Aquarium of Arkansas
NWA will have a public aquarium soon.
BENTONVILLE — Plans to build a state-of-the-art aquarium here were announced Thursday afternoon. The aquarium will include exterior cascading walls of water and interior walk-through acrylic tunnels. It will be built on the Ole Applegate property.
Jim Brassart and Farron Smith have formed a nonprofit corporation. They will soon apply for 501 C-3 status for The Aquarium of Arkansas Inc. Contributions and donations will be sought to build the educational attraction, featuring a 43, 000- to 60, 000-square-foot structure initially. According to the two, the aquarium could eventually expand to triple that size.
“ In the near future, ” Jim Brassart explained, “ we will be letting the public know about the curator of the aquarium. He has already agreed to accept a position with us, but because he is currently employed at another aquarium, we can’t yet mention his name. We’re also visiting with an architect to design the building, and we’ll use Sand Creek Engineering.
“ I want to have natural terrain, so that means leaving as many trees as we can. The area is pretty already. We don’t want to take away from what’s there. We want to add to it. We plan to follow the lines of the E. Fay Jones home that’s on the Applegate property — a natural look. ”
Excited and eager to move forward with the project, Smith and Amy Brassart, Jim Brassart’s wife, will take on the donations and contributions aspect of the project. Smith will also take on the design and decor of the interior.
“ I just think this will be a wonderful addition to Bentonville and the whole region, ” Smith said. “ There’s nothing like it near here. I’m happy to be part of this project. ”
Amy Brassart mentioned how often she’s visited places of local interest while she accompanies the couple’s daughters on school field trips.
“ We want The Aquarium of Arkansas to be educational and a lot of fun, ” she said, smiling. “ It’s a great opportunity to learn about life for underwater creatures. It will also be a chance to learn about water conservation and the environment of the sea. I’m thrilled that it will be here for local people to enjoy, and I know it will bring a lot of visitors in, too. I think it’s going to be a great attraction. ”
To contribute to The Aquarium of Arkansas, contact Farron Smith at 273-0329 or by e-mail at Farronrsmith @ sbcglobal. net or call Amy Brassart at 254-8413
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08-07-2007, 03:57 PM
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