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Fresno aquarium project to proceed in stages

Posted by: Maven on May 27, 2009 at 6:06 am

From the Fresno Bee:

Tom Lang doesn’t want people to think he’s been telling them fish stories. After nine years raising money to build the Valley’s first public aquarium, the leader of the nonprofit Aquarius Aquarium Institute still has only an empty lot and a relatively modest bank balance to show for his efforts. So Lang is taking a new approach: Instead of waiting until he has all the cash he needs — up to $35 million for the building alone — he plans to start small and expand in phases.

For now, the plan is to start with a 10,000-square-foot structure to house a small number of exhibits. Such a facility could open as soon as 2012 on the nonprofit’s 10-acre site south of the San Joaquin River just west of Highway 99.

Donors and potential partners might be more likely to contribute to a project that is under way, so it makes sense to start with a scaled-back project, Lang said. The ultimate goal remains the same: a 100,000-square-foot aquarium with exhibits ranging from ocean life to local river habitat. “We realize we have to walk before we run,” Lang said.

Read more from the Fresno Bee by clicking here.

May 27, 2009 · Filed Under San Joaquin Valley

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