Democratic legislators attended a briefing on Wednesday about a new design contract for the Seneca Park Zoo expansion and learned details about the project that have not been shared with the public.
Legislator Barnhart asked how much was spent on the initial design, which came in wildly over budget. The county paid Clark Patterson Lee $6.7 million for that work, of which only about $700,000 can be reused for things like the site survey, logistics planning, and geothermal design.
“Some might shrug at a $6 million cost correction on a $100 million project. Projects this large often run into trouble. But the fact is – we still lost $6 million because of serious missteps,” said Legislator Barnhart. “There was no attempt to proactively inform the legislature or the public. County officials simply waited for questions to be asked, hoping those questions wouldn’t arise in an open meeting or a press conference.”
The first design was overly ambitious, resulting in a single construction bid of $173 million, far exceeding the original $121 million budget. The project’s budget is now $100 million, but much of that difference was already spent on costs such as a new access road—and the unworkable design.
While Clark Patterson Lee is a reputable firm, they are not zoo specialists. The administration’s new proposed design firm Cambridge Seven, which would receive $6.7 million pending legislative approval, has extensive zoo experience. A new project manager is also on board, and the team has been given strict instructions not to exceed the $100 million cap.
The legislature was kept in the dark about the need for a brand new design until the referral came in for Cambridge Seven. When the administration solicited new proposals, it paid each of the applicants $20,000, $1 dollar below the threshold requiring approval.
Scaled Back Expansion
The zoo expansion has shrunk from its original 2022 vision. The aquarium’s size, for example, was trimmed from 220,000 gallons to 150,000 gallons. Plans for certain animals—such as the binturong, flying fox, and sand tiger shark—have been scrapped, though the consultant did recommend another species. The new building’s footprint will also be smaller.
County Not Worried About Zoo Society Fundraising
The legislature approved $102 million in bonds for the zoo expansion in 2022, with the state providing $42.5 million to help pay that back. The Seneca Park Zoo Society pledged to raise $23 million but has collected only $9 million so far. If the nonprofit fails to raise more, county taxpayers could be on the hook for $50.5 million. (Though the project cost is $100 million, the additional $2 million offers a small cushion.)
Despite the challenges to date, Legislator Barnhart plans to vote yes on the new design firm, having confidence that the administration has righted the ship.
“I support investments in the zoo. I just want to know what’s going on with the project, and the Bello administration has failed to properly keep the legislature and public updated to date,” said Legislator Barnhart.
Legislation to Restrict Caucus Meetings
Legislator Barnhart opposes these caucus briefings on pending legislation.
“The public deserves to hear our questions and the administration’s answers. There was nothing confidential that was not public information shared in our private briefing,” she said. “These briefings turn our open sessions into a mere formality.”
New York exempts caucus meetings from open meetings laws. Legislator Barnhart has drafted legislation that would not allow caucus briefings with the administration on pending legislation. A separate piece of legislation would not allow the administration to restrict briefings to certain legislators while using the caucus meeting exemption in open meetings law.
“This zoo briefing is a prime example of why caucuses should not meet behind closed doors with the administration to discuss the public’s business,” said Legislator Barnhart, who plans to submit the legislation in February.