NC Aquarium considers upward expansion as part of $10M plans
FORT FISHER, N.C. (AP) — As part of a $10 million expansion and renovation of the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, officials are considering a perch where visitors could observe the environment surrounding the state-run facility.
Aquarium director Peggy Sloan tells The StarNews of Wilmington (http://bit.ly/2oNgxvi) that building upward would give visitors a view of the aquarium's outside "exhibit," which includes osprey, pelican and ibis.
No official plans have been drawn, but the upward expansion also is being considered for a practical reason: the aquarium is surrounded by wetlands and protected areas.
The aquarium was built in 1976 as the Marine Resource Center. It's been 15 years since the aquarium underwent a two-year, $17.5 million expansion that tripled its size.
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Information from: The StarNews, http://starnewsonline.com
