The Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, New York has broken ground on its $135 million expansion, due for completion in late 2029.
The project includes two new structures – the Tropics exhibit, an indoor and outdoor tropical habitat including forest, island and Pacific reef habitats, as well as a main entry building.
The new Tropics building will house 60,000 gallons of aquatic habitats, including a 30,000-gallon Amazon River tank, a Komodo dragon pool, a Madagascar cichlid tank, a coral reef tank, and a shark tank.
Species to feature in the new habitat include the lemur, Komodo dragon, giant day gecko, Borneo eared frog, siamang, coral cat shark, and giant Pacific octopus.
The project will also bring orangutans back to the zoo, and includes a new education space, event space, administrative offices and gift shop.
Pamela Reed Sanchez, Seneca Park Zoo Society's president and CEO, said the Tropics exhibit "is an investment in growth, strengthening not just Seneca Park Zoo, but our entire region".
The zoo is "creating a place of joy and wonder for a new generation, inspiring them to care about wildlife and wild places", she added.
"This is a project that benefits our entire community."
Massachusetts-based architecture firm CambridgeSeven has worked closely with New York's Monroe County throughout the design process.
"It is an immense privilege to collaborate with Monroe County and the Seneca Park Zoo to bring the new entry and Tropics another step closer to reality," said Chris Muskopf, principal at CambridgeSeven.
"The project will bring back orangutans to Seneca Park Zoo [and] revitalize the guest experience by introducing a 21st-century entry with visitor amenities, and a Tropics Rainforest exhibit."
Adam Bello, county executive, said: "The Tropics exhibit is more than just an expansion; it will be a globally immersive conservation experience rooted in Rochester’s identity and the Seneca Park Zoo's educational mission."
