The Lincoln Children’s Zoo plans to ask the Visitors Promotion Committee for $2.1 million in lodging tax revenue to help pay for a planned expansion.
The committee makes recommendations to the Lancaster County Board about how to distribute revenue collected from the 2 percent lodging tax. The zoo is asking for $300,000 a year for seven years, starting in 2018.
Zoo President and CEO John Chapo said the zoo hasn’t decided yet how it would use the funds, but it would go toward some aspect of its expansion plans.
“That’s kind of up in limbo right now,†he said.
In its application for funds, the zoo said it expects $2.1 million worth of improvements to and expansion of the zoo would generate a $14.3 million economic impact for Lincoln, primarily through an increase in overnight stays at local hotels.
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The zoo expects the overall project to cost $15 million.
It plans to add animal interactions to the indoor play area in the Ager Center and to add five new animal habitats, including those for giraffes and spider monkeys, over the next three years.
The zoo also plans to build new classrooms for the Zoo School and the zoo’s education department.
Zoo officials plan to break ground on the expansion in April 2017 and complete the work by 2019.