By Kim Glovas

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Philadelphia Zoo has plans to build a multi-level parking garage near the zoo grounds.

The zoo brings in 1.2 million visitors every year, and that’s a lot of cars to park.  As a way to improve the parking situation, the zoo says it plans to build a parking garage, with completion slated for April of 2013.

“The parking garage itself will be located on Girard Avenue at 35th Street,” says the zoo’s Kenneth Woodson.  “It’s a four-story structure and it will house approximately 685 cars.”

In addition, Woodson says, work will be done on the streetscape near the zoo.

“Better traffic signalization, streetscape improvements such as trees, better lighting, improved sidewalks, and to widen the streets to allow safe left and right turns,” he tells KYW Newsradio.

The $24-million project is being funded by federal, state, and local grants, plus some investment money.