March 7, 2007

Expansion

Calgary tourist attraction upgrades

Suzanne Zwarun

Correspondent

Calgary

The abrupt and unexplained resignation of Calgary Zoo president Alex Graham has raised concerns about whether his ambitious multi-million dollar expansion plans will go ahead.

Alex Graham, whose departure merited only a three-sentence statement from the zoo, is credited – or blamed – with being the moving force behind, first, the construction of the Destinations Africa exhibit and current plans for a $120 million expansion and the new Arctic Shores installation.

Since his appointment in 1999, Graham, 62, has earned the reputation as a consummate fund raiser – he corralled more than $25 million for Destination Africa in only two years.

But his current campaign to fund an expansion that will star beluga whales and polar bears has generated vociferous criticism amid a Graham had “a very strong business orientation”, says Ald. Bob Hawkesworth, making the zoo “entrepreneurial in a way it hadn’t been before”.

But that spawned criticism, especially from animal rights groups, that the zoo had become far more interested in soaring attendance figures and its financial bottom line than in its animals’ welfare.

They are predicting Graham’s departure will mean the expansion project will fall through.

The City of Calgary has voted $30 million and the Province of Alberta $34 million toward the expansion of the elephant exhibit, upgrading of the conservatory and establishment of Arctic Shores.

The zoo already received $3 million from the city for a feasibility study and preliminary design and was expecting the balance in June.

The city’s contribution to the zoo came from a $102 million community investment fund that was established in 2004 despite much criticism about the city lavishing money on tourist attractions while its transportation infrastructure crumbled. The money comes from the city’s GST rebate for five years.

The city’s community investment fund is designed to provide seed money for upgrades at four tourist attractions and kick-start construction of a new downtown library.

To receive the money, each group has to raise 90 per cent of its budget after the city’s contribution is factored in. Heritage Park was the first project to take the city’s money and run with it. With $10 million pledged from the city, it was able to raise $12 million from the province, $3 million from the federal government and $13 million from corporate and private donors, enough to launch construction of its $50 million expansion.

The historical village has started building the first two phases of its expansion including a recreation of a 1930s streetscape with detailed replicas of historical landmarks. The new buildings include three all-weather exhibits—Gasoline Alley spotlighting the oil and gas industry, the Heritage Business Block and a reconstruction of Calgary’s Canadian Pacific Railway Station of 1884. A redeveloped entrance, new walkway and an engineered prairie wetland are also planned. The whole project is on schedule for completion in 2008.

Two other projects are moving more slowly. Construction could begin next spring on the Telus World of Science/ Creative Kids Museum. The $160 million facility is to be built north of the zoo. The 130,000 square foot building will be twice the size of the existing one.

The new downtown library is likely to be a renovation of the current facility. The $120 million project will enlarge the current 167,000 square foot library to 360,000 square feet. An international architectural competition is expected to be held for the final design. Construction could start by 2010.

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