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"A wilder vision"

Fort Worth Zoo New Construction Forest Park

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#1 Austin55

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Posted 03 October 2016 - 12:33 PM

Anyone noticed all the advertising around for this? I've gotten ads online, especially on instagram, and I've seen a bunch of ads on benches in downtown and W7th, and I've seen atleast 2 driving billboards roaming downtown around lunch hours. 

 

awildervision.com leads to a website with nothing but a countdown (currently at 12 days)

 

Some of the ads are in the shape of a Rhino, so this must all be about the Serengeti expansion at the zoo. Gotta give them big props for the advertising. 

 

A bit more on the Serengeti expansion from the Chamber of Commerce site,

 

 

The Fort Worth Zoo plans to devote more space for breeding programs for iconic large animals. Mike Fouraker, the zoo’s executive director, laid out a preliminary plan to the City Council for a new Serengeti Project for the zoo’s collection of rhinoceros, elephants, and giraffes. Excavation work will start in January or February on an undeveloped 10-acre site at the zoo, said zoo spokeswoman Alexis Wilson. All renovations and construction associated with the Serengeti project will be privately funded. The zoo has pledges of $20 million.

 



#2 JBB

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Posted 03 October 2016 - 01:51 PM

Nice sleuthing.   :swg:



#3 Austin55

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Posted 04 October 2016 - 02:00 PM

All the banners on the streetlights downtown are ads to. They're doing a lot to hype this up.

#4 BlueMound

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Posted 16 October 2016 - 04:07 PM

Fort Worth Zoo launches public phase of $100 million campaign

2018 - African Savanna and new event space
2020 - Elephant Springs
2022 - Hunters of Africa and Asian Predators
2025 - Forests and Jungles

http://www.star-tele...e108599012.html

#5 Austin55

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Posted 17 October 2016 - 07:22 PM

https://www.fortwort...african-savanna

 

vXvkNnk.jpg



#6 John T Roberts

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Posted 17 October 2016 - 07:56 PM

I guess I will let the cat officially out of the bag.  My firm, Halbach-Dietz Architects, have been working on this project for quite some time.  We are the architects for all of the buildings you see on this site plan. 

 

All of us at the firm attended the announcement today.  I also had the opportunity to feed one of the giraffes.  A short tour was given of the construction site.



#7 Austin55

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Posted 30 March 2017 - 09:23 PM

View from above with Google Earth.

 

pUg5gIT.gif



#8 Austin55

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Posted 09 December 2017 - 10:01 PM

updated

 

sd3IwVP.gif



#9 John T Roberts

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Posted 10 December 2017 - 01:16 PM

Austin, thanks for posting.  It's really fun to see a major contribution of my firm to the urban landscape.  I'm proud to say that I have had a part in this project.  There's more to come.  This is just Phase 1 of four.



#10 elpingüino

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Posted 14 April 2018 - 11:11 AM

The African Savanna, the first phase of Wilder Vision, is just one week away from opening. https://twitter.com/...8185469952?s=20

#11 John T Roberts

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Posted 14 April 2018 - 11:52 AM

I would like to encourage every Fort Worth Forum member to come see the first phase of the "Wilder Vision".



#12 rriojas71

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Posted 15 April 2018 - 09:40 PM

I would like to encourage every Fort Worth Forum member to come see the first phase of the "Wilder Vision".


Im going soon.. just not right away because Im sure there will be major crowds

#13 John T Roberts

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Posted 15 April 2018 - 10:13 PM

If anyone does go, you will get to see some of the buildings that I have been working on over the last two years.



#14 mmmdan

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Posted 16 April 2018 - 10:30 AM

My family has been members of the zoo since our son was born.  Zoo members get to go to a special preview of the new space an hour before the zoo opens.  Hopefully we can make it.

 

Being members of the zoo has been great.  It's very nice to be able to just pop in whenever and not worry about seeing everything.  We typically show up when the zoo opens, decide which animals we want to see that day, and leave at lunch.



#15 John T Roberts

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Posted 19 April 2018 - 08:50 PM

Well, I had a busy day today.  I went to work at 8 AM and worked a little while then, my office attended the media event at the Fort Worth Zoo this morning. We all went to lunch at Chimy's afterwards, and then I returned to my office for a little while and worked on some floor plans of some schools.  Then at 4:20, I had to be at another FWISD school where we are doing some assessments for the Bond Package.  We are required to do this work after school hours in order to not disrupt classes.  I stayed there until 6:30.  I went home and ate dinner, then I made a quick walk through at Main Street.  I got home a little after 9 and I'm pooped.  I will be back at the school until about 6:30 tomorrow night.  My original plans were to walk on Main Street right after I left the school, but some friends altered their plans, leaving me with time to kill and I was hungry.  So, I went home for a little bit.

