Corpus Christi yields $50M Caribbean treasure

CORPUS CHRISTI – The Texas State Aquarium is moving forward with the largest expansion in the Aquarium’s 24-year history. The new 65,000-sf wing, Caribbean Journey, will cost $50 million.

When you walk up the ramp, the plan is to build the four-level facility to the right side of the lobby. While the new facility gets underway, the current space will be renovated to keep current and fresh.

The new area will include sharks, tropical fish, birds and reptiles of the Yucatan Peninsula and Western Caribbean Sea. There will also be a 4D Theater.

About half a million people visit the Texas State Aquarium every year. With the new expansion, another 150,000 visitors are expected to walk through the doors, making it one of the top ten aquariums in the country.

A $3 million gift from H-E-B brought total fundraising to $25 million, enabling the Aquarium to commission final construction documents and move forward with groundbreaking scheduled for November.

The Aquarium plans to open sometime in early 2017, in time for spring break of that year.

Source: Texas State Aquarium