Aquarium could be coming to Jacksonville?

[thelakelander]

Seems like a pipe dream.  I was expecting something more concrete when I saw the title and most recent link. I wouldn't worry about raising $100 million just yet.  Let's get the much cheaper feasibility study done first.

[jaxjaguar]

I am totally blown away by the design of the building! No complaints here as it does scream iconic for sure. Only wishing somehow $100 million will rain down from the heavens, almost seems to be far fetched. But while they are at it, I would strongly suggest partnering with MOSH and add a new museum as part of the overall plan. Not only would this increase attendance for both respectively as they will feed off and into each other, it would also give Jax condensed educational/entertainment center. Combine this with an included children's museum that currently sits nearby and you have a win all across the board. My strong recommendation would be for Aquajax, JaxZoo, and MOSH to make one full collaborative effort on a single vision.

Part of their plan includes a water taxi that would take you from the museum, to the aquarium and then to the zoo. While I agree mosh is getting a little stale, I think an expansion at the current site would suffice. As it stands it could survive a few more years... Though the planetarium desperately needs to be updated.

[mtraininjax]

Seems like a pipe dream.  I was expecting something more concrete when I saw the title and most recent link. I wouldn't worry about raising $100 million just yet.  Let's get the much cheaper feasibility study done first.

Did anyone read the article in the Times Union yesterday, really read it? The zoo has worked hard to raise its funding, and never had to raise, 50-60, let alone 100 million for its projects and it is the major animal center in Jacksonville. What makes these "new animal experts" think they can roll into town and raise money for such a project when Marineland has had its own share of funding issues over its life, and its the premier aquatic facility in NE Florida.

These guys are living in a fantasyland, unless Khan comes in and pulls a Bernie Marcus and gives these clown-fish 100 million. This is a dud. Build the shipyards first, show that people can stay downtown, make it a destination, wait for Balanky's project to add more residents. An aquarium is at least 4-8 years off, need lots more people downtown living.

[copperfiend]

Part of their plan includes a water taxi that would take you from the museum, to the aquarium and then to the zoo. While I agree mosh is getting a little stale, I think an expansion at the current site would suffice. As it stands it could survive a few more years... Though the planetarium desperately needs to be updated.

MOSH needs a desperate upgrade.

[CityLife]

Very nice design, no doubt done to excite potential donors. However, I have some serious doubts that they could build that for $100 million. They don't even have a $50,000 feasibility study done, so I doubt they have accurate construction/design estimates yet.

[I-10east]

Heres an Action News Jax video link concerning the aquarium proposal.

Bold new plan for downtown aquarium
http://www.actionnewsjax.com/videos/news/bold-new-plan-for-downtown-aquarium/vC7j54/

[Pat Angelo]

Would be nice, we'll see.


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[Buforddawg]

With an aquarium going in St. Augustine and now this one trying to get off the group downtown, I don't think the area will be able to support two aquariums.   

How much money will it cost to purchase the parcel of land they want to build the aquarium?  $100 million is a lot of money, but it took $250 million from the Marcus family plus an additional $40 million from corporate donors.  Not to mention the land was donated by the Coca-Cola company. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Aquarium 

The money valuation for the Atlanta Aquarium is from 2001, which does not go as far as today.

If they want an aquarium that pulls people off the highways than they most likely need to raise $500 million.

[Ocklawaha]

Seems like a pipe dream.  I was expecting something more concrete when I saw the title and most recent link. I wouldn't worry about raising $100 million just yet.  Let's get the much cheaper feasibility study done first.

Did anyone read the article in the Times Union yesterday, really read it? The zoo has worked hard to raise its funding, and never had to raise, 50-60, let alone 100 million for its projects and it is the major animal center in Jacksonville. What makes these "new animal experts" think they can roll into town and raise money for such a project when Marineland has had its own share of funding issues over its life, and its the premier aquatic facility in NE Florida.

These guys are living in a fantasyland, unless Khan comes in and pulls a Bernie Marcus and gives these clown-fish 100 million. This is a dud. Build the shipyards first, show that people can stay downtown, make it a destination, wait for Balanky's project to add more residents. An aquarium is at least 4-8 years off, need lots more people downtown living.

Marineland is gone Mtraininjax, at least in everything but name. The nations FIRST marine movie studio, aquarium, research facility would have made a rare but interesting Naitonal Monument or State Park, but unfortunately, it was hacked, stabbed, pieced and parceled:

Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney who was the major stockholder of the private company opted to sell the marine park in the mid-1980s to a group of St. Augustine businessmen. With declining attendance, bad management and other issues, the group was unable to meet their loan payments and the attraction was again put on the market. Ownership change was the norm from that point.

Eventually the maintenance demands of the old park became too costly for the real estate investment group who owned it at that time. The facility began to sink into disrepair as the owners desperately sought a buyer. Finally, through a convoluted deal involving junk bonds, the property was sold. The buyers planned to build time-share condominiums on most of the ocean hammock land but were unable to bring the plan to fruition. This effort resulted in bankruptcy for the buyers. In addition, the already-strapped oceanarium had been reconfigured as a non-profit foundation as part of the sale and was responsible for its own sustenance as well as repayment of the bond issue. Needed monies were not invested in repairs, and the shabby condition of the park offended even the most loyal fans. With no direct ownership, no funding, and the financial burden of bond interest payments, employees were left to cope with equipment failures, no marketing, loss of credit, bounced paychecks, government inspections and the custodianship of the marine mammals, fish and birds. During this era, many devoted individuals and businesses contributed materials and services to help employees keep the place going. In the end, the foundation repaid the bondholders pennies on the dollar, a large part of Marineland's dolphin population was sold off to Orlando, and the current owner came in and picked up the pieces.

