New York Aquarium $100 Million Transformation

I know that this is a simplistic way of looking at this, but it seems odd that the WCS has made big cuts at the Bronx Zoo, and is then spending a lot of money on what sounds to be fairly superficial improvements at the aquarium.
 
It's not that it's simplistic... just a misunderstanding. Remember that WCS owns the Bronx Zoo but not the Aquarium. The City owns the aquarium. WCS "manages" it.

The funding for this project is not the zoo's (much of it comes from the city and other sources). It is funded as an economic redevelopment project in this other borough (county). If it were not used for the Aquarium it would be withdrawn.

It would certainly not be available to pay salaries or buy feed for the zoo.
 
I visited the aquarium today and there was a lot of construction.
- Glovers reef, the large tank inside the entrance was drained of water
- The area of the same building that was once the conservation hallway is being renovated into a new exhibit named " Oceans, Lakes and rivers". They were putting signs up but the tanks contained fish.
 
Not being much into marine life other than mammals, I would like to know what the plans are with the pinnipeds? Are they on the way out or will they be stronger than ever once the 'new' NYA opens? Also, any chance of bringing the Belugas in again? I was there in September last year and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
 
Renovated Glover's Reef and Conservation Hall reopen.
Brooklyn Eagle, Bay Ridge Eagle Brooklyn, NY :: daily paper in Brooklyn
CONEY ISLAND — The Wildlife Conservation Society’s New York Aquarium last week renovated its Conservation Hall and Glover’s Reef — a spectacular 4,000-square-foot building now home to more than 100 species of aquatic animals, from colorful corals to exotic eels.

The new Conservation Hall holds species that have never before been on display at the aquarium. It is divided into three habitats: the Pacific Ocean’s Coral Triangle, Africa’s Great Lakes, and Brazil’s Flooded Forest.

Adjacent to these exhibits is Glover’s Reef, an impressive 167,000-gallon exhibit. The spacious viewing areas offers visitors an up-close look at some of the most beautiful fish native to these regions of the world, including piranhas, stingrays, angelfish, black pacus and many more.

The renovation of Conservation Hall and Glover’s Reef is a major part of “A Sea Change” at the New York Aquarium, a 10-year $150 million-plus public-private initiative.
Click to expand...
 
"Ocean Wonders: Sharks!" opens in spring of 2015, and the new shimmering building design could be impressive:

An Ocean of Wonders

Also, I need some advice for my latest summer road trip. After possibly visiting a trio of establishments in Connecticut (Mystic Aquarium, Beardsley Zoo and Maritime Aquarium) is it realistic to stop by Coney Island to visit the New York Aquarium? The plan is to finish with the animal attractions of Connecticut and drive down to Adventure Aquarium in New Jersey but if it is not too much trouble in terms of driving the toll roads, crazy New York traffic, etc, then I'd like to take the family to the aquarium and maybe even nearby Prospect Park Zoo. Thoughts? Would it be a battle to make it through Brooklyn towards the end of July or is the plan feasible? Is the aquarium actually worth going to see (the pinniped collection is amazing) but will there be a lot of construction?
 
snowleopard said:
"Ocean Wonders: Sharks!" opens in spring of 2015, and the new shimmering building design could be impressive:

An Ocean of Wonders

Also, I need some advice for my latest summer road trip. After possibly visiting a trio of establishments in Connecticut (Mystic Aquarium, Beardsley Zoo and Maritime Aquarium) is it realistic to stop by Coney Island to visit the New York Aquarium? The plan is to finish with the animal attractions of Connecticut and drive down to Adventure Aquarium in New Jersey but if it is not too much trouble in terms of driving the toll roads, crazy New York traffic, etc, then I'd like to take the family to the aquarium and maybe even nearby Prospect Park Zoo. Thoughts? Would it be a battle to make it through Brooklyn towards the end of July or is the plan feasible? Is the aquarium actually worth going to see (the pinniped collection is amazing) but will there be a lot of construction?
Click to expand...

