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Construction Underway for Aquarium's Temporary Home

Nov 22, 2017 08:49PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
Have you noticed lots of construction south of the Manhattan Beach Pier? What you're seeing is the first step toward the $4 million renovation of the Roundhouse Marine Studies Lab and Aquarium.

In the first phase, the foundation is being laid for a temporary facility to house the aquarium while the renovation is in progress. The temporary facility will be located at the end of the parking lot south of the Manhattan Beach Pier. The aquarium will reside in the temporary facility until June 2018, when the full project is projected to be complete.

The trailer for the temporary facility is expected to be delivered to the foundation at the end of November. The aquarium will be moving its facilities through the month of December, during which time the Roundhouse may be closed completely for several days or weeks.

Once the fish and their friends are settled in the temporary location, there will be a welcoming event; and the attractions and
field trip programs will continue on during the regular hours of operation.

The Roundhouse was originally built as a pavilion on the pier in 1922 and was converted to an aquarium dedicated to teaching and research in marine science in 1979. Since being converted to an aquarium, the Roundhouse has fostered and promoted the public study of and interest in the oceans, tidelands and beaches of Southern California, the marine life therein, and the impact of human populations on that environment. In 2015 alone, 13,863 K-12 students and almost 300,000 members of the public visited the Roundhouse.

The new and improved Roundhouse Aquarium Teaching Center is being led by a joint effort between the Harrison Greenberg Foundation and the City of Manhattan Beach
.  The funding for the Harrison Greenberg Foundation Roundhouse Aquarium Beautification Project will be used to completely transform the interior of the Roundhouse.  The footprint of the Roundhouse will remain the same, but the inside will be entirely new.

The city will simultaneously be implementing improvements to the exterior of the Roundhouse and the pier itself. Although the exterior and general appearance will not change, there will be a number of upgrades and repairs.

The total project is expected to cost $4 million. Skechers President Michael Greenberg has committed $1.26 million to the project through the Harrison Greenberg Foundation, named in memory of his son Harrison. If you would like to make a monetary contribution to this project, contact Robin Curren ([email protected]) or call (310) 318-3100 ext. 1337.




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