CLEVELAND, Ohio — On Wednesday, January 8, a fire broke out outside the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo's former Rainforest.
Cleveland Fire crews worked fast, extinguishing the flames to limit the damage.
RELATED: Fire breaks out at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Rainforest
Zoo officials say, thankfully, the fire has not impacted plans for the upcoming 140,000-square-foot Primate Forest.
They say everything is moving forward with no anticipated delays.
A total refresh is underway in the space, which is said to benefit both the animals and guests in the long term.
The former Rainforest brought fond memories for many Northeast Ohio families for more than three decades.
Now, the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is ready to usher in a new era.
"What this is, is really an opportunity to re-imagine the Rainforest building," Dr. Chris Kuhar, Executive Director of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, said.
The former Rainforest building closed in September 2024, and in the late fall, demolition got underway.
But earlier this month, a fire broke out at the future Primate Forest attraction.
Images of flames and smoke shooting into the sky flooded social media.
It kept many on edge, wondering if everything would be alright.
"It looked real bad. But it does not appear at this point in time to be any major structural damage," Kuhar said.
Zoo officials say construction crews were completing some exterior work when it all went down.
"As they were cutting away some of the frame work for the old green plant wall—a spark caught some flammable material and it burned off some of that excess material on the outside," Kuhar said.
The damage is believed to be around $10,000.
"Everyone saw the flames and the missing exterior of the building. In reality, the exterior of the building was already gone. The flames were just burning on some plant material on the outside," Kuhar said.
The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is moving forward with construction plans.
The upcoming attraction is in transformation mode and readying for future guests.
Images and renderings show what it will look like once everything is done.
Kuhar says it's all about being refreshed, revitalized and remodeled to serve as a conservation and education hub for generations.
"This is the opportunity to expand the building. Bring down some of the species and enhance some of the species in part-- our primate collection," Kuhar said.
News 5 has been following the transformation of the Rainforest since its opening in 1992.
While it was tough to say goodbye, Kuhar says this $60 million project was necessary for overall animal well-being, and the Primate Forest will improve the guest experience for the long term.
Once completed, it will include new exhibits, animal habitats, a welcome center, and dining and retail options.
"We believe that when it's done, this will be the best gorilla exhibit in the world," Kuhar said.
The new Primate Forest is set to open in 2026.
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