Phoenix Aquarium Announced

[geomorph]

The second SEA LIFE Aquarium in the United States will open in Spring 2010, according to this press release:

Global Leisure Giant Merlin Entertainments Group (Merlin) Announced Today Plans to Open a $15 Million SEA LIFE Aquarium in Phoenix Arizona, USA in Spring 2010

The company behind iconic brands such as Madame Tussauds, The London Eye and the LEGOLAND theme parks, UK-based Merlin is the world's biggest aquarium operator and already has 31 other SEA LIFE attractions in Europe. It opened its first world class SEA LIFE centre in the US two years ago alongside its LEGOLAND California theme park and this has already proven a great success. Last year Merlin also acquired the Underwater Adventures Aquarium at the Mall of America in Minneapolis.

The second biggest visitor attraction operator in the world, and the fastest growing company in the sector, Merlin Entertainments is swiftly making a name for itself in the USA. In addition to the two aquariums Merlin currently has seven other attractions in the USA, with three more scheduled to open in 2010, including Phoenix.

Merlin's existing US attractions include LEGOLAND California - voted the best children's theme park for the last four years by Amusement Today; and their first US LEGOLAND Discovery Centre - the company's newest attraction concept - opened in Chicago last year. Like the bigger theme park this is based on the famous construction toy, but is an exciting and very interactive indoor experience lasting 2/3 hours and aimed at families with children under 12. Finally, there are now four US Madame Tussauds wax attractions in the US - in New York, Washington DC, Las Vegas and most recently Hollywood - which opened only last month.

The Phoenix SEA LIFE Aquarium will be a 26,000 square feet development with 12 different habitat zones housing over 30 separate display tanks.

Merlin believes SEA LIFE is a very special aquarium brand - no mere collection of fish tanks. It is a highly themed environment that transports visitors into the amazing world beneath the seas, educates them, and provides close encounters with a vast array of creatures.

The SEA LIFE network is also a renowned supporter of marine conservation, having campaigned successfully to improve protection for species ranging from endangered sea turtles to sharks.

Commenting Merlin Entertainments Managing Director for Midway Attractions Glenn Earlam, who is responsible for SEA LIFE said:

"This is an exciting new development for the company and we are delighted to be going to Phoenix. Visitors to California have already shown us that the SEA LIFE concept has great potential in the USA and we believe the location in Phoenix Mills Mall is ideal for us.

We have already proved that quality retail and leisure provide an ideal commercial mix for our 'midway' brands - which are 2/3 hour stay indoor attractions. They not only provide an ideal extra element to a family shopping day out, but more importantly drive significant incremental traffic for our retail partners.

"Merlin is also one of the few major companies in the sector which is continuing to invest in both new and existing attractions around the world, with the USA one of our primary development markets. However our success depends greatly on our proven ability to choose exactly the right location for each of our attraction brands. Indeed our development team are reviewing sites across the States in line with our aggressive growth plans, and we believe the company has a very exciting future here. "

MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS GROUP is the leading name in location based, family entertainment, and has seen the most successful and dynamic growth of any company in the sector over the last five years. The world's second largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin has 59 attractions, 6 hotels and two holiday -villages in 13 countries, across 3 continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its 35 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and 13,500 employees.

Merlin Entertainments operates the following attractions - SEA LIFE - the world's biggest aquarium brand, Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND, The Merlin Entertainments London Eye, Dungeons, Gardaland, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, Alton Towers Resort, Warwick Castle, THORPE PARK, Chessington World of Adventures & Zoo, Heide Park, and Earth Explorer. All brands which are distinctive, challenging and innovative - and which have great potential for growth in the future. Visit Merlin Entertainments, leading name in location based, family entertainment for more information.

 

[Zebraduiker]

There are so many great Aquariums in the USA, I'm Sorry to hear, that the european aquarium desease, short" Sealife"is coming over to the States..

To call Sealife a"world class aquarium" would be the same to call Mc Donald's a "world class restaurant"....

 

[ANyhuis]

Having visited the SEALIFE aquarium at LegoLand (in Carlsbad, CA), I have to say this is great! If this Arizona version is anywhere as nice as the California aquarium, it will be a treat. I love it that big corporations (with lots of money to invest) are getting into the aquarium business! This will only mean more and more great aquariums -- such as the corporate-funded Georgia Aquarium, perhaps the world's best aquarium! Other very successful and very nice corporate-owned aquariums include:

2 Ripley's Aquariums (in South Carolina and Tennessee)
2 Landry's "Downtown" Aquariums (in Denver and Houston)
Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay (Las Vegas)
Moody Gardens (Texas)
Dallas World Aquarium
Adventure Aquarium (NJ)
Atlantis Marine World (Long Island, NY)
Jenkinson's Aquarium (NJ)

Corporate-ownership of aquariums is a very good trend -- and it's basic American capitalism! Celebrate it!

