ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - The Elk Grove City Council tabled a decision on the official name of the new Zoo that is slated to begin construction in Elk Grove in 2027, after some council members took issue with the proposed name at its Wednesday, Jan. 22 meeting. 

The Council seemed prepared to select “The Greater Sacramento Zoo at Elk Grove” as the official name for the project but opted to table the discussion until its next February council meeting after Council member Darren Suen proposed the name should place more prominence on the city of Elk Grove, considering Elk Grove’s significant financial contribution to the project. 

“This is the largest capital project that this city has ever embarked on,” Suen said. “It is on the scale of Golden One Arena. It’s in the City of Elk Grove and we are going to name it after our sister, our beloved city of Sacramento? Nothing against Sacramento, but we, the city of Elk Grove, are investing in it. But we are going to give our naming rights away and call it the Sacramento Zoo at Elk Grove?” 

Suen proposed naming the zoo, “The Elk Grove Zoo of Greater Sacramento.” 

“Having it say Elk Grove Zoo of Greater Sacramento is very similar to The Greater Sacramento Zoo at Elk Grove,” Suen said. 

Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, Council member Rod Brewer, the Sacramento Zoological Society, city staff and public relations experts were part of a 20-person group to come up with potential names. 

The group came up with 10 names including the Sacramento Metro Zoo at Elk Grove, the Sacramento Valley Zoo at Elk Grove, Golden State Zoo, the Elk Grove Animal Kingdom, the Elk Grove Wild Frontier, the Adventure Kingdom at Elk Grove and the Animal World at Elk Grove. 

Singh-Allen said “The Greater Sacramento Zoo at Elk Grove” was the only name to receive unanimous support. 

“It captured what the hopes were for the zoological society, what we think in terms of public relations and of course, if we move forward with this name, it really does kick off that fundraising drive,” Singh-Allen said. “When you have that name, it certainly helps.” 

Sacramento Zoological Society President Elizabeth Stallard said moving away from Sacramento Zoo “breaks the continuity” of the name that donors have supported over the zoo’s 100-year history. 

“The reality is most people are going to call it the Sacramento Zoo,” Stallard said. “So we want to embrace that and then point out that we are in Elk Grove, and that we wouldn’t be doing this without Elk Grove. It is important that Elk Grove be part of the name.”

Suen said he didn’t necessarily agree with Stallard’s assertion that people would still call it the Sacramento Zoo if the name was changed. 

“I just think we are making a huge investment of resources and capital costs and efforts to help fundraise,” Suen said. “Unless you are going to tell me that the Sacramento City Council, I love all of them dearly, are they going to be helping us fundraise for this as well? If the city of Sacramento is not going to be putting up resources, we are putting up all of these resources and giving up our naming rights.” 

Stallard added there are concerns that fundraisers’ efforts could be impacted by the name change. She said while the issue didn’t have to be settled at that meeting, not having a name is a challenge for fundraising efforts. 

“With respect to the society, the fundraising consultants, it’s not so much about the city of Sacramento,” Stallard said. “We are in Sacramento County, and the Sacramento Zoo is an institution with a 100-year legacy of supporting the community, and we believe those values matter in terms of keeping the name.” 

Council member Kevin Spease believed that notion to be overstated. 

“The biggest fundraisers are Elk Grove taxpayers,” Spease said.