Aquarium’s new center takes huge first step

The Monterey Bay Aquarium took a big step towards creating a new facility aimed at ocean education for kids. The permit applications have been submitted and the aquarium hopes to begin construction on its newest building by the end of the year.

We were given images of what the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Center for Ocean Education and Leadership Building will look like when it’s built over the next few years. Friday, the non-profit aquarium filed a use permit application for the 26-thousand square foot, K-through-12 center. It hopes to break ground this fall, with doors opening in 2018. The center will feature 4 learning labs, a large multi-use area, offices, meeting rooms, and much more. in addition to helping students, the aquarium says it will also create a few jobs.

“We are going to be increasing the number staff members that we have in our education program, we’ll hopefully have about seven more staff members that will be joining us, in order to increase all those programs,” said Director of Education Programs for the Aquarium, Rita Bell.

The aquarium still has a few more permit review hurdles to cross. but if all goes as planned, the aquarium will be able to start construction in October. The aquarium has raised about 28-million dollars towards their 65-million dollar goal needed to fund the property, construct of the center, and fund the various programs for a 5-year period. They’ll be fundraising over the next few years to reach that.