Hurricanes Floyd and Irene in 1999 forced the park to close for two months. In 2003, all of the park buildings west of Highway A1A were demolished leaving only the original structures along the Atlantic Ocean. In 2004, the park closed completely for renovations, and reopened on March 4, 2006.

During the renovations the original 1938 Circular Oceanarium (400,000 US gallons (1,500,000 l; 330,000 imp gal)) and Rectangular Oceanarium (450,000 US gallons (1,700,000 l; 370,000 imp gal)) were demolished. The age of the original Dolphin Show at Marineland ended as the park reopened as a hands on educational facility. Future plans for the area include a condominium development on former park lands. The rest of the old Marineland property wound up in the hands of Flagler County and now make up the River to the Sea Preserve one of the County's many parks.

With an aquarium going in St. Augustine and now this one trying to get off the group downtown, I don't think the area will be able to support two aquariums.   

How much money will it cost to purchase the parcel of land they want to build the aquarium?  $100 million is a lot of money, but it took $250 million from the Marcus family plus an additional $40 million from corporate donors.  Not to mention the land was donated by the Coca-Cola company.

First the aquarium 'in' St. Augustine is actually the most ill advised, uninspired, Dollar Store sized fish bowl since the Welatka Fish Hatchery Aquarium (Yes there really was one) The 'St. Augustine' plan is not in town, not in a walkable location (there are sidewalks if your into 10 mile hikes) @ SR16 and I-95. This is a group that had everything right at first and since that time they've been working hard to guarantee they snatch failure out of the jaws of victory. After seeing the drawing, I'm fairly confident in predicting that it will be to regional aquariums what Adventure Landing is to Disney World... and then it will?

The Jacksonville effort looks much more like the Georgia, Chattanooga or other national scale parks. Is the I've got a suspicion that there is way more money looking at this project then has been publicly announced. IMO either somebody or somebodies are telling them to push forward with all dispatch and (pardon the pun) make a splash, or these guys are the biggest carnival promoters since P. T. Barnum.

[I-10east]

I'm surprised as to why many are so optimistic about the aquarium in St Augustine with a bad location, uninspiring design etc; Then again many in Jax (Inferiority Complex Central) love to sugarcoat everything outside of the city limits so I guess that I shouldn't be too surprised....

[thelakelander]

I'm skeptical about both. St. Augustine in terms of location and Jax in terms of cost and feasibility. However, at this point, only one is a real project. The other is an unfunded dream at this point in time.

[I-10east]

^^^True.

[Noone]

Seems like a pipe dream.  I was expecting something more concrete when I saw the title and most recent link. I wouldn't worry about raising $100 million just yet.  Let's get the much cheaper feasibility study done first.

+1
Lake are you interested in doing a kayak RICO loop in our NEW yet to be voted on CRA/DIA zone from the Fuller Warren to the Mathews Bridge? We can check out the new concrete on the Southbank. Throw in some Environmental Ethics- Vince Seibold. Seriously.

[copperfiend]

I'm skeptical about both. St. Augustine in terms of location and Jax in terms of cost and feasibility. However, at this point, only one is a real project. The other is an unfunded dream at this point in time.

I'd be surprised if the one in St Augustine ends up anything more than a marginal, disappointing tourist destination and occasionally field trip stop.

And I am with everyone else that says this Jacksonville is unrealistic. Would be nice to, at some point, get something tangible for that space.

[thelakelander]

Readers debate an aquarium for downtown Jacksonville along the river

An idea to place an aquarium downtown, perhaps at the old Shipyards property, continues to be floated by a group of dedicated citizens.
But would this attraction be feasible financially? That was the subject of a recent news story in the Times-Union that noted it would take about $50,000 to fund a professional study to explore the viability here. A related proposal involves placing the USS Charles Adams on the downtown waterfront.

So we asked members of our Email Interactive Group for their comments. It seems a few of them are big aquarium buffs, having visited them nationally and worldwide.

COMPARE TO CHARLESTON

I moved to Jacksonville from Charleston in 1976. I love my ancestral home but I feel Jacksonville has so much more to offer.

Charleston figured out who she was when I was a child and began building herself as a destination city. Jacksonville needs to see herself as the beautiful, historic city that she is and build on that.

Charleston recently opened an aquarium in an area similar to the shipyards. This has expanded tourism and local business.

Jacksonville should take a lesson from Charleston. Build the aquarium and work together to develop tourism as a city rather than promoting single events. The river, beaches and sports complex alone contribute to Jacksonville's huge potential.

However, potential without a plan is merely a daydream. Cooperation toward a greater goal is key.

Amelia Gaillard, West Beaches

WAITING ON THE TOOTH FAIRY?

Jacksonville doesn't have $50,000 to do the study yet wants to build something that costs $100 million?

The plan is to raise $60 million and float a bond issue for the remaining $40 million.

Who are you kidding when you say that the $40 million will not cost the taxpayer anything?

Interest has to be paid on that $40 million bond issue and it will have to be paid by the city of Jacksonville.

The tooth fairy doesn't pay the interest. The only source that Jacksonville has to pay it is income from the taxpayers.

Charles Moore, Jacksonville

LEAVE TAXPAYERS OUT OF IT

As long as taxpayers don't have to foot the bill, if someone wants to build an aquarium downtown it sounds OK to me.

However one of the best ideas I have ever heard for helping downtown would be to build a hanging botanical garden underneath the skyway express. I believe if it was done correctly, it could turn a multi-million dollar fiasco into a unique beautiful environmentally friendly attraction. Because of its uniqueness, it would certainly get a lot more positive publicity than one more city with an aquarium.

Don Kirk, Yulee

Full article: http://jacksonville.com/opinion/editorials/2015-01-02/story/readers-debate-aquarium-downtown