Southeast’s Top Projects - 13

Georgia Aquarium Expansion

Project Cost: $110 million

The Georgia Aquarium has embarked on a $110-million, 84,000-sq-ft expansion to house a bottlenose dolphin exhibit, offered in partnership with Marineland of Florida, which will provide the animals on a breeding loan. The new exhibit includes a 1.3-million-gallon tank to hold the dolphins, areas for dolphin encounters and viewing windows.

One of the challenges for the team is working in an occupied facility. Not only does the team have to organize its work to not be in conflict with the many events at the aquarium, its means and methods must also take in account the aquarium inhabitants – the fish. Noise and vibration must be constantly monitored as to not have an undo impact on the animals.

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Brasfield & Gorrie of Atlanta began the project in summer 2008 and expects to complete it in 2010. Heery International of Atlanta provides program management. Both firms played similar roles for the original aquarium built in 2003.

Key Facts:

Location: Atlanta
Owner: The Marcus Foundation, Atlanta
Program Manager: Heery International, Atlanta
Contractor: Brasfield & Gorrie, Atlanta
Exhibit Architect: PGAV, St. Louis
Start Date: Summer 2008
Completion Date: 2010