CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is ushering in a new era and bouncing back after a small fire this past winter.
The zoo temporarily closed the Rainforest to make way for the upcoming Primate Forest.
A total refresh is underway on the space that is said to benefit both the animals and guests in the long term.
This is a major multi-million-dollar investment across the board, according to zoo officials.
It's the zoo's biggest capital improvement project in its 140-year history.
"A lot has changed. You may not notice from the outside here. But inside the construction zone--a lot of work has been going on," Dr. Chris Kuhar, Executive Director of the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, said.
Kuhar invited News 5 behind the fencing and onto the construction site.
It's where crews are working virtually every day to refresh, remodel and modernize the expanded space for the more than $60 million project.
"So what you see right in front of us, this is basically a utility building. This will hold our electrical and hydraulic system. HVAC. All that stuff," Kuhar said.
Three new elevators will be installed in the building as well.
He says crews spent the last several months digging down and setting the foundations, drilling the concrete piers that support the weight of the building and clearing out the old underground infrastructure that had been there for 100 years.
"The masonry team is working on the concrete block walls. They're working on the concrete poured walls," Kuhar said.
The historic and beloved Rainforest stood here for three decades.
At one point, it hosted hundreds of animals, 10,000 plants and various wildlife.
While it was tough to see it go for many guests, Kuhar says it was necessary for overall animal well-being.
The updated project will feature new habitats for gorillas and orangutans and an improved guest experience.
Next year, they will open Phase 1, which includes the Cross-Country Mortgage Forest home— the entryway into the building.
"New food service, new gift shop, new interpretative education spaces. Second floor playground. That's inside—which we think people are going to love," Kuhar said.
The project will include a renovated rainforest, updated exhibits and modifications for an outdoor orangutan exhibit.
All the animals you love will be here, including bats, crocodilians, larger monkeys and the aviary.
In fact, the orangutans, bats and crocodiles are still living inside as construction continues outside.
"There's really been very little reaction from the animals. The team's monitoring it. We're prepared to act if need be. But so far the animals have been doing great," Kuhar said.
As for the fire News 5 reported back in January, crews were cutting away some of the framework for the old green plant wall.
RELATED: Fire breaks out at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Rainforest
Kuhar says a spark caught some flammable material, and it burned off some of that excess material on the outside.
We asked him about the long-term impacts on the project.
"Did that fire cause any sort of delays, interruptions to the already ongoing construction process? We're very happy that the fire didn't really impact us at all," Kuhar said.
Kuhar says they lost maybe a day of work due to that incident.
Everything that was burned was being remodeled anyway, he said.
The goal now is to have the major construction on the building completed by winter.
The new Primate Forest and Cross Country Mortgage Home are set to open in summer 2026.
The zoo remains open year-round.
News 5 will follow through on any additional developments.
