Jenks Aquarium Authority approves $400,000 for shark-holding infrastructure, asks council to exclude aquarium campus from UDOplace-of-assembly change

The Jenks Aquarium Authority on March 25 approved a $400,000 supplemental appropriation for interior construction work on the aquarium's large-animal holding facility and voted to recommend the City Council exempt the Aquarium Campus from a proposed change to the city's Unified Development Ordinance that would add "place of assembly" uses to Riverfront Tourist Commercial (RTC) zoning.

The authority approved Resolution 93 to move $400,000 from fund balance into the Aquarium Authority Capital Improvements Building and Improvements Fund to complete major infrastructure work this fiscal year, authority members said. Authority members then debated the UDO change and voted to ask the council to remove the aquarium campus from that proposed amendment.

The supplemental appropriation will fund phase one of the aquarium's interior construction for the large-animal holding system, according to an operations briefing at the meeting. Aquarium staff said the work will include waterproofing the main concrete tank (the shark exhibit), repairing or replacing the outside saltwater…