Center in the Square Brings in a 5,500 Gallon Aquarium - FOX 21/27 WFXR Roanoke/WWCW Lynchburg News, Weather

Center in the Square Brings in a 5,500 Gallon Aquarium

It's been one of the most anticipated days during the Center in the Square construction, even if some weren't expecting it.

"At lunch time I come down here expecting to see something exciting happening each day and this was the day," said Sandy Young, who walks downtown on her lunch break.

That excitement surrounded the 5,500 gallon aquarium delivered to Center in the Square Thursday afternoon.

Once installed, the aquarium will be the largest in the Mid-Atlantic, featuring 250 fish and other aquatic life.

The nearly three-year project is the brain child of designer Jeff Turner.

"I was pretty excited about it," Turner said after learning about the Center in the Square project. "It's been a lot of fun."

Crews strapped the 7,000 pound aquarium to a crane, lifting it onto heavy duty dollies to put into place.

The aquarium is going to end up on the main floor of Center in the Square where it will be placed on ice blocks.

The ice will then melt the aquarium into place.

There's still several months of work that needs to be done on the aquarium, including the plumbing.

But for Center in the Square President Jim Sears, it's a hint at what the project will bring to the Roanoke Valley.

"We're transforming Center in the Square so it will be a stronger destination, it will have more opportunities for education, and it will be a factor of the quality of life for the region," he said.

The grand opening for Center in the Square is slated for May 2013.