UPDATE: Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks proposed the $30 million earmark to help fund the zoo project, but the line item was cut during late-night compromise sessions before the final budget deal late last week.
The Grand Rapids Democrat wrote in the formal request that “the aquarium will be a national level attraction with an approximate total project cost of $450 million, bringing in more than 1 million visitors per year. More than 65% of those visitors will be from outside of Michigan’s borders.”
Brinks hoped state funding would leverage more than $100 million in philanthropic donations for the project which is projected to have a $3.4 billion economic impact to the state over ten years, with new state tax dollars and thousands of jobs both ongoing and during construction.
The John Ball Zoo board members say they are exploring all funding options as they continue to search for an appropriate site for the aquarium, with a goal of opening in 2031.
For a weekly dose of news right to your inbox, sign up for the WGVU newsletter.
