Oregon Zoo builds a new animal hospital
The Oregon Zoo this week will begin construction of a new $10 million veterinary medical center, the first of a handful of projects paid for by a voter-approved $125 million bond, passed in 2008.
The zoo announced last Wednesday that some demolition work and tree removal is expected to begin Thursday in order to make way for the approximately 15,000-square-foot clinic and quarantine area.
It should be a big improvement. The old veterinary facilities, built in 1966, have been remodeled and retrofitted but they no longer adequately accommodate today's medical equipment or easily meet the needs of the varied animals that zoo veterinarians treat.
Rubberized floors, adjustable air and water temperatures, and holding areas designed to accommodate different species are in the plans. Also to be included: closed-circuit monitors and viewing windows through which students can observe surgeries and other procedures.
The new hospital is the first zoo project to be built under the watchful eyes of an oversight committee. Metro Auditor Suzanne Flynn raised concerns about the zoo's ability to handle multiple bond-funded projects after an audit last November found cost overruns, delays and uncoordinated management during past projects.
Construction of the hospital is expected to be completed next summer. Skanska USA Building Inc. of Beaverton is the general contractor.
As crews remove trees and demolish the old quarantine facility in late August and early September, visitors can expect the zoo's Family Farm exhibit to be closed for a few hours at a time.
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...ew_animal.html
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