 

I'm sorry for giving you a detailed description of my day, but I do want to say that the African Savanna is really nice and is a big improvement over what was there.  If you get a chance, you should go see this wonderful addition to the Fort Worth Zoo.  This is the first phase of the Wilder Vision. 



#16 John T Roberts

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Posted 20 April 2018 - 07:58 AM

Here's a link to the Fort Worth Business Press article on the opening:

 

http://www.fortworth...b427c8e80f.html

 

And here's a link to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram article:

 

http://www.star-tele...e209336004.html



#17 txbornviking

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Posted 20 April 2018 - 08:03 AM

I'm not sure I have words to express how excited I am to see the new hippo habitat!



#18 renamerusk

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Posted 20 April 2018 - 08:04 AM

JTR, for the part that your firm contributed, many thanks and appreciation for securing the Fort Worth Zoo's place nationally as one of the finest zoos in America.

 

The pride and pleasure that we can all feel should also make you very proud as well.



#19 Austin55

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Posted 25 May 2018 - 01:55 PM

I visited the expansion yesterday and it was fantastic. Fed Walter some lettuce. The zoo is such a special place in this city. 



#20 rriojas71

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Posted 25 May 2018 - 06:16 PM

I went last weekend and haven’t been in over 25 years... (because I moved away for 17 years). I was blown away and can’t wait for the other 2 phases to be completed.

#21 John T Roberts

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Posted 25 May 2018 - 07:11 PM

Rename, Austin, and rriojas71, thank you for the kind words.  My firm did all of the architecture in the African Savanna, whether it is a public building, or a building just for the animals, we did it.  We will also be doing all of the buildings in the next phases.



#22 Dylan

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Posted 25 May 2018 - 11:35 PM

I'm planning to visit the zoo at some point this summer. I haven't been to the zoo since middle school.


-Dylan


#23 elpingüino

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Posted 26 May 2018 - 07:38 AM

I went last weekend and havent been in over 25 years... (because I moved away for 17 years). I was blown away and cant wait for the other 2 phases to be completed.

 
Then you're going to be really blown away to learn there are going to be three more phases  :swg:

#24 John T Roberts

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Posted 26 May 2018 - 08:17 AM

There are three more phases.  The African Savanna was only the first phase.



#25 panthercity

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Posted 26 May 2018 - 09:22 AM

What are they? Do we have the right clearance to be in the loop?

#26 JBB

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Posted 26 May 2018 - 09:33 AM

https://www.fortwort...a-wilder-vision

#27 elpingüino

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Posted 26 May 2018 - 12:16 PM

What are they? Do we have the right clearance to be in the loop?


Elephant Springs, 2020 https://www.fortwort...lephant-springs
Hunters of Africa & Asian Predators, 2022 https://www.fortwort...asian-predators
Forests & Jungles, 2025 https://www.fortwort...orests--jungles

Plus a new petting zoo (farm animals) in 2019, but I don't think that's technically part of Wilder Vision.

#28 Austin55

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Posted 17 July 2020 - 10:48 AM

The Zoo won the USA today contest and was named #1!



#29 txbornviking

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Posted 17 July 2020 - 11:53 AM

I always happy to see our Zoo get positive press. I won't argue against our zoo being among the best. 

 

While the zoo is currently open in a limited capacity, I've not heard anything about the 2020 elephant exhibit opening.

 

Has it? is it delayed? 

 

maybe they're simply not advertising it opening to avoid unnecessary crowds.



#30 elpingüino

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Posted 17 July 2020 - 01:53 PM

The announcement about the #1 ranking says the second phase of Wilder Vision will open in the spring. https://finance.yaho...-160500792.html 

 

Edit: So does the zoo's page: https://www.fortwort...lephant-springs



#31 panthercity

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Posted 17 July 2020 - 03:56 PM

The Bell Airshow in alliance won the best air show contest!

#32 renamerusk

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Posted 17 July 2020 - 04:08 PM

"This hotel is located in the heart of the Cultural District, within walking distance of the Kimbell Art Museum, Modern Art Museum, Amon Carter Museum, Will Rogers Memorial Center, and numerous bars and restaurants. Major attractions such as Dickies Arena and the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens are less than two miles away".

