Caucus Zoo Briefing Reveals $6 Million Blown on First Design
The public wasn't told key details at last week's announcement.
Today Democratic legislators attended a briefing on a new design contract for the Seneca Park Zoo expansion. I oppose these caucus briefings on pending legislation 1because I believe the public deserves to hear our questions and the administration’s answers.
New York exempts caucus meetings from open meetings laws—a loophole the executive branch uses to shield thorny issues from public scrutiny. While caucus meetings are private, nothing we discussed today was in any way secret, nor would any of the subject matter qualify for an executive session (the legal exception for legislative bodies handling certain matters privately).2
Money Wasted on Unfeasible Design
I 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.
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, 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.
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, more than the $34.5 million the county announced would be the county’s share. (Though the project cost is $100 million, the additional $2 million offers a small cushion.)
Transparency an Issue
If you watched last week’s press conference, you wouldn’t have known we lost $6 million on the original design, specifics on how the project was scaled back, or that the county could end up spending more than its stated share.
Some might shrug at a $6 million cost correction on a $100 million project; I understand that challenges happen on projects this large. However, 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.
I’m voting yes
The administration officials who answered our questions were knowledgeable and forthright. Despite the challenges so far, they seem to have righted the ship. I believe we’re back on track and will be voting yes on the new design firm contract.
I am introducing legislation in February to restrict caucus briefings with the administration. Already, I’ve heard legislators argue they want to be able to ask things in private. My response: send an email or arrange a phone call.
There is a difference between privacy and secrecy. Privacy allows legislators to meet without being recorded or directly quoted. Secrecy, on the other hand, would forbid sharing any information at all, which clearly does not apply to public information about legislative matters.