Living Planet Aquarium prepares to break ground in Draper

In just a little more than a year, Draper will be home to a brand new Living Planet Aquarium facility.

The plans for a new 130,000 sq. foot aquarium building were officially announced on Jan. 20. The new facility will feature all of the current exhibits and provide additional room for the aquarium to grow.

“We are thrilled to be moving to the next phase in creating a … world class aquarium for the residents of Utah,” Living Planet Aquarium Founder and CEO Brent Andersen said in an official statement. “[The new aquarium facility] is sure to become a renowned educational, family-friendly attraction.”

The new facility will be located just north of 12300 South near I-15, neighboring the Edwards Life Sciences building at 12050 Lone Peak Parkway.

Living Planet Aquarium Director of Public Relations Angie Hyde said the next step in the project will be to start construction in the spring.

“Our plan is to break ground as early as April,” Hyde said.

The Living Planet Aquarium is currently at 10600 South 725 East in Sandy. The aquarium houses about 1250 animals and 267 species of sea life in four exhibits called Discover Utah, Ocean Explorer, Animal Superheroes and Journey to South America.

The Sandy aquarium could close as early as October for up to six months to allow time to make the move into the new Draper building.

Hyde said if all goes according to schedule, the new Living Planet Aquarium facility could be complete and open to the public in the spring of 2013.

She said plans are being made to bring in more species of sharks, to adopt a rescued green sea turtle, build space for a gallery to feature a rotating exhibit and an interactive research sea vessel exhibit with interactive educational activities to teach children about ecosystems.

“There will be a lot of new things,” Hyde said.

Early plans to build the new aquarium facility were presented to the Draper City Council in September.

At that time, Draper City Councilmember Jeff Stenquist said a new aquarium would be a welcome addition to the local community and a wonderful amenity, with the potential to become a major destination spot for visitors.

He said the new aquarium would encourage further economic development in the area.

“There’s enough property there that we expect other businesses to pop up next to [the aquarium],” Stenquist said.

The Living Planet Aquarium is a nonprofit organization, funded through private donations and support from state and local government.

The organization has already raised $7 million to pay for the construction of the new building.

In addition, Draper City will support the project with a $11.7 million sales tax bond to be paid back to the city by the Living Planet Aquarium.

Construction of the new facility should support about 317 construction jobs and generate $1.7 million in tax revenues for the state of Utah.

Hyde said the Living Planet Aquarium expects to attract approximately 500,000 visitors to the Draper facility each year after the project is complete.