A proposal to close the Spring River Zoo and build a new recreational complex in its place will go before the Roswell City Council.
Members of the council’s Legal Committee voted 4-0 on Monday, Aug. 31, to send the resolution to the full council, which will take it up at its next meeting Thursday, Sept. 10, at 6 p.m. at the Chaves County Administrative Center, 1 St. Mary’s Place in Roswell.
Voting in favor of the resolution at the committee meeting were Councilors Christina Arnold and Juan Oropsa, both of Ward 1, Riley Armstrong of Ward 2 and Ed Heldenbrand of Ward 3. Councilor Angela Moore of Ward 5, who is also on the committee, was absent.
The resolution, if passed, authorizes the city to “wind down operations” of the zoo, located at 1306 E. College Blvd., by the end of fiscal year 2027, which is June 30, 2027.
Fiscal years run from July 1 to June 30 of each year, and are named for the calendar year they end in.
Animals currently held at Spring River Zoo would be relocated to other zoos should the proposal pass. It would also direct the city manager to put forth a plan for the construction of a new Adult Center and other facilities, collectively known as a multi-generational center, on the 34 acres used by the zoo and Peppermint Park. That would be paid for with a mixture of city, state and federal dollars.
Although the zoo would be shuttered, Roswell City Manager Hess Yntema said the portion of the property used for Peppermint Park would remain open to the public, at least until construction gets underway.
City officials are putting forth the plan as part of an effort to replace facilities along the Spring River Corridor lost in an historic flood on Oct. 19, 2024, when 7 inches of rain fell in downtown Roswell within six hours.
No plans have yet been finalized, but early concepts show that the center would include a new Adult Center. The previous Adult Center, which had been at 807 N. Missouri Ave., was closed due to damage sustained in the flood. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized a $6.6 million reimbursement to the city for a new Adult Center.
Other possible components could include a community garden, basketball, tennis and pickleball courts, updated playground equipment and a dog park. There are also plans to repair the pond and replace a bridge in the park area that was damaged by the flood and likely include retention areas to protect against future flooding.
The proposal, with all its combined projects, would cost $17.5 million and allow the city to replace the Adult Center, the Boy Scouts clubhouse, a Department of Parks and Recreation storage facility and a tennis pro shop, all of which were damaged by the flooding. Repair and replacement of a bridge and a pond impacted by the flooding would also be covered.
FEMA will reimburse the city for about $13.1 million, leaving the city to cover the remaining $4.4 million needed for the project, Yntema said. Revenue from a three-eighths of 1% local option gross receipts tax that the city put in place to cover flood recovery costs, as well as $9 million in zero-interest state loans, would provide cash up front for the project.
Yntema argued that the zoo is in need of major upgrades, and repurposing the property allows the city to consolidate multiple flood repair projects into one and provide accommodations that would not otherwise be possible.
“You just can’t build a new community center for five million bucks. It just doesn’t work, unfortunately,” Yntema said.
During the committee meeting, some councilors voiced concern about the need to get public feedback about any rebuilding effort.
Councilor Julianna Halverson of Ward 2 said at the meeting the project will be a long-term effort, with multiple opportunities for public input.
“This will be years down the road when it’s going to be happening because we have to have a public meeting, engineering studies, but we want public involvement,” she said.
The Roswell Museum and Art Center and the Roswell Convention Center, both of which were damaged in the flooding, will not be included as part of the project, Yntema said. The city is hoping to repair the convention center, which sustained an estimated $10 million to $15 million in damage, and replace the museum, which sustained $40 million to $60 million in damage.
