In the News...Aquarium chooses Md. firms for new animal care and rescue facility

By: Daily Record Staff

The National Aquarium has chosen design and construction firms based in Baltimore for an animal care facility they plan to open in 2018.

Design Collective Inc. is leading the architectural design and construction administration, and Plano-Coudon LLC will head construction management of the new Animal Care and Rescue Center at a 50,000-square-foot property at 9901 East Fayette Street in the Jonestown neighborhood, less than a mile from the aquarium.

“We are incredibly fortunate to be able to partner with the aquarium to enhance the quality of care and space they provide for their animals and rescue operations, while simultaneously advancing the revitalization of our great city,” said Matt Herbert, the principal-in-charge of the project for Design Collective, in a statement.

In the new facility, the Aquarium hopes to better communicate the work of its animal rescue team, the process of quarantining animals and the the way its exhibits are made.

The aquarium plans to care for its animals at the site; it also plans to use the new site in some of its rescue operations.

Design Collective’s design allows for public observation while maintaining animal care standards. Previously, they designed the aquarium’s Living Seashore exhibit and the Harbor Market Kitchen. Plano-Coudon will manage subcontractors, who will be renovating the property.

“It is an exciting opportunity to work on a project that enhances the capabilities of a tremendous organization and our city,” said Ryan Coudon, owner and founder of Plano-Coudon, in a statement.

The facility at 901 East Fayette Street will provide a facility for the care of the Aquarium’s current and future animals and some of its rescue operations. The aquarium’s current Animal Care Center is in the Fells Point neighborhood.

The aquarium is paying for the project with public and private funds, as well as its own funds. It expects to continue fundraising efforts for the project over the next one to three years.

“We are proud to be working with Design Collective and Plano-Coudon, who share in our commitment to the community here in Baltimore,” said Jacqueline Bershad, the aquarium’s vice president of planning and design, in a statement. “The addition of the Animal Care and Rescue Center to Jonestown supports efforts to revitalize and invest in this historic neighborhood, while also providing the highest level of care for the Aquarium’s animals.”

http://thedailyrecord.com/2016/12/06/maryland-national-aquarium-animal-care/