 

[geomorph]

The small size and mall location of this aquarium may be disappointing to some for a city this size, but I suspect that the financial troubles of some new larger stand-alone facilities in the past decade have raised a red flag to future aquarium investors - if they can't be the size of Georgia, they may have a problem. So perhaps Merlin is jumping in to fill the void in some cities without aquariums but with a desire to have one. So far, Carlsbad and Phoenix. Carlsbad was a natural since they could fit it in their Legoland development, but the market there is already served by the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, so it's not a good example. But I think Phoenix has had an interest in an aquarium for awhile, so this will be a good test for the concept for merlin in the US. There is already an aquarium in a mall called Underwater Adventures in Bloomington Minnesota, anyone know how successful it is? Perhaps Merlin has looked to it as proof of viability in new markets?

 

[Zoogoer2000]

Will this project even make it past drawing design plans and groundwork?

I know there aquariums that are slated to open in Fresno, Hamilton and Niagara Falls but I haven't heard to much about them?

 

[Zebraduiker]

@Anyhuis. Do you know any european Sealifes and od you think, there is adiffrence betwen the Sealife Carlsbad and the other Sealifes ? I can't imagine, that tSealife will have success in areas around of the big aquariums.

 

[ANyhuis]

@Anyhuis. Do you know any european Sealifes and od you think, there is adiffrence betwen the Sealife Carlsbad and the other Sealifes ? I can't imagine, that tSealife will have success in areas around of the big aquariums.

No, I've never been to any except for the USA's Carlsbad aquarium. It is very nice -- but definitely aimed at children! Many of the exhibits have Lego characters in the tanks with the fish. (I'm sure there are some on this board who would be aghast at this!)

As for it's success, it seemed very busy to me. But this one is probably very different from most SeaLifes, as it is literally attached to a major theme park. I would guess that most of its visitors were families who bought combination tickets to both LegoLand theme park and SeaLife aquarium. It's similar to Disney's Animal Kingdom, in that I would guess the vast majority of their visitors are vacationers buying multi-day tickets to the entire Walt Disney World complex. Very few are like our friend Snowleopard (and wife), who bought one-day tickets to DAK.

 

[Ituri]

There have been other ventures before that have set out to build an aquarium in the Phoenix-Metro area. Mickey Olson got to have bragging rights to "Phoenix's first public aquarium" but it looks like competetion is not far behind. Phoenix is a good place for a smaller type aquarium. Seeing as water is a precious comodity in the desert, I think a smaller aquarium is fitting. Incidentally, the building attached to the mall that they intend to occupy is really quite large! Much bigger than the idea of having an aquarium in the mall sounds. Also on a side note, this will be the second attempt at a zoological facility at this mall. The never built "American Wilderness Experience" was also planned for the Arizona Mills Mall.

 

[kc7gr]

ANyhuis wrote...

"Corporate-ownership of aquariums is a very good trend -- and it's basic American capitalism! Celebrate it!"

'Cringe at the thought' would be more like it. I've seen what kind of damage corporate ownership and 'American capitalism' have done to places like the Sea World parks. Given a choice between that kind of marine circus and nothing at all, I'd take nothing at all.

I see this venture as just another tool the corporate bigwigs at Merlin think they can use to drive mass consumerism, something that's already caused plenty of trouble for the planet.

Don't believe me? All you have to do is read the statements as quoted in the news release.

"They not only provide an ideal extra element to a family shopping day out, but more importantly drive significant incremental traffic for our retail partners."

Pretty much says it all, I think. Gotta give 'em points for honesty, though. Not even the (US-based) Sea World parks come right out and say "It's all about the money" in such terms.

Call me cynical if you wish. If that's the kind of label I get hit with for seeing the truth, so be it.

 

[Arizona Docent]

Also on a side note, this will be the second attempt at a zoological facility at this mall. The never built "American Wilderness Experience" was also planned for the Arizona Mills Mall.

I visited the "American Wilderness Experience" at Ontario Mills Mall (California) and it was atrocious. It was an attempt to put a zoo inside a mall and it was as bad as it sounds. I can't imagine an aquarium inside a mall would be much better. And why in the world would they build one in Phoenix when the city just got an aquarium last year (Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium). I'm sure the folks at Wildlife World are not happy about this at all!

From what I've read on this site, our UK friends have a very low opinion of SeaLife aquariums.

 

[Ituri]

Quote from Mickey Olson of Wildlife World Zoo:

"You've got a very large population base here in central Arizona," Ollson said. "We welcome them to the market and look forward to seeing their project."

