A new rentable event center for parties, weddings, corporate events or showers at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo will overlook the picturesque Waterfowl Lake by spring 2015.
The new 10,000-square-foot event center located in Savanna Ridge will complement the Circle of Wildlife Carousel and Nature Discovery Ridge play zone that are currently under construction and scheduled to open in late May of this year.
�The Zoo is such a unique place to have an event,� said Cleveland Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman. �And the demand for rental space throughout the Zoo has been increasing, while our ability to host events has been limited due to all of the indoor, year-round rentable spaces being inside animal exhibit buildings. We are committed to providing the best possible visitor experience, therefore this event center allows us to serve our guests while still accommodating the organizations and individuals looking to host their weddings, special events, corporate outings, trade shows and other events.�
The new event center, complete with a 2,100-square-foot patio overlooking the water, will increase the Zoo's viability as a prime event hosting location.
Peninsula Architects, the firm acting as criteria architects for the carousel project, was selected as criteria architects for the event center as well, in order to maintain design consistency. Construction of the new facility is estimated at $2.3 million. The Zoo's longtime contracted caterer, ARAMARK, has committed $1 million toward the construction of the event center. The Cleveland Zoological Society has committed $300,000 and the other $1 million will be funded by Cleveland Metroparks.
�ARAMARK is very excited to extend our longtime partnership with Cleveland Metroparks, including the construction of the new event center,� said ARAMARK District Manager Sam Cario. �This new space will allow us to produce and create a wider variety of events in an environment that is unmatched in Northeast Ohio.�
