially round up to the dollar and the zoo gets to keep that?

We get the Zoo Family+ pass every year and get a gift card with it. This started I believe two years ago. I was told it had something to do with a vendor agreement, but didn't press for details.

Not a big deal, I just take my gift card to customer service on my first trip of the year and have them convert it all to tokens. Actually works out perfect for us because we split the family pass with a relative and this makes it easy to split the balance of the gift card between us.

Splitting a family pass between two families is often a great way to save some money and get really good perks.

[Urbanized]

They do indeed have multiple point of sale systems which don’t talk with each other and they are as frustrated with this as you. Keep in mind that the current director has now been on the ground (I think) three years and has overseen a dramatic reshaping of legacy staff and overall operations. Many of his current staff overseeing things like visitors’ services and marketing have only been on the ground for a couple of seasons, and are working hard to improve the visitor experience and customer flow.

They are currently researching point of sale solutions that will make the whole experience more seamless, and I know this only because I spoke with them directly about it within in the past month, by chance. I referred them to the new software I’m personally implementing with a go-live of May 1. Not sure if it’s the one they will go with but they are really interested in my experience, which I’ll be sharing with them after we have some time with it. Technology is moving very quickly in this particular area.

Anyway, not sure of the specific logistics of their gift cards, but suspect it is exactly what you suggest, and just know that they are aware of some POS clunkiness and working toward a solution. Just be forewarned that you probably shouldn’t expect a changeover until after the season. I’m right up against the beginning of tourist season myself, and presently my timing decision is feeling sort of reckless.