Page 8 - Brookfield Zoo Chicago Annual_Report_2024

Phase 1 Progress

With the opening of the James & Care and Conservation Team,
Elizabeth Bramsen Tropical Forests was made possible through
in the summer of 2025, the Zoo a generous $2 million donation
nears completion of Phase 1 of from The Grainger Foundation,
the Next Century Plan. Phase 1 and contributions from the
projects completed in 2024 include Sweet family and friends.
the Philip W. K. Sweet Jr. Animal
With modern amenities and
Care and Conservation Center
flexible spaces, the Sweet Center
with state-of-the-art new office
is designed for collaboration
and collaborative spaces for animal
between animal care experts and
and conservation teams, new animal
department directors. Located next
habitats within the Hamill Family
to The Living Coast, the Sweet Center
Nature Plaza, the $10 million
includes office spaces, conference
renovation of the Zoo’s Seven Seas
rooms, a lunchroom, storage spaces,
dolphin habitat, and the reimagining
and an outdoor roof deck. The space
of the Theodore Roosevelt
allows staff to seamlessly work
Memorial Fountain.
together to meet the needs of the
Sweet Center for Animal Care 3,600 animals in the Zoo’s care while
ensuring animal and human health,
and Conservation
safety, and welfare.
Brookfield Zoo Chicago hosted
The Sweet Center is named
a ribbon-cutting ceremony on
for the late Philip W. K. Sweet, Jr.,
June 29, 2024, to commemorate
who began his involvement with
the opening of the Philip W. K.
Brookfield Zoo Chicago in the early
Sweet Jr. Center for Animal Care
1980s as a Governing Member and
and Conservation. The new
later became Chairman of the Zoo’s
4,565-square-foot space, which
Board of Trustees from 1986 to 1992.
houses the offices of the Animal
Under his leadership as Chairman,
the Zoo opened the Seven Seas
dolphin habitat and Fragile Kingdom.
Top: Tim Snyder, P. W. Kirkland Sweet Jr.;
David A. F. Sweet; Sandra H. Sweet; Sweet remained on the Board as a
Dr. Michael J. Adkesson; Trustee through 2006 and continued
and Denise Bartolotta during the to serve as a Life Trustee until his
ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Zoo’s
passing in the spring of 2019.
Philip W. K. Sweet Jr. Center
He is remembered as a powerful
for Animal Care and Conservation
fundraiser and relationship builder
Middle: Dr. Michael J. Adkesson,
for the Zoo.
David A. F. Sweet, Sandra H. Sweet,
P. W. Kirkland Sweet Jr.