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Loveland family of Xactware donates $2.5 million to the Living Planet Aquarium - Construction Moves Forward

Alpine family gift means new home for aquarium



http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/no...a51d6c7-566a-59b6-8557-9c473d2cd81b.html

By Caleb Warnock, Daily Herald

A $2.5 million gift from an Alpine family is helping move the Living Planet Aquarium into a much larger home.

The Loveland family -- founders of Xactware in Orem -- will now be the namesake of the Loveland Living Planet Aquarium when it opens in December 2013, director of public relations Angie Hyde said. The Loveland Foundation did not immediately return calls for comment.

Nearly 40,000 Utah County residents visited the aquarium in the past year, Hyde said. When the aquarium first announced its search for a new home, officials announced plans to close this month. Instead, they are breaking ground on their new building next week and will remain in their existing location for another year.

Staff have been busy collecting new animals for their much larger home, and some of those animals are going on display now...


An artist's rendition of an exhibit at the proposed Loveland Aquarium. Courtesy Image.



An artist's rendition of an exhibit at the proposed Loveland Aquarium. Courtesy Image.


One of the most popular exhibits is the touch tank, which now has some new inhabitants -- horned sharks, a leopard shark, crabs, giant sea stars and urchins.

"That is pretty exciting," Hyde said. "The leopard shark will come right up to you and you can touch it."

All these new animals will find a permanent home when the 136,000-square-foot, two-story expansion opens -- a far sight larger than the 43,000-square-foot building that has housed this aquarium for years.

There will be new species of penguins and a shark tube replicating walking underwater with sharks swimming overhead.

The $20 million expansion is being funded with a $14 million bond from Draper, which will be repaid by the aquarium over 20 years "and does not affect taxes at all," Hyde said. "It is really a direct loan."

The Legislature has given $2 million, the Loveland family has donated $2.5 million and the rest has been raised from donors and sponsors. A groundbreaking will be held on Oct. 24...