This is why I am so concerned about Onondaga County building an aquarium with taxpayer money. This facility will need constant maintenance and repair. Aquarium tanks only last for so long before they need to be replaced. The City of Virginia Beach which has a $2.8 billion dollar budget and is a tourist destination, is currently having this very conversation about what to do and in 20 – 30 years, this will be our future. Aquariums are expensive.
“The Virginia Aquarium building is reaching the end of its usable life and it might be time for the city of Virginia Beach to rebuild it.”
“Virginia Beach leaders started discussions in 2023 about giving up its ownership role in the Aquarium because the facility needed $250 million in renovations and repairs.”
“‘I don’t see very many cities in the business of owning and managing aquariums these days.’ Councilmember Joash Schulman said the city isn’t trying to skirt its responsibility, but he wasn’t sure it was the best entity to handle all the aquarium’s needs.”
We need to learn from other communities and ensure there is a comprehensive plan on how this aquarium will maintain itself the next 50 years without continual funding from taxpayers.
