After months of fundraising and community support, construction began today on a $15 million, 38,000-square-foot expansion to the Florida Aquarium building in Channelside.
The construction project will vastly expand the Aquarium's learning center and private event space as well as add an additional exhibit area and revamp an already-existing 35,000 square feet inside the premises. Funded by the Florida Aquarium's Rising Tides Campaign - which received major donations from Publix founders Carol and Barney Barnett as well as Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik - the expansion is expected to reach completion sometime during the fall of 2016.
This is the Florida Aquarium's first and only expansion since it opened back in 1995. Aquarium officials hope this will attract a larger amount of yearly visitors and revenue for the Channelside attraction. Last year, the Aquarium attracted around 650,000 visitors and about $14 million in revenue according to the Tampa Tribune.
The first phase of construction, set to be completed in May 2013, will expand and enhance the Rays Touch Tank and add an 80-seat community room to the Aquarium. The project will also expand the Florida Aquarium's event facility from a paltry 150-seat room to a massive 8,000-square-foot event area which can seat up to 600 people.
The Florida Aquarium's learning center will also get an upgrade which will double its square footage from 2,000 to 4,000 square feet of space with a fully-equipped laboratory, touch tanks, themed classrooms, and live video conferencing capability.
We'll keep you updated as more news arises regarding the Florida Aquarium's upcoming expansion.
