Hillsborough County commissioners voted 4-3 Wednesday to advance a $75 million public funding agreement for ZooTampa at Lowry Park. A public hearing and a third and final vote are set for Oct. 21.
The same 4-3 margin carried the proposal in September. The money would come from the county’s Community Investment Tax, a local sales tax, and would fund renovations and expansion over roughly 15 years. That amount is $25 million more than the roughly $50 million the county originally set aside for cultural institutions as a whole.
If the agreement is approved, ZooTampa would have to match the county’s contribution dollar for dollar, putting up another $75 million of its own.
Zoo officials say the money would modernize some of the park’s oldest sections, including areas untouched by major renovations since the 1980s. Planned upgrades could include the tiger and primate areas, the Australia and Africa sections, animal enclosures and visitor spaces. Renderings also show a possible expansion across the street toward the Hillsborough River, where a new South America section would occupy a 14-acre city-owned maintenance property. It could feature jaguars, giant river otters, giant anteaters and Inca terns, along with new dining and event venues and multiple public access points to Lowry Park and the river.
Mark Haney, the zoo’s senior vice president and chief external affairs officer, said planning would begin immediately in 2027, with construction on the first phase likely starting in 2028. The South America section would come last, near the end of the 15-year timeline.
The request follows the spring opening of Florida Waters, a $35 million project funded through private fundraising, state money, and county support.
Some commissioners have questioned directing such a large share of the tax revenue to a single organization. The Florida Aquarium, Glazer Children’s Museum, the Straz Center, the Tampa Bay History Center and Tampa Theatre also asked for funding, and their requests together total about $90 million. Supporters of the zoo plan argue that those institutions can tap Community Redevelopment Agency money, which the zoo cannot.
The reporting reviewed for this story does not say how much funding the other institutions would receive if the zoo deal passes, or which commissioners voted on each side.
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