Bergen County Zoo in Paramus enters facility master-planning phase

Bergen County is moving the Bergen County Zoo in Paramus into a facility master-planning phase, awarding Relevant Strategies & Solutions a contract to develop a long-term planning document for the county-operated attraction.

The county announced the agreement May 13, 2026. County commissioners awarded the project during their public meeting on Feb. 11, 2026.

What the plan will cover

The planning product is called a Facility Concept Plan Storybook. Bergen County says it is intended to establish a long-term vision for the zoo while identifying priority capital projects and future facility needs.

The work will include a conceptual site plan, strategic priorities and visual concepts, including digital renderings. Together, those elements are expected to give the county a framework for evaluating future facility-related improvements, visitor amenities, exhibits and construction decisions.

The project is a planning effort, not an announcement that a specific expansion, exhibit, construction project or closure has been approved. The county’s announcement does not identify an individual future capital project as committed.

That distinction matters because a concept plan can help shape later decisions without itself authorizing every project shown or considered during the planning process. For Paramus residents and visitors from across the region, the document may influence how Bergen County prioritizes improvements at one of its major public attractions.

Timeline and zoo location

Bergen County expected the Facility Concept Plan Storybook to be completed by the end of July 2026. That target is the next stated milestone for the planning work.

The zoo is in Paramus. A separate county procurement listing identifies the Bergen County Zoological Park at 216 Forest Avenue and seeks bids for a concrete slab in a train-repairs facility. That procurement listed July 23, 2026, as the deadline for proposals.

The train-repairs work is a separate procurement from the Facility Concept Plan Storybook, but it identifies the zoo’s existing Paramus site and shows that facility-related work is also being considered there. The planning document could provide a broader framework for future capital spending, exhibits, visitor amenities and construction decisions.

For now, the confirmed action is the award of the planning contract. The county’s expected completion date is the end of July 2026; any later decisions about specific projects would follow the planning process.