ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) – The new zoo in Elk Grove finally has a name.

The Elk Grove City Council voted unanimously to approve a resolution selecting the official name for the zoo as the “Elk Grove – Sacramento Zoo,” at its meeting on Wednesday, a month after council members directed staff to find a way to place more prominence on the city of Elk Grove.

The Elk Grove City Council was set to pick the name “The Greater Sacramento Zoo at Elk Grove” at its Jan. 22 meeting but that discussion was tabled after Council member Darren Suen voiced desire for the name to place a larger focus on Elk Grove, which he said was taking on the heaviest financial burden for the project.

The name was approved without any debate or pushback from any members of the council. 

“I think what staff proposed is a good compromise,” Suen said. “It does have Elk Grove first, which I think a lot of Elk Grove residents would appreciate.”

Two names were discussed: the Elk Grove Zoo of Greater Sacramento and the Elk Grove Zoo of Sacramento, however Elizabeth Stallard, president of the Sacramento Zoological Society, the organization handling fundraising for the project, expressed an obligation for the name to include “Sacramento Zoo” to help preserve brand identity and to maintain fundraising efforts.

Robert Churchill, interim CEO of the Sacramento Zoological Society, said the organization supported the name.

“We appreciate the responsiveness and the spirit of collaborative effort to bring this name forward today,” Churchill said.

The projected cost to build the 65-acre project, just northwest of Kammerer Road and Lotz Parkway, is $306 million. The zoo will be a massive expansion compared to the current 14.7-acre iteration at William Land Park.

According to a city document, Elk Grove will absorb 61.4% of the cost, approximately $186 million through bonds and city funding, while the fundraising efforts from the Sacramento Zoological Society and other regional partners will make up the remaining 38.6 percent, or $116,642,096.

The Sacramento Zoological Society announced at the Jan. 22 meeting that it had raised $17.5 million via pledges and cash funds.

Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen said she loves the new name.

“It’s a great compromise,” Singh-Allen said.

The design phase for the zoo is expected to be completed by 2026. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2027, if the zoo reaches all necessary funding benchmarks.