Turtle Back Zoo Amphitheater Project ‘On Hold,’ Official Says

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A controversial plan to build an $8 million amphitheater at the Turtle Back Zoo in Essex County has been put on ice amid the coronavirus crisis, officials say.

Construction bids for a proposed, 500-seat “conservation pavilion” at the county-run zoo, which is located in West Orange, were due on May 13. However, no contract has been awarded, local advocacy group Coalition to Save South Mountain Reservation reported last week.

Patch reached out to Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. – who has been a vocal supporter of the proposed amphitheater in the past – for comment about the status of the project. He provided the following statement on Sunday:

“During the last five months, we have been focused on planning for and responding to the pandemic. Essex County has been particularly hard hit, having the most COVID-related deaths and the third-largest amount of positive cases in the state. Planning for the Turtle Back Zoo amphitheater has not been a priority and the project has been put on hold.”

Earlier this month, the Essex County Environmental Commission passed a unanimous resolution recommending the project be dropped altogether given the new financial realities of COVID-19.

The commission also expressed concerns about “deforestation,” increased traffic and parking needs, stormwater runoff and construction-related pollution, as well as a “significant environmental impact” on the Rahway River watershed.

The proposed amphitheater has seen serious opposition from its critics, some of whom have charged that it has "zero conservation value."

Some local environmentalists have blasted the plan to cut down trees in South Mountain Reservation to build the amphitheater, despite the county's pledge to replant them at a ratio of four-to-one.

Others have questioned whether the new structure would be in the best interest of the animals, as well as the fiscal sensibility of spending an estimated $8 million to build it.

• See related article: NJ Teens Join Battle Over Turtle Back Zoo: 'We're In A Crisis'
• See related article: Caldwell Councilman To County: Focus On Tax Relief, Not Zoo

Supporters of the proposed amphitheater, including DiVincenzo, have argued that it would be a powerful educational tool that the zoo's existing amphitheater can't provide.

Only about 120 children at a time can see animal presentations at the zoo's current amphitheater, Essex County officials say. The zoo currently sees nearly a million visitors per year.

• See related article: Here's Why Turtle Back Zoo Needs New Amphitheater (Op-Ed)
• See related article: DiVincenzo Replies To Caldwell Councilman's 'Zoo & Taxes' Letter

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