The National Capital Planning Committee gave final approval Thursday for the National Zoo's 20-year plan to renovate the park.
Upgrades include a three-station aerial tram that resembles a ski lift to connect one side of the zoo to the other, a parking garage to add 400 more spaces, a new plaza and visitor amenities and seven new animal exhibits, according to the Associated Press.
Changes to the park's infrastructure will increase exhibit space from 35 acres to 47 acres, the AP reported.
The Smithsonian Institution's plan is set to cost between $900 million and $1.1 billion and will rely heavily on private donations, a National Zoo spokesperson told the AP.
-MAUREEN McCARTY
