STATEN ISLAND, NY — The Staten Island Zoo has been fueled with a $3.5 million allocation from the City Council to be used for a new Children’s Center focused on education and the five senses.
Councilmember David Carr, a Republican who represents the Mid-Island and parts of Brooklyn; Councilmember Kamillah Hanks, a Democrat who represents the North Shore; and Councilmember Frank Morano, a Republican who represents the South Shore, announced the allocation of $3.5 million to update the area.
Council Members Carr, Hanks and Morano contribute $3.5M to transform Children’s Center that hasn’t been updated since the 1960s, creating interactive educational experiences.
Advance/SILive | Nicolette Cavallaro
This funding is additional to the $5 million that Mayor Eric Adams and the $2 million that Borough President Vito Fossella have promised for the project.
“Children, whether visiting with their families or on school trips with friends, will now have a first class experience while learning about nature and animals,” said Carr. “I extend my gratitude to Ken Mitchell, the executive director of Staten Island Zoo, for his unwavering vision to enhance the zoo. I want to thank my colleagues, Kamillah Hanks and Frank Morano, for their collaboration on this project, and [City Cuncil] Speaker Adrienne Adams for her support.”
The space, which hasn’t been updated since the 1960s, will focus on teaching children about the exhibited animals using their five senses: sight, sound, touch, taste and smell.
Council Members Carr, Hanks and Morano contribute $3.5M to transform Children’s Center that hasn’t been updated since the 1960s, creating interactive educational experiences.Advance/SILive | Nicolette Cavallaro
The funding will support the zoo’s goal to create a sensory-themed experience for visitors that celebrates the abilities of animals, provide “nature play” opportunities where kids can learn while having fun, and design a versatile space for families of all sensitivities and abilities to connect guests with nature.
“The zoo can move closer to bringing its vision for the newly-imagined Children’s Center to the next step,” said Mitchell. “The renovation will help the zoo fulfill its educational mission, and it will completely transform the existing Children’s Center by creating a unique sensory experience and special place for all children of all backgrounds to connect with nature and animals.”
Council Members Carr, Hanks and Morano contribute $3.5M to transform Children’s Center that hasn’t been updated since the 1960s, creating interactive educational experiences.Advance/SILive | Nicolette Cavallaro
This new center will serve approximately 175,000 visitors annually, as well as the 20,000 school children across the state who participate in educational programs at the zoo.
“The Staten Island Zoo isn’t just one of our borough’s crown jewels — it’s become a true regional attraction that families from across the country come to visit,” said Morano. “From the legendary groundhog to the children’s center, this place captures everything that makes Staten Island special — community, curiosity, and heart,”
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