$80M bond to expand Riverbanks Zoo gets final approval from Richland County

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden will get its $80 million expansion, more than a year after Richland County first rejected the plan.

Richland County Council gave final approval for the $80 million bond during a special called meeting Tuesday. Council voted 8-2 in favor of the bond, with one member absent.

The major expansion project will include a new orangutan habitat, a nature preserve and more.

“Imagine visiting a South Carolina nature preserve that guides guests along the banks of the Saluda River to discover black bears, bald eagles and red wolves; soaking in extraordinary birds-eye views of the river and Columbia skyline from a skyway gondola unlike any other in the Southeast; dining at a one-of-a-kind restaurant with sweeping river views; and exploring a first-of-its-kind hillside habitat for primates,” the Riverbanks Zoo wrote in a September announcement declaring the zoo would move forward with requesting the bond.

The 20-year bond will be paid for with property taxes in Richland and Lexington counties. Taxpayers will see an increase of a maximum of $7.20 per $100,000 of assessed property value, with the higher rate beginning in 2025 and reaching its peak in 2026, then decreasing each year until the bond is met, the zoo reported earlier this year.

Richland County will carry $44.8 million of the bond and Lexington County will carry $35.2 million. Lexington County gave final approval to the bond on Dec. 6.

When Richland County narrowly rejected the bond last year, those in opposition said they couldn’t support a tax increase. This year, most on council said they now considered the bond a necessary investment in the future of tourism and education in the Midlands.

“I care about taxes, too,” Councilman Paul Livingston said at a previous meeting to explain his ‘yea’ vote. “I do not see this as a tax increase. I see this as an investment.”

Councilmen Overture Walker and Don Weaver were the sole no votes, with Councilman Jason Branham absent. Branham previously voted against the bond.

During a Dec. 5 public hearing for the bond, zoo supporters packed the Richland County Council chambers to ask that council approve the bond.

In addition to the two no votes on council, Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann has also opposed the expansion bond, urging the county in a public letter to consider alternative funding sources, like accommodations and hospitality taxes.

Councilwoman Gretchen Barron, who voted in favor of the bond, said at Tuesday’s meeting the zoo had proposed a number of additional benefits for Richland and Lexington county residents in exchange for the bond’s approval, including a 20% discount on admission and free parking for residents, and more free Fridays for residents.

“Anything that we invest in, there should be a return and we see a return here,” Barron said before thanking the zoo.