 Much of the development of the zoo came during the long-term administration of Mayor W. L. "Jack" Howard who made the facility a centerpiece of his campaign for municipal improvements, along with such projects as a new City Hall and Civic Center.In 2013, the United States Department of Agriculture, which holds regulatory authority over the nation's zoos, mandated that the zoo remodel the kitchen where the food for the animals is prepared and construct eight new holding pens for primates.Zoo director Joe Clawson said that he expected to tap into the $80,000 annual maintenance budget to make the needed changes in-house.