VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia Beach city leaders are continuing to look for ways to help fund multi-million dollar renovations to the Virginia Aquarium, including through a potential ownership change.
Though the undertaking hasn’t come without criticism. At Tuesday’s Virginia Beach City Council work session, some council members offered probing questions and heavy criticism about the process.
“You say that this is good governance, I just have to say I don’t want to be a part of anything like this again,” said Councilwoman Barbara Henley. “This has been anything except open and transparent.”
Henley’s comments came after a presentation by Rick Biddle, a consultant with Relevant Strategies & Solutions, LLC. The city’s partnered with Biddle, who’s worked with various aquariums and zoos in the past, to study the options, including the operating model that Biddle says “ensures the future viability and sustainability” of the facility.
That could include a three-pronged approach between the city, the aquarium’s foundation, and a potential third-party operator.
Biddle is also serving as an “an Owner’s Representative,” who can “advocate for Council’s goals throughout this exploration and negotiations,” per a city council staff report from City Manager Patrick Duhaney. That work has included meeting with council liaisons, senior city leadership and the chair of the aquarium’s foundation, which the city is hoping to establish a memorandum of understanding agreement with.
The city still owns the aquarium, which opened in 1986 of General Booth Boulevard, and says it pays about $8 million per to operate the facility and pay its employees. Meanwhile the aquarium’s foundation owns the facility’s animals and exhibits in addition to raising money for the aquarium.
While the city did conduct a survey of more than 500 households last year on the topic, Henley says the city has not “provided one single opportunity to get input from the public” since, saying “all of this started in closed sessions for the first couple of months …”
Henley added that the foundation has felt disrespected in the process. She also lamented recent resignations from aquarium staff, a concern shared by Councilman Chris Taylor.
“These resignations that have been occurring are because the people are looking for another job where they can have security,” Henley added. “Because they’re afraid the city no longer cares about them or supports them … we can say all day long that it’s not, but it is.”
Biddle though said moving for better pay and better opportunities within the zoos and aquariums industry is common.
“Don’t assume that the eight, or nine or whatever is always resigning because of this. People move because they move, variety of reasons … I would just share don’t make that linkage today, because there is a lot of movement.”
This all comes after Virginia Beach didn’t set aside funds for the portions of the proposed renovations in its budget. The city originally received a request of $200 million to $300 million over 10 years for the renovations, but the foundation has said it believes renovations could be done for about a quarter of that amount.
City Manager Patrick Duhaney clarified on Tuesday that the foundation’s estimate didn’t include repairing the existing again infrastructure.
“We have a brand new, magnificent addition that’s on, but we have a 40-year structure right now that’s in need of significant things to do,” said Mayor Bobby Dyer. “… it’s not a simple solution because once again there are so many people involved, and I totally respect what the foundation has done over the years, but in very tough economic times it’s rough to generate … moneys that we need to do what me must do.”
Dyer said he believes the foundation just wants a voice at the table, based on conversations that he’s had, and that the city needs to explore all potential options.
“We all have a tremendous amount of respect for the [foundation’s] volunteers for their work at the aquarium … this is because we care about the aquarium,” said Councilman Joash Schulman. “This is because we as a body have felt necessary to explore all options and to help preserve that mission and preserve that resource for us for years to come.”
The foundation meanwhile has said in the past that they would be open to a potential private owner or operator. The companies that own Dollywood and Ripley’s Believe It or Not attractions have both said they’re interested in buying or operating the aquarium.