NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) — A major makeover is underway for the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center, which will soon change into the Great Lakes 360.
The CEO of the Aquarium of Niagara, Gary Siddall, tells 7 News reporter Yoselin Person, there will be 15 living exhibits that will be part of the Aquarium of Niagara’s upcoming expansion.
“You can see the Gorge, the Niagara River, you can see the mist of the falls so for us it seems like a 360-degree view of this beautiful area,” he says.
“That has given us the platform to talk about all things Western New York wildlife so the entire site is going to be programmed with animals that live and inhabit the Niagara Region and the Great Lakes as a whole.”
This is a $5 million investment that will expand the aquarium’s footprint.
“Those funds are through partnerships with both local and private foundations as well as public dollars through New York and Niagara County and the City of Niagara Falls,” Siddall says.
Siddall says construction will be done by Turner Construction.
Some demolition has already happened inside the former Niagara Gorge Discovery Center.
The hope is once this project is complete it will connect visitors with the wildlife living in Western New York.
“This gives the community the reason to be so proud of what we have here in the City of Niagara Falls,” the CEO says. “And we’re asking everyone to give us the time and the chance to prove that things are really changing.”
The Great Lakes 360 project is expected to be completed by the Spring of 2024.
