PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown has plans to expand over the next few years just in time for its 100th anniversary in 2024.
A $1 million donation from the Genuardi Family Foundation will support those efforts and help the zoo bridge the gap — or in this case, the water.
The money will fund a bridge construction over Stoney Creek, connecting the zoo’s current 16 acres to 20 more. The 100-foot-long bridge will be open to cars and pedestrians.
“We are so excited to receive this $1 million,” said Jennifer Conti, zoo director of development, “which really gets us to a point where we can launch some new plans and new project ideas that will put the zoo in a whole new position and bring a bunch of new exciting exhibits and features and areas for exploration.”
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The expansion will include more animal exhibits and amenities for visitors.
The Genuardi Family Foundation, based in Norristown, was established as a way to give back to the communities that supported the family’s supermarket business. The foundation has helped the zoo in several fundraising initiatives over the past 20 years.
“We hope the community joins us in raising funds and getting us to a whole new level and a whole new zoo,” Conti added.
The zoo is trying to reach $50 million to complete the first phase of its expansion.