WEST VALLEY CITY — City leaders are launching an aggressive bid to acquire Hogle Zoo, which must expand at its Salt Lake location or move.
West Valley officials says they can offer plenty of land — riverfront property and, perhaps in time, a light-rail stop at the zoo's front door.
But the zoo's boss isn't ready to start moving animals just yet.
"At this time the Board of Directors of the Hogle Zoo has indicated that their first priority is to exhaust the opportunities for expansion of the current site before considering options to move," said Craig Dinsmore, Hogle Zoo executive director.
Expanding the zoo at its current site would probably involve moving some operations to This Is the Place Heritage Park across the street.
Still, Hogle Zoo is willing to consider West Valley City's proposal. Zoo consultants comparing the costs of expanding the zoo versus moving it are modeling a hypothetical move on the West Valley site — not Sharon Steel, Wheeler Farm or other possible locations.
"The zoo welcomes the enthusiasm of West Valley City or any other viable site for the potential moving of the zoo," Dinsmore said.
The West Valley City Council gave City Manager John Patterson the go-ahead this week to turn up the talks with zoo and Salt Lake County officials, along with key state lawmakers.
"I want the zoo to come," Councilwoman Carolyn Burt said. "I think it's a good central location in the valley."
West Valley City is home to an almost 80-acre county-owned site along the Jordan River north of 3500 South. Salt Lake County has made it clear that the site will not be developed for residential or commercial use. Vacant adjacent land owned by Utah Power could pump up the site to almost 100 acres, about the size of the San Diego Zoo.
Next to that site is a 90-acre, $50 million cultural heritage district currently being developed by West Valley City. And the present preferred alternative for a TRAX light-rail extension to the west side would bring visitors to the zoo's doorstep.
"It'll just be perfect," Patterson said. "Frankly, it's the right thing to do. It's a beautiful piece of property along the river."
The proposed zoo site and light-rail spur could be mutually beneficial, city leaders said: Light rail could help woo zoo officials, and the prospect of a nearby zoo could help win federal and state funding for light rail.
"If they see a new regional state-of-the-art zoo is going to be served on a line they are thinking about building, then that would clearly add enthusiasm for (the Federal Transit Administration) and (Utah Transit Authority)," said Jeff Hawker, light-rail coordinator for West Valley City.
The city's business development manager, Mike Winder, pointed to studies that showed "dramatic" increases in zoo attendance when light rail began serving zoos in Oregon and Dallas. "The light rail is huge in this."
Salt Lake County Deputy Mayor Alan Dayton, a member of the zoo board of directors, said West Valley's drive would give it a "very strong position" if the board decided to move the zoo.
"You've got 15 cities in this valley, and only one has stepped up and said, 'Here is an alternative for another location,' " he said.
Salt Lake City, the zoo's hometown, isn't worried about the possibility of losing the state's largest zoo.
Salt Lake City communications director Josh Ewing said the city has no plans right now to counter West Valley City's proposal. Salt Lake City has already said it will do whatever it can to help the zoo expand in its current location, Ewing said.
And, he said, "it wouldn't ruin our economy or our ability to attract visitors if the zoo were to leave, but it is one of the pieces of the pie that makes Salt Lake City attractive to visitors."
West Valley City, meanwhile, is already counting up what a zoo would contribute to its general fund — about $70,000 a year in sales-tax revenue from zoo tickets, concessions and gift-shop sales.
Right now, said the zoo's Dinsmore, everything is very preliminary. "It's a little too early to be making commitments and conclusions."
E-mail: sspeckman@desnews.com