Toledo Zoo plan: Add year-round exhibits

Associated Press

TOLEDO

The Toledo Zoo is trying to offer a more year-round experience and lessen the effect of northwest Ohio’s harsh winters.

The new 10-year master plan calls for conceptual ideas such as covered, climate-controlled exhibits using geodesic domes, greenhouse-type buildings, or a similar design, The Blade newspaper in Toledo reported Saturday.

About half of the exhibits would display current animals in a new way while the other half feature new or returning species to the park.

The plan includes infrastructure and parking improvements, renovated entrances, and other repairs as well as a move toward more interactive experiences, including touch screens and animal-care demonstrations.

The improvements are estimated to cost more than $94 million.

The plan is dependent on the renewal of a capital improvement levy, which the Lucas County Board of Elections must approve to be put on the November ballot. The levy would generate an estimated $67.5 million. The current 10-year levy expires in 2016.