Mote Marine Lab one step closer to realizing new aquarium with 12-acre land deal
A new aquarium and education center proposed by Mote Marine Laboratory in February now has an official location.
On Tuesday, the Sarasota County Commission unanimously approved a plan that will allow the lease of 12 acres of Nathan Benderson Park for the Mote Science and Education Center.
The proposed $130 million facility is intended to expand the organization’s educational outreach, locally and globally.
The aquarium will house extensive exhibits in more than one million gallons of water.
A STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) resource center, teaching labs for K-12 students and teachers and workforce training labs for older students are also included in the plans.
The term sheet approved by the Sarasota County Commission includes steps that Mote must take to secure the land agreement, including ensuring cooperation with the other organizations using the park, surveying the site and undertaking environmental testing, according to a press release.
Mote will be then be granted a two-year lease for pre-construction efforts. The term sheet also provides steps for Mote to eventually acquire the land via deed.
Mote must meet the terms of the agreement by Jan. 30, 2019, to formalize the lease and land conveyance agreements.
The project is in the fund-raising phase as Mote seeks large sums from private donors. More funds are expected to come from corporate sponsors and local and state government.
Mote has requested a $20 million investment from Sarasota County, which will be addressed at a future commission meeting.
If funds are raised in time, Mote leadership says that construction could begin as soon as late 2019.
At a recent fund-raising event in Bradenton, Mote president and CEO Michael Crosby said that the new aquarium will also free up space to transform Mote’s City Island post into a top notch research facility. The proposed International Marine Science, Technology and Innovation Park would allow researchers to more readily explore solutions to issues like red tide, cancer and coral reef decline.