For Immediate Release: June 6, 2024

Media Contact: Michelle.Sherwood@sen.ca.gov

SENATOR ASHBY BILL TO KEEP SACRAMENTO ZOO RELOCATION TO ELK GROVE ON TRACK PASSES ASSEMBLY LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY

SACRAMENTO, CA – SB 739 allows the City of Elk Grove to use a Construction Manager At-Risk (CMAR) construction contract for the Sacramento Region’s new zoo in Elk Grove, helping the City jump start the project and keep costs low. Senator Angelique V. Ashby (D-Sacramento) released the following statement after her bill, Senate Bill 739 passed the Assembly Local Government Committee unanimously 9-0:

“The Zoo is great for our region. It is a wonderful attraction, a place for families to spend quality time, and a place of learning,” said Senator Ashby (D-Sacramento.) “Ensuring that the Zoo is able to relocate, expand, and meet the needs of their wildlife population is important and vital to their success. The City of Elk Grove has offered space for that to happen, and SB 739 will help streamline the process and ensure a cost-efficient project.” 

Figure 1: “Zoos are cool!” Front: Kevin Ferreira (Sacramento-Sierra’s Building and Construction Trades Council), Senator Angelique Ashby (D-Sacramento), Christal Love-Lizard (City of Elk Grove), Jason Jacobs (Sacramento Zoo), Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, Elizabeth Stallard (Sacramento Zoo). Back: Sharon Wright (Sacramento-Sierra’s Building and Construction Trades Council), Amaya Childes (Office of Senator Ashby), Gregg Fishman (SacRT), Samuel Grimm (City of Elk Grove), Daniel Washington (Office of Senator Ashby).

“The new zoo is a complex project that requires specialized habitats for thousands of animals, running the gamut from a 1 and a half pound meerkat to a two-ton rhinoceros. SB 739 would expedite this process and allow our community to enjoy the incredible regional zoological park. We thank Senator Ashby for her support of this project,” said Jason Jacobs, Executive Director/CEO, Sacramento Zoological Society.  

“When signed into law, Senate Bill 739 will allow Elk Grove to utilize the Construction Manager At-Risk project delivery method to more efficiently and cost effectively build the first modern zoological park in the country in more than 30 years. This legislation gives our City the same benefits afforded to California counties to support a complex and critical project that will generate far-reaching, long-term, benefits for the city and the entire Sacramento region,” said Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, City of Elk Grove. 

The City of Elk Grove and the Sacramento Zoological Society have been negotiating to relocate the Sacramento Zoo to Elk Grove since 2021. On May 8, 2024 the Elk Grove City Council voted in favor of the move and expansion of the Sacramento Zoo.

A Construction Manager At Risk contract will allow the City to complete the zoo project in the timeliest and most cost efficient manner. 

This relocation is projected to offer more than four and a half times the space for the Zoo, expanding from 14.3 acres to approximately 65 acres, with an additional 35 acres of parking and other public infrastructure - making it the largest public capital project ever envisioned in Elk Grove.

This expansion will provide much larger exhibits and habitats for the Zoo’s animals. The Zoo holds an Association of Zoos and Aquariums accreditation, and is home to almost 400 animals, including protected and endangered species. The Sacramento Zoo hosts more than half a million guests every year, attracting visitors across Northern California, the Sacramento Region and even Western Nevada. 

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About Senator Angelique V. Ashby

Senator Angelique V. Ashby represents Sacramento County. She is the first woman elected to represent the metropolitan area of Sacramento in the State Senate in more than 20 years. She was elected to the Sacramento City Council in 2010. She was the sole woman for more than half of her 12 year tenure and the only member in city history to serve as Vice Mayor or Mayor pro Tem for 8 years. She is a graduate of McGeorge School of Law, and earned her baccalaureate at the University of California at Davis. She and her husband Zac have three children and live in the City of Sacramento. 

For more information, visit Senator Ashby’s Website here or find her on Twitter at @SenatorAshby