TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Lowry Zoo Gets $1 Million Grant For Events Lodge

ADVERTISEMENT

By Lenora Lake, Tribune correspondent

Published: December 5, 2007

See Renderings And Pictures From Today's Announcement

TAMPA - Lowry Park Zoo will receive a $1 million grant to help build Safari Lodge, a 17,000-square-foot indoor events facility.

The donation, from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, was announced today at a news conference with Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, zoo and bank officials and community leaders.

Safari Lodge, the zoo's largest indoor events facility ever, will be used for displaying African artifacts, zoo fundraising events and corporate rentals. It is part of the zoo's master plan for development of the 11-acre Safari Africa habitat.

The lodge is expected to cost about $4.5 million. On top of the Bank of America grant and existing funding, the zoo needs to raise about $2 million to reach that amount, said Lex Salisbury, the zoo's president and chief executive officer.

"We'd love to get this done by Super Bowl," he said, referring to the 2009 Super Bowl, which will be played in Tampa.

However, the zoo typically does not start construction until a project is fully funded, Salisbury said.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT