# In Atlanta, a bigger kettle of fish



## fish_doc

In the fierce competition for tourism dollars, the John G. Shedd Aquarium has helped keep Chicago a step ahead of many cities by billing itself as the world's largest indoor aquarium. But this fall, the Shedd will lose its title to the new Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, a state-of-the-art attraction that will be nearly twice Shedd's size. 

During the past decade, Chicago has engaged in a head-to-head battle with Atlanta on several fronts that affect tourism. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport competes each year with Chicago's O'Hare International for bragging rights as the nation's busiest airport.

In 2003, the Chicago Cubs defeated the Atlanta Braves in the National League division playoffs--payback for the 1998 series in which the Braves dashed the Cubs' hopes of winning the pennant. And in an economic blow to Atlanta, Chicago last year snagged a coveted telecommunications trade show, called Supercomm, from Atlanta's six-year grip.

Now the competition has turned to fish.

For months, workers at the new Georgia Aquarium have been hauling in more than 100,000 sea creatures, some of them gigantic species that never have been displayed in the United States.

Officials are hoping that the 5 million-gallon aquarium will become a successful anchor for the downtown tourist district and spark an economic boom that will place it far ahead of other cities in the race to reel in visitors.

In recent years, the focus on tourism has been mostly statewide or regional. But as the U.S. tourism creeps back from record lows following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, some cities, including Chicago, are preparing to spend millions more on advertising to lure visitors. Aquariums have become a popular centerpiece, particularly in cities that are trying to build or revitalize tourist areas.

"Definitely, tourism plays a large role in keeping aquariums afloat," said Jane Ballentine, spokeswoman for the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. "It's a good marketing tool to be able to say you have the biggest aquarium or the most gallons of water."

The Atlanta attraction is a gift from billionaire Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot, which opened its first stores in Atlanta in 1979. Marcus, who spent $200 million to build the aquarium, said he wanted to give something back to the people of Atlanta who helped make him a success. And for a man with a fascination with big fish, a museum or a symphony hall didn't seem to be the right fit.

"I wanted to dedicate something to the customers and the associates who worked at Home Depot and helped to make me what I am," said Marcus, 76. "They come from such a broad demographic area . . . and everyone loves an aquarium, no matter their color, religion or economic status."

Atlanta's aquarium will house two of the world's largest sea animals--whale sharks that will grow to 40 to 50 feet in length, the size of a train boxcar. It will be the first aquarium outside Asia to exhibit whale sharks.

In addition, the aquarium will have two beluga whales to be rescued from an outdoor exhibit at an amusement park in Mexico City, as well as octopuses and a host of exotic fish. The facility has hired celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck as its in-house caterer. About 25 percent of the space has been dedicated to educating students and adults about aquatic life. The aquarium also will serve as a major research and conservation facility.

Marcus said the aquarium will attract more than 2 million visitors the first year and have an estimated $1billion economic impact on the city over five years. He said, however, that he does not see the aquarium as beingin direct competition with the Shedd or other attractions.

"The key is not to compete against Chicago," Marcus said. "We have millions of people coming through Atlanta every day. But people come in, get off the plane, wait three or so hours and get on another plane. We are trying to convince them to come into the city and spend the night. That's where the economic impact is."

For nine of the past 11 years, the Shedd has been the No. 1 paid cultural attraction in Chicago, drawing about 2 million visitors a year, 65 percent of whom came from outside Chicago, according to Ted Beattie, Shedd's president. He said the Atlanta facility will help heighten awareness of aquariums.

"We are not as hung up about being the biggest as we are on the quality of the experience and the variety of animals and programs we offer," he said. "We happen to have a large facility, but that's just a piece of it."

While Shedd's 3 million-gallon tank is 2 million gallons smaller than the Georgia Aquarium's, Beattie said the Oceanarium section, which was enlarged two years ago, will still be the biggest in the world. In addition, he said, the architecture of the building, which opened in 1930, can never be duplicated. Its marble walls, doors and ceilings are inlaid with designs of aquatic creatures.



"The combination of history, architecture and our animal collection will always be one of the best in the world," he said. 

While Atlanta has become one of the top convention destinations, state tourism officials said the aquarium would help it also become one of the premier destinations for families. The aquarium will be downtown, in walking distance of several attractions, including Centennial Olympic Park, the new World of Coca-Cola, the CNN Center and Imagine It, Atlanta's children's museum. "Meetings and conventions are our bread and butter, and we have seen a lot of success," said Jessica Lumsden, spokeswoman for the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. "The aquarium is ideal for those who come in town for business or pleasure." 



But even before it opens, the aquarium has seen controversy. This week, the Atlanta City Council voted to ban panhandlers in tourist areas downtown. Homeless advocates accused Marcus of pushing for the new law, a charge he denies. 

