(Cleveland) – (Cleveland) - Jacobs Investments continues to work on plans to put a new aquarium in the Powerhouse in downtown Cleveland.
Director of Development Dave Grunenwald says they are in discussions with city, county and state leaders, and are continuing the process of lining up financing for the project.
He reports they are also consulting with engineers on the best way to integrate the aquarium into the Nautica complex at the Powerhouse in the Flats.
Grunenwald explains that New Zealand-based Marinescape would create the aquarium, and contends there would be nothing like it in North America.
Planned is a 55,000 square foot walk-through facility highlighting marine life in the Great Lakes, and the Cuyahoga River. The aquarium would have classrooms and teachers working with local school districts.
Gruenwald says they have spoken to the backers of a competing Cleveland aquarium, in hopes that they can work together.
If the Powerhouse aquarium is built, the attraction is expected to add up to $30 million dollars to Cleveland’s economy, creating 40 full time jobs, and drawing nearly a half million visitors a year. The target date for opening the aquarium is the summer of 2010.
Marinescape has 25 years of experience in constructing walk through aquariums and has completed 21 major projects, including attractions in Hong Kong, Beijing, St. Petersburg, Singapore, Sydney, and Brisbane. It is currently wrapping up a project in Istanbul.
This would be the first aquarium in Cleveland since the old Cleveland Aquarium in Gordon Park which opened in 1954.
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Read the news release about the proposed aquarium
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