Sacramento Zoo scraps Elk Grove relocation plans, cites rising costs
The Sacramento Zoo said it will no longer pursue its long-discussed plan to relocate to Elk Grove, the zoo’s interim CEO announced Wednesday in a letter posted on the organization’s website.
Robert Churchill, interim CEO of the Sacramento Zoological Society, said in his letter the decision followed months of internal review.
“After much thoughtful consideration, the Sacramento Zoological Society announced today that the proposed new zoo project in Elk Grove will not be moving forward,” Churchill wrote.
The move marks a major reversal for a city that had hoped to reimagine the Sacramento Zoo as a regional destination in a larger, modern location.
The announcement comes almost one year after the Elk Grove City Council approved the $302 million project following a marathon public meeting. That May 2024 vote capped nearly four years of planning and marked a historic moment for Elk Grove, which had hoped to become the new home of a state-of-the-art regional zoo.
‘Elk Grove’s going to be fine’
A disappointed Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen said the city remains “firm and resolute.”
“One door closes and another opens,” she said. “We are dreaming big.”
Singh-Allen said she would talk with colleagues and the community about the setback and what comes next, but that Elk Grove remains open to large-scale projects.
“That we were ready to spend $300 million on phase one (of the project) should demonstrate that the city of Elk Grove is ready to do big projects,” Singh-Allen said. “I’m sad. It’s something the city was looking forward to. But Elk Grove’s going to be fine.”
The Wednesday decision came a day before Zoological Society officials were obligated to meet a Thursday deadline to contribute $10 million toward the project, Singh-Allen said. The society had agreed to provide $50 million toward the project, much of that through donor contributions, by May 2027.
But enthusiasm for the project may not have translated into contributions. Singh-Allen said an uncertain economy may have played a role.
“We recognize the issues — the economy is weak. It’s been cold in terms of what (the zoological society) has been able to raise,” Singh Allen said. “The excitement for the project hasn’t translated into dollars.”
Despite the initial enthusiasm, zoo officials say the project became unworkable. In a joint statement released Tuesday, the city and the zoo cited “economic uncertainty and increased construction costs” as key reasons for ending the plan. Additional concerns included rising operating costs, reduced scope for the first construction phase, and doubts over funding for later phases.
Project would have housed fewer animals
The original plan envisioned a 65-acre, state-of-the-art facility in Elk Grove. However, as the project advanced, Churchill said the vision became increasingly constrained by rising costs: “As design work proceeded, it became clear that the new zoo’s size would be dramatically reduced, and critical features would be eliminated to control construction costs and stay within budget,” he said in the letter.
Zoo officials said in an FAQ posted to its website that “the initial phase of the new zoo was also expected to house far fewer species than the current zoo in Land Park.” The zoo said the new facility would have housed just 30 species, less than a third of the 94 species that currently call Land Park home.
Among the features eliminated from the initial phase were high-profile components such as an event pavilion, permanent classrooms, overnight guest accommodations and the Okapi Aviary.
“These high-profile spaces were a part of the new zoo’s visionary impact,” the Zoo said in a FAQ page on its website. “The events pavilion, education programs such as summer camp, and guest accommodations were also revenue-generating items that would have contributed to the financial viability of the zoo.”
The zoo receives no federal funding and relies heavily on donations, admissions and partnerships.
Officials said the board recently determined that remaining in Land Park posed less risk and better aligned with the zoo’s long-term mission.
Churchill said the zoo has secured approximately $19 million in pledges toward its $50 million fundraising goal. In an interview with The Sacramento Bee, he said the board’s decision was not based solely on fundraising but on whether the project could meet expectations within the available budget.
Churchill was named interim CEO in October after longtime director Jason Jacobs stepped down. Jacobs, who joined the zoo in 2017, had overseen the early stages of the relocation effort before resigning to move closer to family in Florida.
The board also brought in Kevin Bell, former president and CEO of Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, to help lead strategy and fundraising for the proposed move.
‘Responsible choice’ is to stay in Land Park
The Sacramento Zoo, which opened in 1927, remains at its historic location in William Land Park. The facility has long grappled with limited space and aging infrastructure, prompting years of discussion about a possible move to a larger site.
Churchill emphasized that while the decision may disappoint some supporters, it was made in the interest of long-term sustainability and mission fidelity.
“We truly believe that ending the Elk Grove project is the most responsible choice for the long-term sustainability and success of the zoo,” he wrote.
The move comes a day before the Big Day of Giving, a regional fundraiser for nonprofits across the capital region. This year, the zoo’s fundraising campaign is focused on current-use needs, the zoo said in an FAQ with patrons, with proceeds earmarked for animal care, conservation efforts and education at its existing Land Park site.
“The funds raised at this year’s Big Day of Giving were, and still are, going to support the operations of the Sacramento Zoo in Land Park,” Churchill said.
Elk Grove City Councilmember Rod Brewer called the news “disappointing” and said Tuesday he was “shocked” to learn the project would not move forward.
“Right now we’re looking at the economy,” Brewer said. “The market is very volatile, and there’s all this talk of increasing tariffs across the board, which would affect construction, ability to afford goods, and just the build out of the zoo itself over a period of time.”
He said the city needed to “do what’s in the best interest of our residents, our taxpayers and really practice some prudence.”
Brewer echoed comments made by Singh-Allen in a video message released after the announcement to residents that the city upheld its commitments under the project agreement.
“We’ve fulfilled all of our obligations under the project agreement,” he said. “Our agreement to complete the project never wavered.”
Brewer also raised questions about whether the zoo was meeting its fundraising goals.
“If people are not donating and feeling the excitement for building the zoo … that really puts a damper on our efforts to build the zoo,” he said. “It signals that the new market conditions really make it challenging to move forward.”
Donations to be returned to zoo, donors
Elk Grove Councilmember Darren Suen also expressed disappointment but remained optimistic about future uses for the site at Kammerer Road and Lotz Parkway in south Elk Grove, which remains in city ownership.
“I’m disappointed,” Suen said. “Unfortunately, the Zoological Society wasn’t able to fund-raise as they had hoped. … Although the city’s been on schedule with all the plans, we’ve worked in the spirit of the partnership, to every degree.”
Suen said the city took a calculated risk on a transformational project and noted future opportunities could still emerge.
“I wouldn’t preclude the future of anything,” he said. “It’s possible someone else could pick it up or they could decide to re-engage.”
He described the property as a “blank canvas,” with potential for new concepts to take shape.
“There’s all kinds of things that could happen,” Suen said. “But those things, just like the zoo, didn’t happen overnight.”
The Sacramento Zoological Society has already transferred approximately $1.9 million in donations designated for the Elk Grove project to the city. Those funds are being returned to zoo coffers, officials said. The zoo in its FAQ said zoo donors would be contacted in the coming days to determine how they would like their contributions handled.
In a joint statement, Mayor Kevin McCarty and Sacramento Councilmember Rick Jennings, who represents Land Park, said they looked forward to working with the zoo “to build off our longstanding partnership” but offered no other comment or plans for the future.
In his letter, Churchill said the zoo would now begin a process to “chart a new vision” for its future in Sacramento.
“We will continue to be a vibrant destination for our community and do whatever we can to ensure that this region will have a vibrant and beautiful zoo long into the future,” he said.
This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 12:07 PM.
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