Construction of the aquarium in the Inner Harbor is on track for a late summer opening. But there are still questions about who’s filling the more than $15 million funding gap.
Onondaga County Facilities Commissioner Archie Wixson knows the total project cost down to the penny.
“As we sit today, it's $103,780,137.67.”
The county legislature narrowly approved $85 million for the aquarium in 2022 and early last year, divorced itself from approving additional funds. Since then, the county executive and the non-profit Friends of the Aquarium have been seeking private donations. That has some county legislators like Chad Ryan suspicious about just who might be donating.
“Are these county contractors who then donate a million bucks and throw it on the back end of a road work construction contract next year? Do I think they're doing that? I don't think this administration would do that. I really don't," he said. "But, we are stewards of public dollars and, running into a situation where we don't know where these dollars are coming from.”
The debate dominated most of a legislature committee meeting. Friends of the Aquarium chair William Gilberti said donors have a legal right to privacy.
“They wouldn't allow the release of their donation yet because we're only in the midst of construction. At the point in time when the aquarium is open, I'm sure you will know the name of many of the donors," he said. "Some are going to make their donations stay anonymous, and that's their right.”
So far, Gilberti said they’ve secured more than $7.5 million. Meanwhile, he said they’re seeking additional opportunities as excitement builds.
“We have a list of individuals and organizations that want to contribute, and we want to play off that excitement," he said. "We have made our first investment into what we call our aquatic population.”
He said they’ll coordinate fundraising events around the arrival of the first species in late July. The aquarium is about two thirds complete.
