From the Ground Up: Aquarium at the Boardwalk

Owner/developer: Kuvera Partners (Los Angeles)
General contractor: Crossland Construction Co. Inc.
Architect: PGAV Destinations PC (St. Louis)
Engineers: Heithaus Engineering & Associates Inc., civil; MLA Engineering P LLC, structural (Seattle); Exp U.S. Services Inc., mechanical, electrical and plumbing (St. Louis)
Size: 46,000 square feet
Estimated cost: $51 million
Lenders: Citizens National Bank (Pigeon Forge, Tennessee) and Branson Bank
Estimated completion: August 2020
Project description: A giant octopus will soon be prominent along Branson’s 76 Strip as part of the developing Aquarium at the Boardwalk. Los Angeles-based Kuvera Partners expects to complete the project by this summer, said Sam Butler of general contractor Crossland Construction Co. The indoor design features a large tank – filled with sharks and other sea creatures – with curved windows and tunnels for people to walk through, according to Kuvera Partners spokeswoman Aileen Stein. Other activities will include close-up views of stingrays, a jellyfish room, a so-called mermaid palace, a touch pool and coral reef area, Stein said. It’s adjacent to the former Grand Palace, which Kuvera Partners is rehabilitating into the Branson Boardwalk. No plans have been announced for future use of the Boardwalk. The aquarium project is in line for $7 million in tax increment financing assistance over 15-23 years, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.