Executives from Cheniere Energy presented a symbolic giant check for $1 million to (from left) Texas State Aquarium CEO Tom Schmid, aquarium board chair Larry Urban, Rep. Todd Hunter,and Cheniere Energy VP of Government and Public Affairs Pat Outtrim during a press conference at the aquarium Nov. 3. Courtesy Photo
Cheniere Energy donated $1 million to the Texas State Aquarium Nov. 3, which will be used to help pay for the $50 million Caribbean Journey exhibit now under construction. Almost doubling the size of the aquarium, the new exhibit is expected to open in 2017.
“Cheniere is proud to support Campaign Caribbean at the Texas State Aquarium, which will bring the sights, sounds and wildlife of the Western Caribbean here to South Texas,” said Pat Outtrim, Vice President of Government and Public Affairs at Cheniere at a press conference announcing the gift. “This addition will continue to enhance the Aquarium’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading marine exhibits.”
The aquarium now only needs about $8.5 million to reach its $50 million goal. The completed exhibit will include three levels of fish tanks, an interactive jungle, Caribbean Sea Shark Habitat and the Shark and Stingray Touch Exhibits. A 100-seat 4D theater will allow guests to learn more about the Caribbean environment as part of the explortion experience.
The Caribbean Exhibit will complete the final of a two-phased original master-plan for the aquarium, which was named the second of the top 10 aquariums in the nation by readers of USA Today. At 65,000 square feet, the new Caribbean Journey expansion will be significantly larger than the original Gulf of Mexico exhibit building.
“The new wing will be 50 percent larger, however, in terms of indoor exhibit space, it will more than double what we currently have,” said Tom Schmid, Texas State Aquarium president and CEO. “This is going to be a multi-level, highly immersive, state-of-the-art experience.”
Cheniere Energy is a Houston-based energy company primarily engaged in LNG-related businesses. Cheniere is developing liquefaction facilities near Corpus Christi and believes that LNG exports from the Corpus Christi Liquefaction Project could commence as early as 2018. The company is also developing the Sabine Pass Liquefaction Project, an LNG export terminal in southwest Louisiana, which is expected to be the first natural gas export terminal in the continental U.S.
