Still, if it truly is completely privately funded, it's hard to criticize.
Very clever logo, anyway.
Posted on 08/08/2005 1:06:48 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Some billionaires exercise their philanthropic bent by building museums or symphony halls. The legacy of Bernard Marcus, who runs an American DIY chain, will be the world's largest fish tank, almost 10 times the size of the London Aquarium.
The Georgia Aquarium, due to open in Atlanta in November, will have 5m gallons of water (almost 19m litres) and more than 100,000 fish. It will be home to two white beluga whales, giant groupers and octopuses.
The main attraction will be two whale sharks, the world's largest fish, which can grow to more than 40 feet. The sharks, Ralph and Norton, are adolescents and currently 13ft and 16ft long. They were transported from Taiwan in a plane with aquatic life-support systems. Asked in an interview why he had decided to build the aquarium, Mr Marcus said: "I like big fish, OK?"
The aquarium, he added, is so well designed that fish will prefer it to the ocean. "This is like going to the Ritz Carlton," he said. "If you ask them, do they want to go back to the ocean, you know what they would say: 'Are you crazy?'"
Mr Marcus made his fortune from the retail chain Home Depot, which he founded with his business partner, Arthur Blank, as single store in Atlanta in 1978. The pair built it into a chain of 1,900 stores with annual sales of $73bn (£41bn). Mr Blank prefers birds to fish: he bought the Atlanta Falcons American football team in 2002 for $545m (£305m).
The Georgia Aquarium is being funded entirely with private money and will be run by a non-profit organisation. Mr Marcus said he is committed to conservation and the aquarium will have the largest research facilities in the world.
Atlanta hopes the Aquarium, built alongside a convention centre, will become a hub for tourists. In 2007, Coca-Cola, will open its museum nearby.
Mr Marcus has also started a school for autistic children. He gives money to medical research and funds to the Republican party.
Man I can't wait until this opens. Go Bernie!
I thought D.C. was the world's largest fish bowl........
Just think what George Soros could have built with the $20,000,000 he flushed down the toilet in the last election. Oh well, live and learn.
Naw. It just smells that way.
I wonder if with all that money they will be able to land the prized Rosie O'Donnel whale that has so far eluded the aquariums of the world.
Regretfully you'll be able to see her on Broadway soon and not in an aquarium...yet.
Blah. It'll fail just like every other undertaking in downtown Atlanta. I may take my kids at some point, but we'll have to make sure we are outta there before dark.
The ability to make money has nothing to do with your delusions, eh?
It's worth noting what both Blank and Marcus have done for Atlanta since retiring. Blank was also behind a new children's museum and Marcus is spearheading the effort for a new Symphony Hall.
Contrast their civic involvement with Ted Turner's. Turner never built anything in this city unless a chunk of the gate reciepts went directly into his pockets.
I hope they have had a structural engineer take a good look at that stage.
Got tarter sauce?
Home Depot ~ Bump!
"Asked in an interview why he had decided to build the aquarium, Mr Marcus said: "I like big fish, OK?"
I can't wait to see those whale sharks.
http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/
It makes sense that a man who deals in diy products would give to the GOP.
Teddy did promise a billion to his fellow croonies at the UN...don't forget.
Sir fish-a-lot's new song..."I like big fish and I cannot lie....da, da, da..."
ahhh...well, couldnt resist.
I may just have to go to see this. Thanks Mr. Bernard Marcus!!!
I think you meant "Toilet Bowl".
I heard he tried to get the Rosie O'Donnell whale, but it would bankrupt him to feed it!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.