ST. LOUIS – There is something fishy being built at Union Station… a new St. Louis Aquarium!
Lodging Hospitality Management (LHM) announced the newest phase of development planned for Union Station early Tuesday morning, a 75,000-square-foot, $45 million aquarium.
"All of us at LHM are excited to bring this highly anticipated attraction to St. Louis," says Bob O'Loughlin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lodging Hospitality Management and owner of St. Louis Union Station. "The St. Louis Aquarium will anchor the development that will transform St. Louis Union Station and reposition it as a family attraction destination similar to Chicago's Navy Pier."
Photos: St. Louis Aquarium renderings
Construction is planned to begin in the fall of 2016 and scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2018. It will not be a free attraction when it opens in 2018.
The aquarium will be located in the former mall area of Union Station and feature one-of-a-kind exhibits including a shark tank that will house one of the largest collections of sharks in the Midwest.
Other exhibits include a unique shark bridge that will suspend visitors just inches over the 385,000-gallon shark tank, a sting ray exhibit, shark tube, and an 8,5000-square-foot private event space.
“Downtown is still a strong market for entertainment, for residential, for businesses. And what we're seeing here is an indication that it's continuing to grow,” Mayor Slay said during a press conference.
LHM says the aquarium will be open 365 days a year from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. and one million annual visitors are expected.
The St. Louis Aquarium will be a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and will employ a team of marine biologists and aquarists who will be responsible for the long-term care and health of the animals.
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The aquarium is part of a larger, $70 million project that's being called the re-birth of Union Station. Other attractions will include a 200-foot tall observation wheel, a train park that will offer food and drinks out of train cars and storage containers, and a fire and light show that will debut this November.
Attractions like this are what city leaders believe will help entice new residents, and more importantly new businesses, to downtown St. Louis.
“Things like this will bring talent, will bring people that want to live down here and work down here and that's what will drive business,” said Missy Kelley of Downtown STL, Inc.
