Jackson to seek developers for struggling city zoo

Mayor John Horhn announced during a City Council meeting Tuesday that the Planning and Development Department will seek bids from companies interested in developing the property that encompasses the Jackson Zoo. The effort remains in the planning stages and bid documents have not been finalized, Horhn said.

Horhn said the city has several “inducements” to attract developers, including state and federal tax credits, and that a successful project “would be gigantic.” He pledged last year during his State of the City address to revitalize the zoo.

The city-run zoo sits in west Jackson a few miles from downtown on West Capitol Street and has seen visitor numbers and revenue fall in recent years. WLBT reported the zoo has not made more than $100,000 in annual revenue since at least 2021 and said many exhibits are shabby and sun-damaged. The city said it relocated chimpanzees last year after discovering a water leak in a moat that led to “million-dollar plus” water bills.

The zoo sits amid concentrated blight, including a burned-out church and abandoned homes. Horhn said the zoo “for many years was the anchor to west Jackson” and that the city wants to return it to its status as a top attraction and an economic driver. Past proposals to close or relocate the zoo have surfaced over the years but none have moved forward.

Plans have included a 2018 effort by the now-defunct Jackson Zoological Society to move the facility and a 2023 attempt by then-Hinds County supervisor David Archie to use more than $7 million in county funds to relocate the zoo, an effort that failed, WLBT reported. Pieter Teeuwissen, Jackson’s chief administrative officer, said the city has long sought development of nearby Livingston Park and that the lake needs dredging and the splash pads need repair. Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley, whose district includes the zoo, said he welcomed the mayor’s announcement and encouraged residents to get involved.

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