Plans For $75 Million Aquarium Approved For Kansas City Zoo

Kansas City parks officials have approved plans for the Kansas City Zoo to build a $75 million aquarium.

The Kansas City Star says the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners on Tuesday approved spending $500,000 in capital improves to kick off the project.

Zoo executive director Randy Wisthoff says he hopes to complete designs and begin construction next year. Wisthoff says the hope is that the aquarium will open in 2023.

The Friends of the Kansas City Zoo, which has been working toward the project for six years, has hired a designer for the proposed 60,000-square-foot, 600,000 gallon aquarium that will include jellyfish and sea otter exhibits and will also house a giant octopus and sharks.