GRIID Interview with Jessica Powell with Boycott John Ball Zoo: Paving over John Ball Park

GRIID – When did you find out about plans to expand the paved parking area in John Ball Park and how did the organized effort to oppose this come about?

Jessica – I found out about the zoo’s paving plans through a neighborhood group called “Save John Ball Park”.  Their petition generated 1,346 signatures in opposition to paving John Ball Park. https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/save-john-ball-park  This group surveyed the community and found that majority of the community members who took the survey opposed paving the park. The community generated many alternative solutions for the zoo rather than paving parkland including preferences as to where they should build their parking garage. We spoke at a couple Kent county commissioners’ meetings, asking them to stop the zoo’s construction plans to develop more of the park; paving 10-12 acres or more and building a road through the park. The majority of the commissioners sided with the zoo. The zoo and county are in this together. Its county land we are fighting for as the city sold this park to the county in the 80s. The community has always recognized this green space as John Ball Park. However the zoo and county have been slowly taking more and more of the parkland. In January after our last Kent County commissioners’ meeting it became clear to me that our local government would not protect our park. I saw a need for direct action. I think that businesses listen most when their revenue is affected. I saw on social media that other community members stated they were also boycotting the zoo because of their paving plans. 

I rolled out our boycott on social media in April. The boycott is being amplified on FB, IG and X; search for “BoycottJBZoo” or #boycottJBZoo. We will have a protest on 6/27/24 at John Ball Park, 5:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. to amplify our boycott. Bring signs! We are meeting on West Fulton on the sidewalk near one of their entrances by the wooden JBZoo sign.

GRIID – What are the main arguments this campaign has been using for why they oppose more paved parking at John Ball Park?

Jessica – We are fighting for a 140 year old park that is free for the community to use. Paving the park would take away desperately needed green space for our community. A place for people to enjoy nature, have fellowship and recreation. There are many old growth trees in the park including a massive, 200 year old Gingko tree. This tree resides in the area slated for pavement. The zoo has told the community to come and say goodbye to their favorites trees. The construction would also displace the park animals who live there. It would deplete biodiversity which is essential to our health. The zoo touts itself as caring about the community and conservation. Paving the park does not demonstrate these core values that they claim to have.

We also cannot ignore the wild animals who live in small enclosures at John Ball Zoo. The zoo wants to expand by adding more wild animal exhibits in small spaces, including an aquarium. We just can’t stand behind this. There are already community members boycotting the zoo because of the zoo’s practice of keeping wild animals in captivity for profit. We are also concerned for their treatment of animals. Last year a sitatunga named Chopper was killed because of the zoo’s negligence. The zoo wanted to put a sitatunga and a hippo in the same exhibit. The hippo had 8 encounters with the sitatunga where it showed signs of aggression. The zoo had an opening party planned for their new exhibit and they put the two animals together despite the hippo’s signs of aggression. This sadly resulted in Chopper’s death.

We want to save the future animals that the zoo would purchase because of their planned expansion. Their expansion does not include a lot of space for the animals. More animals in captivity means more animals bred in captivity and then sold to zoos for human entertainment. We also don’t want the current park animals being displaced. We want to save the beautiful old growth trees from being torn out and replaced with concrete. And we want to stop the park from being paved so that future generations can enjoy it.

Map Description: Included here are 4 maps that our community member, Peter Carlberg put together. It shows the progression of the zoo’s takeover of our park. The lower right hand corner map labeled “per new master plan”  shows the end result and how much green parkland the zoo intends to leave our community. The grey colored areas indicate parkland that the zoo has taken over.

GRIID – How much of the paved parking expansion push for the park driven by the proposal to add an aquarium to the John Ball Zoo?

Jessica – I think the aquarium is definitely driving this decision to pave the park. The CEO, Peter D’Arienzo stated that once they pave 10-12 acres or more of the park that this still wouldn’t be enough parking for their business. He said after they pave the park they plan on putting a parking garage into the wooded hillside on the southwest end of the park. Their parking strain was typically for their nighttime parties. During the week for normal zoo business hours, the overflow parking in the grass (now gravel) was sufficient. It seem obvious now that they want more onsite parking for the aquarium they plan to build. 

GRIID – Parking is a growing problem in Grand Rapids, especially with the new Amphitheater and Soccer Stadiums in the downtown area. How are people like yourself who live on the near westside dealing with parking issues in general, and does your group oppose the hotel tax ballot proposal for the August Primary since it names the various development projects and the Aquarium has the recipients of the tax?

Jessica – Currently where we live, near John Ball Park, we have street parking and we have little issue parking on the street. However with these new developments that could change. Recently there was a proposal to have a portion of Grand Rapids, including the SWANN neighborhood, that would require residents to pay for an annual parking permit to park in their neighborhood. This was met with a pushback from the community and they have tabled this proposal for now.

We are encouraging everyone to vote no on the “Sports and Entertainment Facilities” proposal on August 6th, 2024. We the taxpayers do not want to fund the development of the aquarium, the soccer stadium or the amphitheater. Why should we? The hotel tax would also hurt those who seek shelter in hotels/motels due to being unhoused. The aquarium is just another place to keep wild animals in captivity for profit. The soccer stadium will most likely provide a lot of low paying, part time jobs. And the amphitheater will provide unaffordable concerts.

Map Description: Here is a map of John Ball Park. The area circled in red is where the zoo will pave. The area marked in yellow is where the zoo has taken over most of our main playing field by laying down a gravel parking lot, a road, and planting trees to border the parking lot and road.

GRIID – What is the campaign to oppose the expanded paved parking in John Ball Park proposing as an alternative?

Jessica – We want the zoo to skip paving the park entirely. We want the zoo to honor our community and preserve the park. Our community has already provided the zoo with many great alternatives to paving the park. They could, if they wanted to, incentivize public transportation or provide a shuttle from other, existing parking lots. The zoo states their customers just wouldn’t come to the zoo if they can’t park onsite. We’re saying if they truly need more onsite parking, we want them to build their parking garages on the already existing black top areas that they have, ideally where they have their maintenance building at the south end of the park or their existing parking lot or choose another location to build the parking garage that does not diminish any more of our parkland. They do have other choices. They do not have to destroy the park.

GRIID – Any other aspect of this issue that you want to address, and how can people support the campaign?

Jessica – We have a business that exploits wild animals for profit wanting to pave over our community’s park. This is a 5013c non profit that pays zero taxes. Once the park is paved there is no turning back. But the damage they have already done could still be reversed and the park can be restored. It’s not too late!

We need people to support us by joining our boycott and encouraging others to join. The zoo plans to start major construction in August. We need to create enough pressure to force them to stop their development and construction of the park. We also want the current damage that they have done to the park to be restored back to parkland. Please support us by following us on Facebook, Instagram and X.

Reach out if you have ideas to support the boycott and or have ways you want to volunteer to further our efforts. If you would like any fliers to distribute please DM Boycott JBZoo on social media.

Also please go and vote no on August 6, 2024 on the Sports and Entertainment Facilities proposal!