aquarium downtown

[jaxjags]

I know this has been mentioned before, but using west part of the shipyards for a "JAX Craft Beer Garden and Pour House" would be something that can attract locals on a regular basis and "craft beer tourism". It can showcase all local craft beers and perhaps have a local brewhouse. Trying to think of something unique, not too expensive ( compared to aquarium) and can grow in the future with demand. Needs to be done right and not cheaply to attract people to visit. Most successful ventures start small and grow with demand. This is where JAX falls flat. No vision to even try something like this. You never know, 10 years from now it could be the largest "mixed use" beer garden in the US.

[IrvAdams]

I like that...beer as tourism! We in Jax definitely cultivate and appreciate our brew, and craft beers are a big thing here. You should always stick with what you know.

[WmNussbaum]

I wasn't suggesting any kind of operation that involves large tanks or other spaces. I was hoping someone with true experience with marine biology would chime in about the thought of a facility devoted to the smaller kinds of marine life.  To my knowledge there is nothing like that around here.

The Pier in St. Petersburg - recently closed, I think after many years in operation - was a big tourist attraction and one floor of it was devoted to aquariums - nothing huge, just darned interesting. Other floors included restaurants and shopping.

Explain why such a facility is a gimmick and an old war ship or a roller coaster isn't. And if it is a gimmick that works, so what? What we need is something fun, and why wouldn't it be fun to go to a place where you could spend an hour or so looking at some forms of sea life are beautiful and aren't available anywhere else?

[thelakelander]

The Pier in St. Petersburg - recently closed, I think after many years in operation - was a big tourist attraction and one floor of it was devoted to aquariums - nothing huge, just darned interesting. Other floors included restaurants and shopping.

The Pier in St. Petersburg closed because as the city became vibrant, people flocked to its streets and businesses instead. Now they are trying to create something that complements the urban scene they've successfully reactivated over the last decade.

Explain why such a facility is a gimmick and an old war ship or a roller coaster isn't. And if it is a gimmick that works, so what?

It's arguable that all of these things are gimmicks and one trick ponies if sold as if they have the power alone to turn downtown around or be a success on their own within a dead environment.

What we need is something fun, and why wouldn't it be fun to go to a place where you could spend an hour or so looking at some forms of sea life are beautiful and aren't available anywhere else?

Locals occasionally spending an hour or so to look at fish wouldn't be enough to financially sustain an aquarium worth visiting more than once.  Btw, a downtown that works.....is fun. If we can create one that works naturally, stuff that survives off the area's attraction and traffic (like an aquarium) start to make sense from a market rate perspective.

[Wacca Pilatka]

Dolphins and sting ray touch tanks  are nice but they are classic tourist attraction and don't apply everywhere.

Plus, the zoo already has a stingray touch tank.

[Overstreet]

The Tampa Aquarium has a mangrove exhibit more informative than most of the others. It focuses on what is in the local area and gives the public an excellent view of life systems in the mangroves and the nurseries of the ocean.

you know what's interesting....the Florida Aquarium (in Tampa) opened back in the early-to-mid-1990s....and yet the area stayed virtually empty without much tourist traffic until the Marriott hotel, Channelside, and the streetcar opened in 2001.

this should be cautionary note for Jax. Aquarium boosters.

Don't forget the new cruise terminal added in that area too. There is also that liberty ship museum.  The port authority offices are there marketing the port and the attractions.  I was recently in Channel side for a number of Mondays-Wedensdays. It's not very vibrant during the day time either.  However, we will break ground on Skyhouse Tampa a 23 story apartment building in Channel Side this month. Things are changing.  I don't think it was just the aquarium.

[WmNussbaum]

I'll try it one more time and then quit:

I"m not talking about shark tanks, jumping porpoises, touchy-feely sting ray tanks or anything like that. What I've posited is a place to see marine life you won't see most other places: anemones, jellyfish, seahorses the smaller cephalopods (octopi and squid), and the like, life that can be displayed and studied in tanks that don't require super sizes, super engineering, or super money.

Lakelander, the St. P pier closed for a reason - according to you - that all of us should wish for Jacksonville, i.e., too much competition nearby. So let's have one here for awhile and tear it down in 20 years when the area has at last become something.

I'd sure as hell rather try the kind of place i'm suggesting that an aged, minor warship. What's to see and oooh and ahhh over in that kind of attraction? And talk about upkeep . . . .

[thelakelander]

I see what you're saying. But wouldn't it be cool to get the core of downtown right now instead of 20 years. Momentum is already here. We just need to better facilitate it.

[Tacachale]

Wm, I don't mean to dump on your idea, but there are already some places around here similar to what you're describing. There's the Marine Science Education Center in Mayport, site of many a school field trip, and JU has been developing a Marine Science Research Institute on the river. There aren't exhibits, but there are some pretty impressive coastal bio research facilities in the UNF Biology building. And of course there's Marineland.

If someone came along and offered to build and fund a cool aquarium dowtown, I'm sure everyone would be thrilled. An aquarium is hardly pie in the sky. But again, the prospect was seriously considered 12 years ago, and it was decided to put the money into other things we could really do up right. I think that's all folks are saying here - there are plenty of projects we could undertake that would help downtown, including plenty (eg fixing zoning and signage ordinances) that we could do right now for little cost.

[comncense]

I like the idea proposed earlier about the beer garden. I'd like to see something like the Highline Beer Garden in SOHO. Build a nice boutique hotel, with rooftop bar and a beer garden attached... http://standardhotels.com/high-line/food-drink/biergarten

[thelakelander]

St. Augustine's aquarium and an adjacent children's museum anticipate being open next year.

Aquarium, children's museum projects progressing in St. Augustine

The coinciding projects of the Children's Museum of St. Johns and the St. Augustine Aquarium are a public-partnership with the city of St. Augustine proposed for Riberia Pointe with the intention of opening in 2015 in time for the 450th anniversary of the city's founding.

Projected to cost $6.3 million, the nonprofit museum will focus on interactive learning and play. It will highlight science, technology, engineering, art, math, history and culture.

Education along with public awareness about marine life also is the inspiration for the aquarium project, being led by Marine Conservation Partners of St. Augustine.

The estimated $8 million project includes a 250,000-gallon, 43,000-square-foot aquarium as well as a botanical gardens and aviary. Shawn Hiester, Marine Conservation Partners founder, said they expect to break ground in June on the first phase that calls for 110,000 gallons of marine exhibits and 25,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor facilities.

"We're still about two weeks away from finalizing an overall master site plan," said Hiester, noting opening is anticipated in February 2015.

full article: http://members.jacksonville.com/news/metro/2014-01-25/story/aquarium-childrens-museum-projects-progressing-st-augustine

[Keith-N-Jax]

Should have been built here, like I said didn't have to be something fancy, Oh well at least it will be just down the road. Botanical gardens and a children's museum as well.

[I-10east]

TBH, I'd be more entertained feeding the stingrays at Stingray Bay at the Jax Zoo than walking through an underwater transparent tunnel, that's encircled by floating marine life. Aquariums are so commonplace, even a rollercoaster (Manta) queue line in Sea World Orlando has one; Don't get me wrong, it's definitely the most scenic queue line in the world, the coaster is pretty damn awesome too.

[Keith-N-Jax]

FYI you can feed stingrays at many aquariums as well, This conversation is basically over, lets move on.

[I-10east]

Someone's pretty chippy. Yeesh...