 

[ANyhuis]

"They not only provide an ideal extra element to a family shopping day out, but more importantly drive significant incremental traffic for our retail partners."

Educate me, as I see NOTHING bad in the above quote -- yet you point it out as "proof" of how bad Merlin is. What's so wrong if this aquarium brings additional business to the other stores in the mall? Isn't that what our economy needs, more business? As for how "mass consumerism" is hurting the planet, wow, I couldn't disagree more. What has hurt the planet is socialism of any form, including the current American experiment with it.

I can't imagine an aquarium inside a mall would be much better.

From what I've read on this site, our UK friends have a very low opinion of SeaLife aquariums.

I've seen an aquarium inside a mall succeed: Underwater Adventures up inside the Mall of America (in Minnesota) is very nice! Nothing crass about it. First you walk through a nice fake North Woods forest, then through a long underwater glass tube.

I've never seen the SeaLife aquariums over in UK, but I have seen their aquarium in LegoLand (Carlsbad, CA) and it was impressive. Could it possibly be that the UK critics were simply annoyed by the "mass consumerism"?

 

[geomorph]

ANyhuis, can you give us a thorough review of SEA LIFE Carlsbad? Perhaps the details would clarify whether it is unique or the same as compared to the ones in Europe.

 

[kc7gr]

Just not in a mall, please...

Educate me, as I see NOTHING bad in the above quote -- yet you point it out as "proof" of how bad Merlin is. What's so wrong if this aquarium brings additional business to the other stores in the mall? Isn't that what our economy needs, more business? As for how "mass consumerism" is hurting the planet, wow, I couldn't disagree more. What has hurt the planet is socialism of any form, including the current American experiment with it.

??? You're going to have to educate me first. What in blazes are you referring to? I haven't seen any sign of what I would call socialism.

If you're referring to the pending health care reforms, and the disinformation the insurance company interests are trying to spread about so-called "socialized medicine" (which, BTW, is NOT what Canada has), I would prefer to wait and see what's going to happen before I panic.

In any case -- what our economy really needs is common sense (FAIR trade as opposed to "free" trade), and not repeating mistakes of the past. Seems to me our culture is not very good at learning from our history. This is a discussion which, while probably interesting, would be grossly off-topic for this board, so I will decline to go into it any further here.

Answer me this, if you can: What, exactly, will be the benefit such an aquarium will create, in the venue it's proposed for and in the long term, for the species it exhibits? Will it help people to care a bit more about the planet? Will it help reduce wasteful consumption?

I don't think it will. I think it's going to end up as just another tourist draw, along the lines of "Wow, we can look at fish while we shop!" Sure, it'll probably increase business for the "retail partners..." along with the consumption of plastic shopping bags, excessive packaging, and Lord only knows what else.

If it were a stand-alone facility, well away from any type of shopping mall or other retail cluster, I would be inclined to think differently.

On the other topic: Perhaps I should have said "mass consumption" instead. That would be more accurate. If we, as a species, continue to mass-consume resources as we've been doing, I believe it's only a matter of time until we damage the food chain/ecosystem to the point where our own survival will be seriously threatened, let alone that of other species.

If you doubt this, just look at the health figures. Obesity is probably the #1 health issue in the United States. The cause? Overconsumption and lack of exercise. Restaurant chains, particularly fast-food places, have no motivation to discourage such wasteful practices. Doing so would damage their profits.

I would be much happier if Merlin were to ask themselves "Why do we want to build this aquarium? For what ultimate purpose? And, if the purpose is to provide education, why are we building it in a mall?"

Right now, that purpose appears to be nothing more than a potential money-generator. They said as much (though not in so many words) in their press release.

If they want to build an aquarium, fine, but let it be for the right reasons and let it be somewhere other than a mall.

As for the successful one you mention - there are exceptions to every rule, flukes and quirks every day. It may be one of them.

Keep the peace(es).

 

[geomorph]

It seems to me that an educational aquarium in a mall might be a great way to outreach to a group of mass consumers who might not otherwise make a special trip to a stand-alone facility. Perhaps they would forego buying a ticket to see the latest Spider Potter and the Dark TransPirates sequel at the schlockplex in lieu of some exposure to the natural world, even if both are in similar darkened indoor environments.

 

[Ituri]

Alright... this is a prime example of something I would like to point out. Threads on this site nowadays largely degrade into two different battles. They can be boiled down to this... "my country is better than yours because (insert reason here)" and "(creationists or evolutionists) are stupid because (insert reason here)."

Seriously, the quality on this site is slipping and I'm not blaming Sim or the mods (you guys do a bang up job), I'm blaming the posters on this site who have let it slip to this point. I've even become rather disappointed in some posters who I used to find rather enlightening, but now I rarely bother reading their posts.

