FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A 10,000-gallon aquarium is a part of the expansion coming to the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

The Fort Lauderdale institution located right on the water is receiving a massive makeover to welcome tourists and residents alike.

Animal activists are furious about animals being taken from the ocean to fill the tank while Fort Lauderdale leaders claim it’s a done deal.

The bulldozers are on the property and phase one of construction is underway, expected to be finished this summer.

There are a total of four phases coming to the $220 million dollar expansion project for the new Fort Lauderdale water district.

Renderings feature a new aquatic center, a waterfront promenade, a restaurant, a museum and the state-of-the-art marine aquarium.

Ana Campos is an animal activist who took part in the 2019 lawsuit against the city when Seaquest was attempting to build an aquarium at the Galleria Mall.

“It’s shocking to learn after the city of Fort Lauderdale was actually sued over an aquarium that they went ahead and they approved an aquarium in a worse location,” she said. “As if the Miami Seaquarium issue wasn’t enough to scare cities away from animal captivity and touch tanks and any types of tanks with animals.”

As the city moves forward with its approved plans from 2023, many are just hearing about the proposed aquarium three years later.

“We have thousands of members in the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida and we never heard about it,” said James Wildman with the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida.

Playing catchup included watching previous Fort Lauderdale commission meetings.

Rich Waltzer, the Fort Lauderdale Aquarium Founder and CEO, spoke at an April 21 commission meeting.

“The aquarium was a dream of mine and it’s actually finally come true,” he said. “I really want to thank Commissioner Herbst for really helping me make this happen.”

Local 10 News reached out to Waltzer to be interviewed for this story, but he refused. Local 10 also reached out to Commissioner John Herbst, a huge proponent to bring the aquarium to life, but he also declined our requests three different times over email.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis agreed to sit down for an interview.

“It sounds really exciting and the commission agreed and that’s why we voted for it,” he said. “We have had exhibits like that already in our science museum, we’ve had it for many, many years, so this is just basically an expansion of that experience, and its now going to be done at the aquatic center.”

When looking at the plans, bringing the ocean experience like corals and animals to human hands is a big part of this aquarium.

“Touch tanks are a very visceral way of getting information across to people,” aquarium developer John Whitehead said during the April 21 commission meeting. “If I give you a sea star and put it in your hand, you can tell how it moves across the bottom of the ocean.”

Aquarium supporters claim they are building an educational experience, while activists are concerned the animals will be unethically trafficked from our oceans.

“What you’re teaching a child by confining an animal in captivity is that it’s acceptable for humans to do what we like to animals simply for entertainment purposes,” said Wildman.

Added Campos: “Building this is a death sentence, period.”

In the meeting with the developers, examples of corals, crabs and fish were displayed, along with pictures of what appeared to be an endangered bonnethead shark and an endangered spotted eagle ray.

The aquarium is near, or actually in a zone that is a mandatory evacuation zone; the mayor said generators will be ready.

Backup power failed at an aquarium in Hurricane Katrina and thousands of marine animals died as a result.

“You know it’s not an easy life being in the open ocean and a lot of the wildlife get eaten by bigger wildlife, so we’re saving their lives too, let’s keep that in mind,” said Trantalis.

The city owns the property and the operators will be leasing with the expectation to open the new facility in 2028, but the fight is far from over.

“There’s nothing preventing the commission from caring about the welfare of the animals, regardless if it’s a done deal and were too late, it’s never too late as far as I’m concerned to care about animals,” said Campos.

Added Wildman: “I think with enough pressure, with enough people speaking out, things will change, and so that’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

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