By Greg Monahan
Great Lakes Echo
Starfish, seahorses and sharks are coming to a southeast Michigan shopping center.
Crain’s Detroit reports Great Lakes Crossing Outlets in Auburn Hills announced plans for the construction of a 35,000-square-foot aquarium that could be completed by this time next year.
Sea Life Michigan will feature an array of tropical marine life, including sharks, rays and shrimp. It will also have a section to showcase aquatic animals from around the Great Lakes basin.
The plans are a result of an agreement between Taubman Centers Inc., which owns Great Lakes Crossing, and UK-based Merlin Entertainment, which has helped construct six other Sea Life Centers in the United States, including the aquariums at the Mall of America in Minnesota and Legoland in California.
An underground tunnel with fish swimming above visitors’ heads will highlight Sea Life Michigan. The project will feature both saltwater and freshwater tanks.
Access to the aquarium will require the purchase of a ticket, according to the Detroit Free Press.
The estimated cost of the project is yet to be announced.