Seven years ago, Santa Cruz beat out 22 locations along California’s Central Coast in its bid to house the new Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center. After seven years, the bids to construct the $17 million center will be going out this spring. Construction is expected to begin this summer.
Seven years ago, Santa Cruz beat out 22 locations along California’s Central Coast in its bid to house the new Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center. After seven years, the bids to construct the $17 million center will be going out this spring. Construction is expected to begin this summer.
The 11,000-square-foot building, located across from the Wharf, is expected to draw about 250,000 people every year. In addition to its interactive exhibits, the Center will also have a small theater and classrooms where visitors can learn about ocean ecosystems and especially Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This is one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, with a vast assortment of marine life coexisting in more than 6,000 square miles of ocean.
Maggie Ivy, CEO and executive vice president of the Santa Cruz County Conference and Visitors Council, says the Center will be a welcome addition to Santa Cruz’s thriving tourism industry. Tourists currently spend about $600 million per year in the county, with $14 million of that going to local government. The challenge, she says, is expanding tourism beyond the summer months. Speaking of the new Center, she says, “We are always enthusiastic about any attraction that doesn’t just depend on summer tourism.” Read more at the Business Journal.
