Detroit Zoo renovates landmark water tower

Thursday, June 24, 2010 | Source: metromode
The animals will continue marching around the Detroit Zoo water tower, but with a new graphic and a new coat of paint on the tower.

The colorful tower at Woodward Avenue and 10 Mile Road in Royal Oak will have the existing graphic steamed off and then be power washed, scraped, and hand-painted, says Patricia Mills Janeway, communications director for the Detroit Zoo. The graphic is starting to look a little ragged, with the decal coming off in places. "(Passers-by) will definitely notice that it's more spruced up," she adds.

The hand-painting will reduce any overspray that can float down on cars and other things below, she explains. A new graphic, 40 feet by 270 feet and made of adhesive vinyl, will then be applied to the tower. The "critter parade" logo of animals and humans walking across a plain at dusk is nearly the same as the original, except the elephant will be replaced with a rhino. (Detroit's elephants have since retired to an elephant sanctuary.)

"People are used to seeing that critter parade," she says. "They recognize it and love it, and we love it."

The $200,000 makeover is expected to be complete by mid-July, weather permitting.

And here's some Detroit Zoo water tower trivia: It was built in 1928, but only supplied water until 1984. Now its sole purpose is to be a giant, round zoological billboard.

Source: Patricia Mills Janeway, communications director for the Detroit Zoo
Writer: Kristin Lukowski
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