The Florida Aquarium Getting A Big $15 Million Upgrade
One of my favorite places to take my family is going to expand. The Florida Aquarium has always been an awesome spot in Tampa to visit when in town. It’s so good, people from all around the country come to visit. It has been named amongst the best aquariums in America.
Well, it looks like the top aquarium in the country is going to expand. Last week, the Florida Aquarium with $15 million being approved for funding from Tampa’s CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency). The last time the aquarium had received any funding from the city was back in 1997, according to the CEO & President of the Florida Aquarium Roger German.
What To Expect With The New $15 Million Upgrade at the Florida Aquarium
The Aquarium has a lot of great attractions and showcases, and not to mention my 3-year-old daughter’s favorite, the splash pad water play zone. The expansion will first start the aquarium turning the ball room area in the Mosaic Center into a new exhibit hall that will be 3,700 square feet.
Next will be a Rugged Coast that will feature large fish, and a puffin habitat that will be two levels. What’s also cool about this next phase in the expansion is there will be a few windows where guests can view all their nesting areas all packed in a massive 45,000-gallon habitat.
Lastly, the new exhibit you can expect to see by 2026 is Rocky Shores. This outdoor habitat will being California Sea Lions to the west coast of Florida for the first time! It will also expand the African penguin habitat. Learn more about all the new habitats here.
The new expansion is set to be done by 2026. When it’s finished it will bring some great attention to an already amazing oceanic experience. I can’t wait to see the finished layout & take my kid to see the puffin exhibit because I already know it will be her new favorite part of the Florida Aquarium when it opens. The coolest part of the puffin habitat is that is the first one in the state of Florida.
Overall, the entire project for the expansion will cost $45 million, and the aquarium has already covered $30 million.
Some people are conflicted about using city funds and taxes to house sea lions when we are facing a serious housing crisis in Tampa. A few people have spoken out saying the aquarium shouldn’t qualify for funds and instead to use the money for the community.
Majority of the CRA members agreed to the decision because of how much the Florida Aquarium does to support the community. Only one member voted to not give them the money because he thought $15 million was too much.
13 Fun Tampa Summer Camps For Kids
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