The Monterey Bay Aquarium is developinga $7 million veterinary clinic that will extend across the city boundaries of both Monterey and neighbouring Pacific Grove.
This willbroaden therange of veterinary services the aquarium provides to both its ownanimals and the ones it rescues.The twocities have each approved the work.The new on-site animal hospitalwill be sitedover part of the main aquarium building and will overlook its corporation yard.
Hank Armstrong isthe aquarium’s vice president of communications. He said, “It’s basically two hospital wards. Theywill allow us to combine a lot of veterinary services that have not been centralized.It will allow us to consolidate. Also it willbring our current services up to best practices. This will meanthat the aquarium will have a world-class facility that provides world-class care.
“We’re basically taking a piece of the first and second floors and extending it out a bit to create new square footage."
The project is still in the fundraising stage.
Ken Peterson isAquarium Communications Director. He said, “We’re still soliciting money to pay for this new veterinary clinic as well as the education center."
Construction should startfor the new 6, 300-square-footfacility in March.It willtake aroundsix months.
Currentlythe aquarium treats between two andfive animals per day. Armstrong said, “A lot has changed since 1984 in medical care and veterinary care.Whether it’s the thousands of animals in our collection or for wildlife that comes in stranded like sea otters, birds or sea turtles, this will allow us to provide the best possible care we can. It willprovide facilities like radiology and pathology and all services that come with animal care.”
Peterson said, “It’s about, ‘How can we do more for the animals in our care as well as for the animals in the wild?’ ”
A Six-Year, $160 Million Campaign
Development of the aquarium'snewCenter For Ocean Education and Leadershipis also ongoing.Designed by San Francisco-based architecture firm Mark Cavagnero Associates, this 26, 000-square-foot facility will enhancethe aquarium’s abilityto conduct educational programs. It will be ready by 2019.
This project is partof a six-year, $160 million campaign to support a numberof the aquarium’s initiatives.
Petersen said, “We want to get these projects rolling. We will do it before we get all the money raised and in hand. We’re fortunate to have passionate and supportive donors. We feel confident that we can make a good case for raising funds.”
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