FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Officials are addressing the controversial plan to add an aquarium inside a Fort Lauderdale shopping mall.
Residents have been expressing outrage over plans to bring animals like sharks, stingrays, sloths and birds inside the Galleria Mall. It led to a standing-room-only turnout at a Fort Lauderdale City Commission town hall, Monday night.
“I don’t understand why an aquarium in the mall would be an attraction for tourism,” one resident said.
“We want the Galleria to be successful,” another resident added. “We are absolutely against the SeaQuest aquarium.”
Animal activists are angry that SeaQuest, an aquarium with a checkered past across the country, has plans to open a location at the East Fort Lauderdale shopping center.
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“We need to have these permits for SeaQuest refused,” said a resident. “It is a troubled company with a shady past.”
The plans show a shark touch tank, capybara and sloth enclosure, trout and duck tank and much more.
“I think it is a big mistake,” said resident Jody Miller-Young. “From the track record of the company around the country abusing animals, deaths on their watch.”
The aquarium failed inspections in Colorado and paid fines for illegally importing animals. There have also been reports of animal deaths at a Las Vegas location.
Planners with the City of Fort Lauderdale haven’t yet approved SeaQuest’s plans. They said there are concerns about the location of the aquarium in the mall.
One popular concern was raised at the meeting: with this being on the third floor, could the weight of the tanks be an issue?
“That is one of our questions,” said Anthony Fajardo, Director of Sustainable Development for Fort Lauderdale, “so they are going to have to address it, and we will get a response from them.”
SeaQuest did not have a representative at the meeting, but the Galleria Mall did.
“We are going to work with the city to make sure it is a safe structure,” said spokesperson Michael Goodman. “We want to make sure that SeaQuest does its due diligence to make sure it is an enjoyable experience.”
The crowd at the town hall was mainly against the aquarium, but resident Rick Asper said he’s willing to give the business a chance.
“They should not speak for all of us,” he said. “We should all have a voice and give the opportunity to this mall to survive and grow and prosper.”
SeaQuest said they condemn the mistreatment of animals and have a team of experts focused on animal welfare.
On their website it said they plan to open here in November, but the city said the plans will likely not be approved by that time.
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