 

Exactly the way it should be written!

 

"Don't forget a world-class Zoological Park".

 

In marketing the H2S, did someone mention something about a zoo :swg:



#33 John T Roberts

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Posted 17 July 2020 - 09:06 PM

Elephant Springs is under construction right now.  Without divulging too much information, I have been working on the drawings for the Hunters of Africa and Asian Predators.  Each of the phases does have a site plan on the Zoo's website.  Elpingüino has provided the links above.



#34 renamerusk

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Posted 18 July 2020 - 05:12 PM

Bravo and congrats for John whose work and team's work continues to garner national recognition of the Fort Worth Zoo.  Tell us  what it takes for you to get into your game mode be able to channel elephants, giraffes and chimps and ultimately very happy campers?

 

Love what ya'll have got goin on! :swg:



#35 johnfwd

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Posted 20 July 2020 - 09:24 AM

We're all proud of the Fort Worth Zoo!  Being disappointed in the above articles for not posting our zoo's competitors (i.e. the top 10), I found this website article for posting.  Note that the Dallas Zoo came in 9th.

 

https://www.10best.c...ravel/best-zoo/



#36 renamerusk

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Posted 20 July 2020 - 09:47 AM

Why the disappointment?  I do think that posting the other zoos would be nice for them;  however, we don't celebrate all the teams that make the playoffs, just the winner.



#37 johnfwd

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Posted 20 July 2020 - 10:59 AM

Not so much disappointed.  Just curious about the competition, is all.



#38 rriojas71

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Posted 20 July 2020 - 06:08 PM

Not so much disappointed.  Just curious about the competition, is all.

The article I saw had all the top 10 in it.



#39 johnfwd

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Posted 21 July 2020 - 05:59 AM

Must have missed it.  What I'm particularly curious about is the fact that the most notable zoo in the country--the Bronx Zoo--didn't make it to the top 10.



#40 JBB

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Posted 29 July 2020 - 09:41 AM

It was a popularity contest driven by social media.  The voting was pushed back several months due to the pandemic and it's possible that some facilities didn't have the resources or the desire to make the social media push necessary to drive the vote.



#41 Nitixope

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Posted 09 October 2020 - 11:34 AM

An article featuring Halbach-Dietz and the Wilder Vision zoo projects:

 

https://fwtx.com/cul...-wilder-vision/

 

(I guess the name change for the firm is under consideration?)



#42 John T Roberts

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Posted 09 October 2020 - 12:56 PM

That article has been out quite for a couple of years.  There will be a name change when Joe Halbach finally leaves the firm, but I don't even think he knows when that will happen. 



#43 Doohickie

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Posted 10 October 2020 - 08:35 PM

"Leave" as in retire?


So then it will be Dietz-Roberts?  ;)


My blog: Doohickie

#44 John T Roberts

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Posted 11 October 2020 - 07:33 AM

Doohickie, I should have said "retire".  Joe will be retiring when the time is right. 

 

It will not be Dietz-Roberts.  Karl Dietz has already retired.  I'm sure the name will be generic, maybe with no persons name attached.



#45 txbornviking

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Posted 19 October 2020 - 09:06 AM

I stumbled upon this 1972 proposed master plan for Forest Park and found it interesting the zoom shows an "African Savannah" with circular boardwalk similar to what's recently opened.

 

https://texashistory...07.999999999998



#46 John T Roberts

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Posted 19 October 2020 - 09:43 AM

I will have to ask around, but it wouldn't surprise me if what we see being built today is an updated version of this master plan.  At the least, it appears that it was referenced in what is being done today.  However, there have been some changes.  Both the old aquarium and the herpetarium have been demolished. 



#47 elpingüino

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Posted 19 October 2020 - 11:57 AM

Very cool, thanks for sharing. This master plan also has the Texas exhibits at the south end (now called Texas Wild) which didn't open until 30 years later.

#48 Nitixope

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Posted 19 October 2020 - 12:26 PM

Not sure how accurate this is, but it appears the Savannah exhibit was based on a November 10, 1987 version of Forest Park Master Plan. 

 

N5np17K.png



#49 John T Roberts

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Posted 19 October 2020 - 01:37 PM

This Master Plan is more inline with what is being built today.  The one from 1972, basically indicates that the zoo would take over all of Forest Park. 



#50 Austin55

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Posted 19 October 2020 - 02:29 PM

I like the fountain idea. Those grassy plots on either side of University feel like they could be further activated somehow.





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