In advance of the Little Rock Zoo's expansion and renovation, zoo officials heard Thursday the latest ideas from a Texas architecture firm on proposed upgrades.
The meeting included a slideshow presentation from Houston-based GLMV Architecture, which proposed a new theme centering on water and conservation.
All areas of the zoo would feature a water-centric theme, each from a different region of the world. Themes would focus on the rain forests in South America, the flooded savanna of Africa and organic features from around the state called "Wild Arkansas." Rhodes added that the South American-themed area could feature a new tropical house of some kind.
"We've had great conversations on what the zoo should be," GLMV Architecture spokesman Craig Rhodes said.
Rhodes described the outlines of the project as "a work in progress", saying they were a rough draft in the beginning of a renovation that they hope to start as early as next year
Rhodes said the renovations should be made in phases, beginning with the "heart of the zoo" and moving outward. The renovations would start with the education center and then move onto the theme area. In all, the proposed renovation would feature five phases.
The firm proposed educational elements in its plans, including a facility at the center of the zoo that would include classrooms and host activities for children to teach them about nature.
The proposal included a number of animals — ones the zoo already has and ones they could add that appeal to the public — such as penguins, elephants, bears and spider monkeys.
The start date for construction on the project has yet to be determined and there is currently no budget for the project.