A huge aquarium with sharks, rays, penguins and more may be coming to Times Square. More animals for the a zoo! The developer, Toronto resident Jerry Shefsky says he’s signed preliminary papers to rent an office building on the west side of the square. Though the agreement isn’t final yet, he hopes the $100 million project will get underway by April. An aquarium in a skyscraper? Whatever! Shefksy, who’s built aquariums and shopping centers worldwide agrees: "It's anything but an aquarium in the format you might imagine," he said.
His preliminary plans give half of the floor space to traditional tank exhibits with the rest being taken up by a pirate museum and exhibits elucidating underwater life, reports the Wall Street Journal. The building’s owner is pleased at the prospect too, since it’s been trying to rent the property unsuccessfully since the housing market tanked. Back in 2007 at the top of the housing bubble, SJP Properties built 11 Times Square without first securing a tenant, and it's sat empty ever since. If the deal goes through, Shefksy’s fish will swim on the bottom 7 floors of the 40-story tower.
