Brevard Zoo is closer to breaking ground on the Aquarium and Conservation Center Project

The Brevard Zoo has plans for a world-class aquarium and conservation center at Port Canaveral.

▶ WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

Channel 9 recently found out the zoo has reached over 80 percent of its original fundraising goal.

The Brevard Zoo’s Executive Director, Keith Winsten, said the zoo is about halfway through the campaign and has reached the $83,000,000 mark in its $100,000,000 fundraising campaign.

“We really would love it if we could break ground by the end of the year. That’s possible. That depends on fundraising and financing and design and working with the port where we’re going to be and making sure that we get all of that right.” Winsten said.

READ: Daytona Beach to get more affordable housing

The future aquarium has a development agreement with the port for a 14-acre property on the Banana River.

Like the Zoo, the future aquarium is expected to draw more than half a million visitors a year.

“It’s about showing the world these incredible aquatic systems that we have here and what we need to do to preserve them.” Winsten said.

READ: Baldwin Park demands removal of signs supporting HOA challengers

There was also an update on the scope of the project, which already included the Sea Turtle Care Complex and now a manatee critical care center.

“We have quite an impressive sort of sea turtle facility here.” Winsten said,  “We’re actually building an acute care center for manatees here now. But the aquarium has state-of-the-art critical care.”

Winsten said they’ve also added a third floor to be used by schools and universities or for hosting community events. “We want to focus on play opportunities that really teach kids about these habitats.”

Brevard Zoo hopes to break ground on the new aquarium by the end of the year and complete the project by 2027.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.