05/31/2007

Festival eyes zoo buildings

Headquarters may have temporary home on bayfront

By Vanessa McCray

vmccray@record-eagle.com

TRAVERSE CITY — A request from the National Cherry Festival for short-term use of two buildings at the city's former zoo could prompt officials to invite other groups to submit ideas for the site.

Festival executive director Tom Menzel wants to temporarily locate headquarters at the zoo's old administrative building and partner with other nonprofits to turn the nearby Con Foster Building into a museum for the wine and cherry industries. The festival sold its Sixth Street offices this spring and is looking for a place to move.

Menzel told city commissioners on Tuesday the festival would use the buildings on an interim basis and leave once the city approved and financed a bayfront plan. Consultants are expected to unveil a proposed waterfront design scheme on June 21.

A management contract with the festival would defray the city's cost to maintain the buildings and bring life to the zoo, left vacant since its closure last year, Menzel said. A focus on the cherry and wine industries also would attract visitors to the waterfront, he said.

"This would be a great opportunity for us to introduce people to Michigan agriculture,” said Donald Coe, Michigan Commission of Agriculture member, businessman and Traverse City resident.

Several commissioners appeared willing to entertain the festival's pitch but said other groups also should get a chance for the space.

"It would be a great opportunity to pilot something,” said Jody Bergman.

Commissioners instructed city administrators to put together a request for proposals for the property, to be issued after the bayfront plans are released in June.