BROOKFIELD – A $1 million investment of taxpayer dollars to the Chicago area’s biggest zoo will provide more than economic benefits to the community of Brookfield, organizers say. The programs made possible by the project will give developmentally disabled participants an opportunity for social development.
Gov. Pat Quinn announced Monday that $1 million in public funds will be devoted to improvements at Brookfield Zoo. The $1 million comes from part of Quinn’s $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! program, billed as the largest construction project in state history.
The $1 million in taxpayer dollars will be combined with more than $1 million in private donations to subsidize a planned $7 million facility that will feature a program dedicated to children with autism, capitalizing on studies that have shown these children with special needs may be aided developmentally by interacting with animals in a controlled environment.
The project will provide guests the opportunity to interact with animals from the zoo’s Wild Encounters exhibit and is expected to play a role in increasing tourism and zoo attendance.
In exchange for the state money, said Matthew Mayer, vice president of public affairs for the Chicago Zoological Society, which manages Brookfield Zoo, the region will reap financial rewards.
This year alone, he said the zoo is poised to generate more than $150 million in activity in support of the regional economy while providing jobs to more than 2,000 Illinois workers – totals that include local vendors and businesses the zoo purchases from to construction projects.
He said the attraction’s benefits are tri-fold in terms of boosting the local economy, tourism and education.
Between 2004 and today, Mayer said $1 billion from the zoo has been funneled into the region from general economic activity and tax revenues for local businesses.
Meanwhile, the zoo is the most popular paid cultural attraction in the Midwest, he said, welcoming 2 million guests per year.
“Brookfield Zoo is a potent economic engine,” he said. “Now’s the time to start making an investment.”
Dave Roeder, director of communications at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, said the state’s investment in Brookfield Zoo pays dividends for the whole city.
“The Brookfield Zoo is one of the premier zoos in the country and one of the main tourist attractions in the state,” Roeder said. “It’s in need of some capital investments to make some necessary improvements and the state is stepping up in a way that will benefit everyone.”
Source: Suburban Life
