GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- John Ball Zoo is pushing forward with plans to build a large-scale aquarium in Kent County, and a waterfront site for the estimated $370 million project could be announced in the coming months.
"We are doing some exploratory work, but we're not quite ready to commit to and announce a specific site," said Peter D'Arienzo, CEO of John Ball Zoo. "It's definitely in Kent County and definitely on a body of water."
The project is still in the early planning and design stage. But D'Arienzo has an ambitious vision for the aquarium, which he says would draw visitors from the Midwest and beyond and generate an estimated $2.9 billion economic impact over a decade.
RELATED: Big fish, billions of dollars: Massive aquarium being eyed in Kent County
The project's price tag isn't finalized, but early estimates indicate it could cost anywhere from $370 million to $390 million.
"We're hoping to open in 2031 if everything stays on track," said D'Arienzo, who has led John Ball Zoo since 2016.
The aquarium, along with Acrisure Amphitheater and Amway Stadium, was highlighted by Destination Kent as a potential beneficiary of the successful 2024 ballot measure to raise Kent County's hotel tax from 5% to 8% to help fund tourism-oriented projects.
However, the zoo hasn't requested those funds at this time, and the county board of commissioners has final say over how they're used.
Potential sites
D'Arienzo said the aquarium will need at least 15 acres of land, but that he would like to have as many as 30 acres.
Such a large amount of property is needed because the project requires room for not only the aquarium but also pump rooms, a warehouse, filtration systems, emergency fish tanks, and 2,000 parking spaces, he said.
Work is ongoing to determine the exact amount of property needed as the project's concept is fine-tuned, D'Arienzo said.
"We're still working out details," he said when asked about the size of the aquarium. "It's more than 2 million gallons of water, probably closer to 3 million gallons, and that puts us on par with some of the great aquariums in the U.S."
D'Arienzo said the zoo has several sites in mind for the project but declined to provide further details. He wouldn't confirm whether the body of water he would like to build the aquarium on is the Grand River.
"We've narrowed it down to just a few sites," he said. "But we're hitting one site hard to make sure it meets all our criteria."
Discussions about the aquarium have been underway for several years.
A year ago, the zoo announced it had selected Kent County as the site of the project after ruling out building it in Muskegon County. An economic impact study released at that time said the aquarium would create an estimated 2,427 jobs and generate more than $231 million in state and local tax revenue in the first 10 years of operation.
D'Arienzo says he's confident those numbers are accurate because they hired the best.
"For the feasibility study, a company called H2R Market Research did the focus groups where we actually pulled together panels across the United States and shared not only the concept of the aquarium but also all of the other amazing cultural arts institutions in our area and asked ... would you come here? he said. "And the numbers that came back, we literally scored the highest."
John Ball Zoo, 1300 Fulton St. W in Grand Rapids, attracts over 700,000 visitors annually. The zoo is owned by Kent County, though it's operated and managed by its own nonprofit organization and board.
As for the aquarium, D'Arienzo envisions a space that's "experiential," and stands out from other aquariums across the country.
"The old way of doing things for zoos and aquariums and science centers, too, is you walk up to a habitat, or an exhibit and you read about it, you learn about it," he said. "We will have that information, but we want to do something different. We want to make sure this is experiential and accessible."
The idea is to have five distinct "zones" in the aquarium.
One will be focused on Michigan, D'Arienzo said, and would highlight "all of the amazing natural wonders we have," noting the state's connection to the Great Lakes as well as national lakeshores at Pictured Rocks and Sleeping Bear Dunes.
"The other four we're not quite ready to release," he said. "But it will be stuff that hasn't been seen at other aquariums."
While D'Arienzo wants the project to stand out, fans of aquariums can expect popular features too, he said. "All great aquariums have coral reef habitats, they do sharks and stingrays, and we'll have that," he said.
Plans don't call for dolphins, whales and porpoises because they would add a "significant cost" to the project, D'Arienzo said.
Also envisioned: an outdoor park-like setting with outdoor wildlife exhibits for birds and reptiles.
D'Arienzo said he also wants the aquarium to include an educational component with classrooms for school field trips and space for research in partnership with colleges or universities.
Tourism impact, funding
The zoo's economic impact study estimated that 65% of the aquarium's visitors are expected to come from other states. Such tourism interest highlights the aquarium's status as a "destination asset," D'Arienzo said.
"It's not just an investment in an aquarium," he said. "When you build a destination asset, it's an investment in the community. That means new restaurants, new hotels, more support structures."
Kent County hotels had about a 60% occupancy rate last year, according to Experience Grand Rapids, the county's convention and visitor's bureau.
At this point, one big unknown is how the project would be financed.
D'Arienzo said he's been in conversation with local, state and national officials about the project, and the economic impact the aquarium would generate if it came to fruition.
"We're early in the process, so there are no commitments made," he said. "But because of our impact, not only on economic development, creating literally thousands of jobs and driving incremental tax revenues to create an economic pathway for the state, it's gathering a lot of interest."
Kent County Administrator Al Vanderberg said the zoo has not made any requests to the county for revenue from the hotel tax.
He said supporters of the aquarium have been working "diligently" on the concept, and the county "recently started interacting a little more with that group."
"I'd say there's progress there." Vanderberg said. "I'd say that in my own personal opinion we'll see an aquarium someday in Kent County. But it's likely to be one of the largest and maybe most complex projects that's been undertaken. There's just a huge amount that has to be done."
Doug Small, president and CEO of Experience Grand Rapids, said he's "excited" by what he's heard about the aquarium, and that "anytime the community gives us something new and sparkly to promote, we help fill it."
He said the zoo's plan is "very grandiose and aggressive."
"If it pans out that way, it could be a showstopper," he said. "We look forward to hearing more about it."
With a nearly $400 million price tag, D'Arienzo acknowledged that project is "going to be a lot of work." However, he said he's confident "we can get it done."
"It's not a question of if," he said, "it's a question of when."