WASHINGTON D.C., DC — The National Capital Planning Commission received its first look Thursday at renderings for the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s new Arabian Leopard habitat, a project that commissioners described as transformative for the popular tourist destination.
The habitat will replace the former Bison Habitat and “Zoo in Your Backyard” exhibit near the Connecticut Avenue entrance. The site sits along the historic Olmsted Walk, across from the Africa Trail and adjacent to the Panda Habitat.
“I can’t wait for this to happen,” Commissioner Arrington Dixon said during the meeting, where commissioners praised the design and expressed excitement about the project’s potential to draw crowds…