Zoo, This Is the Place join forces

A multimillion-dollar joint project is in the works for Hogle Zoo and This Is the Place Heritage Park, a partnership that the park's new board chairman hopes will turn the venture "into one of the greatest attractions in the West."

"I have always firmly believed that a joint venture between these two entities will allow each to expand their master plans and enhance the overall visitor experience," said Ellis Ivory, who was named chairman of the board of trustees for the living history state park.

Ivory is the founder of Ivory Homes and chairman of the Deseret Morning News Board of Directors.

The park and zoo sit across the street from each other on Sunnyside Avenue, at the mouth of Emigration Canyon. Hogle Zoo has about 40 acres on the south side of the street, while This Is the Place has some 450 acres on the north side. Part of the partnership includes sharing property between the two nonprofit organizations.

A detailed design and economic plan will be released in about three months, Ivory said.

"We still have the same vision of preserving the history of the state and also moving forward with the proposed joint development plan with the zoo," said Paul Williams, This Is the Place president and CEO.

This Is the Place received $2 million in state funds from the Legislature this session to help keep the park afloat.

"It's always been difficult. Living history is so hard to operate, and the original allocation from the state was never enough to do what we needed to do," Williams said. The $2 million now puts the park on "better solid financial footing."

Fortunately, the state funding also qualifies the park for two large donations, totaling $4 million. The private donors, one from New York and the other from California, had tied their money to state support.

The privately run foundation relies on such donations and an annual state stipend of $700,000 to preserve the 43 historic buildings and maintain the living history of the Mormon pioneers and other settlers of the Salt Lake Valley.

The state money was approved with the provision that the park and zoo continue their partnership, Ivory said.

"I know this: Everything the Legislature did, they were well aware of our partnership," he said during Tuesday's Hogle Zoo board meeting. "Every person there wants to see this joint effort continue."