World-Class Aquarium in the 'Ocean State'?

[Mike D]

I agree with Cotuit's posting that an aquarium could go in what was to have been the Heritage Harbor site. RI should really have an aquarium. As others have already mentioned, how can there not be an aquarium within "the Ocean State"?

Shame that the botanical gardens are being scaled back due to financing, but hopefully that won't mean that the botanical gardens are scrapped completely.

[CtownMikey]

THE 2009 MAYOR'S CONVENTION WILL BE HELD IN PROVIDENCE, CORRECT?

[Cotuit]

THE 2009 MAYOR'S CONVENTION WILL BE HELD IN PROVIDENCE, CORRECT?

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yup

[Mike D]

You do know that if this were to happen, there would be a proposal here within the next week and an aquarium within a year or two.  Folks would get on this like vultures.  What better way to steal some thunder from Boston before the Mayors Convention in 2009?  Everything would be falling into place by then, the bridge, new towers?  Oh!  A shiny new aquarium!  That aquarium closing is the most direct way we would get an aquarium in Providence.

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Oh, I'd love to see that happen. Kind of would add insult to injury, what with the problems with the Big Dig and the city and state's population slipping last year. Of course, the New England Aquarium is not going to close. It is a huge tourist attraction and if they just added an expansion to the place, it would be kind of stupid for them to shut it down.

Still, I don't think Boston's aquarium has to shut down in order for Providence to have one.

[Loughlin]

Providence will always be second fittle to Boston so if Providence does get an aquarium it will probaly reflect that, it seams like they rarely ever get built anyway, there was supposed to be a 40 million$ facility built in Dover about 5 years ago, but the plans fell apart

[Loughlin]

I know, crazy, but this is the buzz I have just heard from people who have no authority in the matter... I haven't found anything on the interweb to back it up...

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Yeah i have been hearing some odd stuff about the NEA, like that the Red Sox owners were going to use land they purchased for a new stadium to build a bigger Aquarium. Mostly rumors i woud think.

[Cotuit]

Yeah i have been hearing some odd stuff about the NEA, like that the Red Sox owners were going to use land they purchased for a new stadium to build a bigger Aquarium. Mostly rumors i woud think.

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There's been various expansion schemes for decades, nothing ever comes of them. Seems like it's hard to fund aquariums for some reason.

Maybe someday Save The Bay could develop an aquarium facility for Rhode Island.

[gregw]

There's a plan in New Bedford to develop an aquarium (Oceanarium) in a former power plant. It would make a nice complement to the Whaling Museum. If that happens, and then there's the Boston and the Mystic aquariums, it would seem that Providence would be in a pretty crowded field as far as aquariums are concerned. At least we have our zoo!

[millboy]

Forgive me for posting opinions on this same subjetc under its own heading Cotuit. I didn't see this thread.

I was proposing that the aquarium be associated with NEA and Mystic and even URI, as has been suggested. But I thought the location where Narragansett Electric is now would make a sweet bookend to the zoo on the other side of 95, and would afford some frontage on Elmwood in the distant future if RIPTA moves it's storage facility as well. Narragansett E is about to bust their seams over there on Sackett St. anyway.

My vote is to save the waterfront property along Allens for more tax lucrative ventures (read high end residential).

[Cotuit]

Forgive me for posting opinions on this same subjetc under its own heading Cotuit.  I didn't see this thread.

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No worries.

I was proposing that the aquarium be associated with NEA and Mystic and even URI, as has been suggested.  But I thought the location where Narragansett Electric is now would make a sweet bookend to the zoo on the other side of 95, and would afford some frontage on Elmwood in the distant future if RIPTA moves it's storage facility as well.  Narragansett E is about to bust their seams over there on Sackett St. anyway.

My vote is to save the waterfront property along Allens for more tax lucrative ventures (read high end residential).

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It certainly wouldn't hurt the zoo to have another similar attraction nearby. Looking at a Satellite Map of the area shows how well they could work together with a creative pedestrian crossing of 95, either a tunnel or a landscaped overpass. And if some future transit structure had a stop in the area it would be even better. It's hard to vote against the Ocean State having a waterfront aquarium, but I could see this spot working well.

[CtownMikey]

I can't find the darn article.. but Atlanta's aquarium opens next week and the yahoo article said it will be the world's largest (maybe best) aquarium.

That aquarium was started off with a $200 million dollar gift from the co-founder of Home Depot, which is based in Atlanta.

I know Home Depot is a much larger and different kind of company.. with more revenue, but jeeeezus I wish CVS would donate something along those lines. If funding like this were provided.. would anything else hold a R.I. aquarium from happening?

[markOne]

No worries.

It certainly wouldn't hurt the zoo to have another similar attraction nearby. Looking at a Satellite Map of the area shows how well they could work together with a creative pedestrian crossing of 95, either a tunnel or a landscaped overpass. And if some future transit structure had a stop in the area it would be even better. It's hard to vote against the Ocean State having a waterfront aquarium, but I could see this spot working well.

Not an old fashioned pedestrian crossing....

What this town needs is a monorail. Someone call Lyle Lanley.

Sorry couldn't resist.

-Mark

[HartfordTycoon]

I can't find the darn article.. but Atlanta's aquarium opens next week and the yahoo article said it will be the world's largest (maybe best) aquarium.

That aquarium was started off with a $200 million dollar gift from the co-founder of Home Depot, which is based in Atlanta.