Aquariums have been sprouting across the country in recent years as a way to draw visitors to town. Of the 38 accredited aquariums in the U.S., 16 have opened since 1990. 

"Aquariums are popular because they fill what people are looking for in a vacation. There has been a trend toward family-oriented vacations and traditional type of vacations," said Cathy Keefe, spokeswoman for the Travel Industry Association of America. "People also want their vacations to have an educational component that is disguised as fun. When you are doing a big downtown revitalization project, it makes sense to have a flagship attraction that you can build around." 

In Chattanooga, Tenn., about a two-hour drive from Atlanta on the Georgia border, the Tennessee Aquarium has helped to revive an industrial city that a decade ago was viewed as so polluted that few people considered going there. The Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans helped revitalize Canal Street along the Mississippi River. And in Baltimore, the National Aquarium helped renew the Inner Harbor area. 

The Georgia Aquarium will open debt-free on Nov. 23, Marcus said, and next year he will turn the operation over to a non-profit group. 

The initial financial stability should keep it from the financial problems that befell Ocean Journey in Denver, which recently was sold to the Landry's Restaurant chain, and the Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth, Minn., which had to be bailed out by the city three years ago. 

While Marcus said he believes the Georgia Aquarium will spark a renewed interest in aquatic life, he remains cautiously optimistic about its future. "We're hoping this will generate interest in aquariums everywhere," he said. "But when you open a store, you never know if the customers will like you. It is still to be determined what will happen after people see it." 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/chitribts/20050819/ts_chicagotrib/inatlantaabiggerkettleoffish


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## fish_doc

Guess I will have to try and make a trip to atlanta now.


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## fishfreaks

Yup me too! we already have plans made for trips to 3 other aquariums. and Shedd is one of them! Sounds awesome!!


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## TheOldSalt

Whale Sharks. Wow.
I keep almost sending my resume, but then I remember it's Atlanta.
Thanks for this article. I never knew most of the things in it. 

Dr. Carlson is an old aquaintance of mine, and I keep coming pretty close to sending him my resume, but I keep remembering that no matter how awesome the Geogia Aquarium may be, it's still in Atlanta.

Shedd has nothing to worry about, since fishfans don't tend to avoid one aquarium just because they've been to another 1000 miles away from it. Chattanooga could be in trouble, though. actually, most aquariums are in trouble these days. It's pretty amazing that the Georgia Aquarium will be paid for & debt-free from day one.


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## blixem

TheOldSalt said:


> Whale Sharks. Wow.
> I keep almost sending my resume, but then I remember it's Atlanta.
> Thanks for this article. I never knew most of the things in it.
> 
> Dr. Carlson is an old aquaintance of mine, and I keep coming pretty close to sending him my resume, but I keep remembering that no matter how awesome the Geogia Aquarium may be, it's still in Atlanta.
> 
> Shedd has nothing to worry about, since fishfans don't tend to avoid one aquarium just because they've been to another 1000 miles away from it. Chattanooga could be in trouble, though. actually, most aquariums are in trouble these days. It's pretty amazing that the Georgia Aquarium will be paid for & debt-free from day one.


What's wrong with Atlanta?


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## Ron the handyman

The aquarium also has clubs in the area that will support it and support us in same. Last month we had Jeff Swanagan in to talk at ower monthly meeting, He had alot to say and as for the panhandlers, THEY are a nuisance, you can't even sit at an outside restaurant and eat with out one or two coming over. Some make it a career others ? R.


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## malawi4me2

I can't wait 'til the aquarium opens! Luckily, it's only about 15 minutes from my home, so I'm planning to go on the opening weekend!


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## fish_doc

Oh goody I get to be a hood ornament.


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## malawi4me2

Ha Ha Ha! Lmao!!!


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## TheOldSalt

You know, I think it's high time that we really did try to plan some sort of FishForums get-together.


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## fishfreaks

TheOldSalt said:


> You know, I think it's high time that we really did try to plan some sort of FishForums get-together.


that would be awesome oldsalt!


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## TheOldSalt

I suppose we'd have better luck with having a few regional ones first before working our way up to a national thing. One in Atlanta, one in Richmond, one in Harrisburg, one in Cincinnati, one in Beloit, one in Phoenix, one in SoCal, one in Portland, ..you get the idea. The next year we'd have them somewhere else. A national convention would be sweet, but for now it would just be nice to get to know some fellow FishForums members.

On another note, I went and did it after all. I turned in my application/resume to the Georgia Aquarium. Guys like me are really a dime a dozen, but morbid curiosity made me go ahead and apply just to see how totally outclassed I really am. Georgia is a plum job attracting plenty of heavy-hitters, but that's okay; once they've moved to Atlanta their old slots will be open, and since I've sent out a lot of other resumes today, who knows?


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## fish_doc

Good luck with the application and I hope you get a job you enjoy.


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