Some thoughts:

Knowing what it takes to get something built in NYC, especially where municipal funds are involved, I'll be surprised if there is much construction by the time you come. They must be months away from awarding contracts

The Maritime Aquarium will take you perhaps an hour to see

To come from CT into Brooklyn does not involve going into Manhattan at all: On a typical July day the traffic shouldn't be so very bad. The highway goes pretty close to the Aquarium and if what you wanted was a quick "in and out" and back on your way to NJ, you'd be on local roads for fifteen minutes. Leave through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel and then the Verrazano Bridge, across Staten Island and into NJ.
http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=B...RQ;FSuIYQIdmJuF-yGrofKKZdLeQg&mra=pd&t=m&z=10

Frankly the trip down US95 from Mystic Aquarium to The Maritime Aquarium could be just as challenging if you hit rush hour traffic in any of the various cities you'd pass through.
The NYAquarium may never make any of your "Best Of" lists, but I think you'll want to see it.

Now getting over to the Prospect Park Zoo... that makes the day more complicated
 
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snowleopard said:
"Ocean Wonders: Sharks!" opens in spring of 2015, and the new shimmering building design could be impressive:

An Ocean of Wonders
Click to expand...

Zooplantman and/or anyone else who might know about the New York Aquarium renovation, can you explain why they are spending ONE HUNDRED MILLION dollars on building a shark exhibit that looks to be essentially replicating the same type of tank with the same collection of shark species that is found in every other aquarium in America (including the nearby New Jersey Adventure Aquarium)? Is there something really special about this shark exhibit, or are they primarily paying for a flashy building? I feel like I must be missing something here.

The description of the tank and species: "The 50,000-square foot building will feature whitetip reef sharks and blacktip reef sharks, sandbar sharks and sand tiger sharks, nurse sharks, Port Jackson sharks, and wobbegongs. The exhibit's 500,000-gallon tank will also hold many skates, rays, sea turtles, and thousands of schooling fish."
 
DavidBrown said:
Zooplantman and/or anyone else who might know about the New York Aquarium renovation, can you explain why they are spending ONE HUNDRED MILLION dollars on building a shark exhibit that looks to be essentially replicating the same type of tank with the same collection of shark species that is found in every other aquarium in America (including the nearby New Jersey Adventure Aquarium)? Is there something really special about this shark exhibit, or are they primarily paying for a flashy building? I feel like I must be missing something here.

The description of the tank and species: "The 50,000-square foot building will feature whitetip reef sharks and blacktip reef sharks, sandbar sharks and sand tiger sharks, nurse sharks, Port Jackson sharks, and wobbegongs. The exhibit's 500,000-gallon tank will also hold many skates, rays, sea turtles, and thousands of schooling fish."
Click to expand...

Well, of course your construction dollar buys less in New York than in Cleveland
This is intended to be the beginning of transforming a somewhat mid-level aquarium into a major destination.

And, of course, it will be pretty flashy:
Portico Group - Aquariums - Ocean Wonders: Shark! at New York Aquarium
 
Zooplantman said:
Well, of course your construction dollar buys less in New York than in Cleveland
This is intended to be the beginning of transforming a somewhat mid-level aquarium into a major destination.

And, of course, it will be pretty flashy:
Portico Group - Aquariums - Ocean Wonders: Shark! at New York Aquarium
Click to expand...

Ah, thanks for posting the video. I didn't realize they were building essentially an entirely new aquarium for the sharks, not just a single tank. The video looks very cool and seeing that makes the project much more comprehensible and impressive than the description on the WCS website (what do you know, a picture [or video] IS worth a thousand words).
 
DavidBrown said:
Ah, thanks for posting the video. I didn't realize they were building essentially an entirely new aquarium for the sharks, not just a single tank. The video looks very cool and seeing that makes the project much more comprehensible and impressive than the description on the WCS website (what do you know, a picture [or video] IS worth a thousand words).
Click to expand...

Interesting side note: the "fly through" video is made by a video company that is now part of Portico.
The other fly-throughs I have seen of their exhibits really do resemble what the final built exhibits will look like
(There was one for Calgary Zoo's new penguin exhibit that might be looked at to check this statement)
 
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