Audubon Nature Institute's....Audubon ALIVE
City-Parish officials unveiled the second component of a $989 million proposed bond proposition--a major one-of-a-kind tourism attraction in the form of a 220,000-square-foot nature center on the riverfront.
According to the proposal, the Audubon Nature Institute will run Audubon Alive, which will cost $305 million to build. It is contingent upon East Baton Rouge Parish voters agreeing to a 9.9-mil property tax and a ½-cent sales tax over a 30-year period, and upon the state agreeing to kick in $55 million. If the Metro Council gives the go-ahead, the measure likely will be put on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Audubon Alive, slated for completion in 2012, will offer four venues: Earth, Wind, Fire and Water. Among the attractions:
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Animal Adventures, with tigers, jaguars, monkeys, butterflies and extensive waterfalls;
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Beyond Turtle Reef, featuring live experiences with sea creatures;
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Soaring, an interactive experience with a 270-degree Imax-like view in a glider simulation;
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Predator, a fast-paced adventure where participants wind through the jungle with audio and video projections;
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Stormy Weather, an interactive theater providing experiences of hurricanes and global-warming issues in the setting of the wetlands;
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Swamp Tales, an indoor walk-through swamp with a 15,000-gallon water tank and interactive theater;
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Rhythms & Blues[/I], a 900-seat theater with cultural performance live shows.
An economic impact study done by the Audubon Nature Institute predicts the attraction will generate net earnings of $167 million in its first four years of operation, rising as high as $700 million by 2021. The Institute also estimates the project could prompt as much as $575 million in new spending in Baton Rouge during those initial four years and boost tax collections by as much as $30 million.
Audubon Alive also could create an estimated 5,000 new jobs by 2016.
courtesy..richeyb83
http://www.businessreport.com/archiv...report/latest/