I know Home Depot is a much larger and different kind of company.. with more revenue, but jeeeezus I wish CVS would donate something along those lines. If funding like this were provided.. would anything else hold a R.I. aquarium from happening?

CVS is pretty damn huge. I would think along the lines of Home Depot as a corporation. Maybe not, but they are everywhere. They should be able to help you guys out somehow.

[Frankie811]

CVS is pretty damn huge. I would think along the lines of Home Depot as a corporation. Maybe not, but they are everywhere. They should be able to help you guys out somehow.

With an aquarium in both Mystic and Boston (not to mention the one long planned for New Bodford) I doubt we'll ever see one here locally, even though I would love to see it happen. We are talking about 3 aquariums within 100 miles of each other. Is the market big enough for 3?

[Frankie811]

I can't find the darn article.. but Atlanta's aquarium opens next week and the yahoo article said it will be the world's largest (maybe best) aquarium.

That aquarium was started off with a $200 million dollar gift from the co-founder of Home Depot, which is based in Atlanta.

I know Home Depot is a much larger and different kind of company.. with more revenue, but jeeeezus I wish CVS would donate something along those lines. If funding like this were provided.. would anything else hold a R.I. aquarium from happening?

Atlanta is a large metropolitan area. Where is the closest aquarium to that city?

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/

[virgo20]

With an aquarium in both Mystic and Boston (not to mention the one long planned for New Bodford) I doubt we'll ever see one here locally, even though I would love to see it happen. We are talking about 3 aquariums within 100 miles of each other. Is the market big enough for 3?

Not as a full scale destination..I think something displaying the ecology of Narragansett Bay should be built at the Heritage Harbor site.( if that ever gets buit ) What's the latest on that ? The " coming soon " sign has been visible on 1-195 for over 3 years. Heritage Harbor is the kind of destination that Providence needs. Restaurants, nightclubs, and Waterfire is great stuff, but we need real attractions to keep people interested on returning back or permanently locating here. (i.e. tourists,conventions) Was Heritage Harbor discussed at the aenda the other night? It seems to have fallen off the priorities list....

This project would certainly be a catalyst for the Allens Ave. waterfront area ..an area which desperately needs a makeover....

[foxpointer]

Atlanta is a large metropolitan area. Where is the closest aquarium to that city?

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/

Chattanooga. About half of its visitors come from Atlanta Metro. It is going to be in trouble once Atlana aqarium opens.

[Cotuit]

Isn't Chattanooga's also a "World's Largest" except in the freshwater category?

[Frankie811]

Isn't Chattanooga's also a "World's Largest" except in the freshwater category?

They claim to be the largest fresh water aquarium

http://www.tennis.org/

[Frankie811]

I can't find the darn article.. but Atlanta's aquarium opens next week and the yahoo article said it will be the world's largest (maybe best) aquarium.

That aquarium was started off with a $200 million dollar gift from the co-founder of Home Depot, which is based in Atlanta.

I know Home Depot is a much larger and different kind of company.. with more revenue, but jeeeezus I wish CVS would donate something along those lines. If funding like this were provided.. would anything else hold a R.I. aquarium from happening?

The "Today Show" did part of their show today from the new Georgia Aquarium. Nice and big.

[monsoon]

The "Today Show" did part of their show today from the new Georgia Aquarium. Nice and big.

The money did not come from Home Depot. It came from the personal funds of the founder of Home Depot. He wanted to thank the city for all the opportunites it gave him, and the aquarium was his way of giving back to the community.

On the earlier question about nearby aquariums, the next closest is the Chattanoga aquarium as mentioned above but it is a fairly unique aquarium that would not really compete against the one in ATL. It's unique in that it attempts to show the water eco system of a river as it flows down from the mountains to the sea. It is worth a visit if you are over that way.

The next closest aquariums are the SC Aquarium in Charleston, SC (about a 5 hour drive) and the Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach, about 6 hours drive away. There is a thread here on UrbanPlanet on aquariums in the South if you do a search for it.

[Frankie811]

The money did not come from Home Depot. It came from the personal funds of the founder of Home Depot. He wanted to thank the city for all the opportunites it gave him, and the aquarium was his way of giving back to the community.

Yes, on the Today Show they did mention that the owner of Home Depot spent $ 200 million dollars of his own money on this project. Thanks for your input.

[CtownMikey]

Just looking through some pretty much retired threads and a few questions came to mind (of course)

Would it be completely ridiculous for the state to ask its top 10 companies to donate for something like an Ocean State aquarium?

Just curious if anything like this has ever happened... anywhere

[Cotuit]

They could ask, but I don't think it would quite work that way.

I think an aquarium would have to be started by the state. URI wants to expand it's marine facilities (a ballot question was defeated in '04). If the state built an aquarium under the idea of giving URI the lab facilities they need in it, there would be plenty of opportunities for business to invest. But a big chunk of the money would need to come from the state, and the state doesn't have any money right now. A wealthy benefactor for URI would help things along.

[Johnzo]

I remember Buddy's Narragansett Landing proposal including a "Narragansett Bay Museum."

Perhaps this is something that should be considered, an attraction that would include all aspects of the bay. Part aquarium, part science museum, part maritime museum, part URI research center. It would be sort of like Nauticus in Norfolk, VA. Above all, it would be unique, therefore it could co-exist with Mystic & NEA.