MAINE AQUARIUM
New Maine Aquarium is scheduled to be open by spring of 20??.
Dear Friends of the Maine Aquarium:
I regret to advise that the Maine Aquarium will not be re-opening in 2009 as previously planned.
The much anticipated funding to re-establish the year-round Maine Aquarium public facility was by way of a portion of the $50 million "Asset Fund" program.
A $50 million Asset Fund Program was the result of a state-wide bond referendum that was approved by the voters of Maine for research and economic development. All Maine individuals and Maine businesses (profit and not-for-profit alike) are eligible to apply.
Funds received by the successful applicants of this "Asset Fund" program must be used for capital and infrastructure expenditures, such as, for the purchase of land and/or building, or for expansion and/or building upgrades, for equipment, for research, for development and commercialization activities in Maine that lead to quality jobs.
The State of Maine Legislature had appointed the Maine Technology Institute (MTI) based in Gardiner, Maine to oversee the $50 million "Asset Fund" competitive application process and for MTI to make the final decision as to which applicants would receive funding.
The funding of the $50 million Asset Fund program would be provided in two rounds of applications/awards. The Round 1 application deadline was April 17, 2008 and MTI has already awarded a near $30 million of the total $50 million in that first round. Maine Aquarium did apply in Round 1 for funding for the re-establishment of the Maine Aquarium facility to be open to the general public, to provide in-house certified teacher educational programs to students and teachers in all school grades, and for the breeding and raising of certain fish species that would be used in cancer and other biomedical research. Unfortunately, MTI did not approve any funding for the Maine Aquarium.
The deadline for submitting applications for Round 2 funding is January 21, 2009 which has a remaining balance of slightly over $20 million in the fund.
Depending on the applicant's request, funds granted from the "Asset Fund" would either be in the form of a grant (not needing to be repaid) or in the form of a loan.
The Maine Aquarium applied for $1.3 million dollars out of the available $50 million Asset Fund as a "loan" for which the Maine Aquarium would have begun repaying back to the State of Maine general fund once the Maine Aquarium operation was back online and open to the public.
The $1.3 million was requested to be used to upgrade an existing, already owned, very structurally sound, six story, 160,000 s.f. concrete mill building in Biddeford that is situated on a 3.5 acre parcel of land (ideal for providing free parking for its visitors). This property has its entrance on very accessible US Rt. 1, it abuts Amtrak rail lines (for a possible future "Maine Aquarium Stop"), and frontage on the Saco River where educational boat tours upstream for studying wildlife in their natural habitats were planned to be part of the everyday affair at the Maine Aquarium. This Maine Aquarium site is the last stop on the Saco River before the falls where the Saco River then first meets sea water.
The basis for Maine Aquarium's request of $1.3 million was for the rehab of a section of this building to be used to breed and raise various species of fish for research, for the installation of a new HVAC (heating, ventilation & air conditioning) system, all new mechanicals (electrical & plumbing), new fire sprinkler system, placing an entire new and attractive exterior surface to this 160,000 s.f. existing mill building, provide new paved parking lots and landscaping, and most importantly provide funding for the installation of already owned aquarium tanks and related equipment for exhibits to display live aquatic animal species indigenous to Maine and of the world.
Unfortunately, since the Maine Aquarium's grant application was not approved the Maine Aquarium's re-opening must wait for another year or two for other funding possibilities.
Do you wish to get involved in bringing the Maine Aquarium back to life... and service to the people of Maine... and its visitors? Together, we can make it happen.
I would like to hear from you. Please write to: director@maineaquarium.org.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Raymond E. Cronkite, Pres.
Maine Aquarium