Oregon Zoo Bond Measure
Learn how the zoo is implementing a decade’s worth of campus improvements.
In 2024, voters approved a $380 million bond measure to improve some of the zoo’s oldest animal areas, educational exhibits, guest facilities and infrastructure. The bond will make possible a host of upgrades prioritized in the zoo’s campus plan.
Campus plan and implementation
After a yearlong engagement process to set future campus priorities — with feedback and guidance from zoo guests, staff members, community groups, and animal care and conservation experts — the zoo’s new campus plan, which includes the bond implementation plan, was approved by Metro Council in September 2024.
The plan outlines changes that will define the next era of animal care, guest accessibility and resource conservation at the zoo. This includes updating animal areas, improving accessibility and amenities for guests of all ages and abilities, and ensuring the zoo does its part to both mitigate and respond to a changing climate.
Current projects
As the zoo gears up for major campus upgrades, a couple of projects are already underway: On the south side of the entry plaza, workers are building a large covered area that will extend out from Cascade Cafe, offering shade in the summer and shelter when it rains. It will be a comfortable spot for guests to sip a morning coffee or grab a quick bite while watching the mountain goats across the way.
And over near Polar Passage, crews are laying the foundation for a new Wildlife Pavilion, where guests can relax with an elephant ear, pizza or a picnic lunch.
Both new spaces will increase accessibility for visitors of all abilities while offering protection from heat and extreme weather. They will also meet Metro’s Sustainable Building and Sites Policy, saving water and energy in zoo operations. At the pavilion, rainwater will funnel into adjacent planting beds, and rooftop solar panels will help offset energy use.
Coming soon
Conceptual design begins in summer 2026 for the first major animal project: Coastal Shores, featuring new habitats for sea otters, harbor seals and Humboldt penguins.
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