On a side note, as someone who has always wished for an aquarium in the Valley of the Sun, I hope Merlin Entertainment the best in their endeavor, and will withhold any criticism or praise until I have at the very least seen a concept sketch, or more appropriately until I've visited the completed facility.

 

[ANyhuis]

ANyhuis, can you give us a thorough review of SEA LIFE Carlsbad? Perhaps the details would clarify whether it is unique or the same as compared to the ones in Europe.

I saw this aquarium back in March, at the end of a California trip in which I visited 10 zoos and aquariums, so no, I can't give you a "thorough" review now -- as I'd have to check my "documentation" (my video). I will say that this was the first aquarium I've ever seen that was almost 100% aimed at children -- which really impressed me. Every room had a strong educational component, but that education was very much for kids. There were lots of bright and beautiful colors throughout, and of course a wide variety of fish and other aquatic creatures. And as I've said, at least 3 or 4 of the large fish tanks had some Lego creations (diver, submarine) right in the tank, to further draw the children's interest.

What in blazes are you referring to? I haven't seen any sign of what I would call socialism. On the other topic: Perhaps I should have said "mass consumption" instead.

Yes, you did indeed mispeak. I agree with you to a point on "mass consumption", but when you said "mass consumerism", those words refer to American capitalism -- which is what has made the USA (and most of the western world) great. I apologize for assuming you were advocating socialism -- glad you weren't.

If you're referring to the pending health care reforms, and the disinformation the insurance company interests are trying to spread about so-called "socialized medicine".

There's enough "disinformation" happening on both sides, but actually I was more referring to the ultra-stupid Stimulus package -- which has utterly failed. It's basic Keysian economics, which has failed everytime it's been tried -- and now it's wrecking the economy of my fair nation.

Answer me this, if you can: What, exactly, will be the benefit such an aquarium will create, in the venue it's proposed for and in the long term, for the species it exhibits? Will it help people to care a bit more about the planet? Will it help reduce wasteful consumption? I don't think it will. I think it's going to end up as just another tourist draw, along the lines of "Wow, we can look at fish while we shop!" Sure, it'll probably increase business for the "retail partners..." along with ...

I would be much happier if Merlin were to ask themselves "Why do we want to build this aquarium? For what ultimate purpose? And, if the purpose is to provide education, why are we building it in a mall?" Right now, that purpose appears to be nothing more than a potential money-generator. If they want to build an aquarium, fine, but let it be for the right reasons and let it be somewhere other than a mall.

As for what "benefit" or what the "right reasons" are for building this aquarium, that's 100% up to Merlin. It's THEIR MONEY that is being invested, so if their main goal is to make money, God bless 'em! As I saw in the Carlsbad aquarium, I'm sure there will be an educational theme to this Arizona facility too -- but their #1 goal will be to make money -- to return on the investment of their stockholders. Like I said, that's American capitalism. Celebrate it!

If you doubt this, just look at the health figures. Obesity is probably the #1 health issue in the United States. The cause? Overconsumption and lack of exercise. Restaurant chains, particularly fast-food places, have no motivation to discourage such wasteful practices. Doing so would damage their profits.

No question, obesity is a problem, and Americans addiction to fast food is part of the cause. But it's up to each individual person to decide whether or not he/she wants to address this problem in his/her own body. It's NOT up to the government, nor is it up to any aquarium or zoo.

It seems to me that an educational aquarium in a mall might be a great way to outreach to a group of mass consumers who might not otherwise make a special trip to a stand-alone facility. Perhaps they would forego buying a ticket to see the latest Spider Potter and the Dark TransPirates sequel at the schlockplex in lieu of some exposure to the natural world, even if both are in similar darkened indoor environments.

Exactly!!!!! This is my point, well-summarized!

 

[mweb08]

There is already an aquarium in a mall called Underwater Adventures in Bloomington Minnesota, anyone know how successful it is? Perhaps Merlin has looked to it as proof of viability in new markets?

That's in the Mall of America, largest of its kind in the country. So there's more room than one would think, and the place really is a big tourist attraction.

 

[mweb08]

Quote from Mickey Olson of Wildlife World Zoo:

What do you expect them to say? I'm guessing they aren't to pleased about this regardless of what they say publicly.

 

[geomorph]

The press release says it will be in Phoenix Mills Mall, but I can only find an Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe, about 8 miles from downtown, which I think is what they mean. It is an indoor mall that is a combination of traditional and outlet stores and appears to be a large center. Looking at the floorplan, I see that one of the large tenants is a large record store chain which has closed, so I imagine that might be the space intended for the aquarium, although it is in the center of the mall with no direct exterior access so I'm not sure.