Shedd Aquarium Unveils $500-Million ‘Centennial Commitment’

Shedd Aquarium recently unveiled a new, comprehensive strategic vision aimed at ensuring a more equitable, sustainable and thriving future for people and aquatic life. Leading to the organization’s 100th anniversary in 2030, the multi-faceted Centennial Commitment is a transformational investment in Chicago, Illinois communities and aquatic ecosystems around the world, requiring half a billion dollars and eight years to accomplish.

Ambitions within Shedd Aquarium’s Centennial Commitment center around three primary pillars — “For People, For Communities, For Aquatic Life.”

More than half of the $500-million investment will power the programs and partnerships needed to achieve Shedd’s Centennial Commitment’s aspirations. These programs will not only be onsite, but also expand outside of the aquarium walls into communities, on the water and in nature, in virtual experiences and informal learning engagements and through new and expanded onsite and field-based research and science portfolios centered on restoration, rewilding and rescue.

The remaining investment will focus on needed physical improvements to the historic Beaux-Arts-style building that will modernize the aquarium galleries and experience, enable greater accessibility, enhance animal habitats and restore architectural features such as the opening of original windows that provide breathtaking views of the city skyline and Lake Michigan, and the creation of more welcoming and unobstructed public access to the building’s original exterior promenade and garden spaces.

With support from joint-venture general contractor partners Pepper/BMI Construction LLC, architect Valerio Dewalt Train, exhibit design partner Thinc Design, project manager JLL, accessibility partner Institute for Human Centered Design, diversity, equity and inclusion partner Trinal Inc. and more, the aquarium’s new Experience Master Plan aims to honor the historical integrity of the building’s unmistakable architecture, while augmenting spaces for the needs of guests and the over 25,000 animals that call Shedd home today.

The multi-year, four-phase construction project will begin in late 2022 and is expected to conclude in 2026 with new galleries, programs and experiences opening each year on a rolling basis. A few of the project highlights include:

Modernized experience: More accessible, interactive, highly immersive and science-rich galleries will bring guests closer to the animals they love. Through this investment, Shedd intends to grow attendance to serve up to 2.3 million guests annually and dramatically increase the number of schoolchildren who receive a personalized learning experience facilitated by Shedd Aquarium’s informed and enthusiastic team. Additionally, the development will re-envision all specialized water systems for the customized care and needs of over 1,100 species.

New learning commons: An expansive new experiential hub and curiosity incubator, the Learning Commons — located at the historic core of the aquarium on the main level — will unlock significant new ways to encourage and facilitate learning. The technologically advanced, flexible space will serve as a launchpad, increasing the amount of existing classroom space to increase the total number of students engaged at Shedd from 170,000 to 230,000 annually, and provide multiple areas and more opportunities for Chicago communities to gather, engage and connect with animals, scientists and each other.

Centralized science hub: Five existing scientific laboratories will merge into one central, state-of-the-art Science Hub spanning microbial ecology, conservation science, water quality and chemistry, genome studies and pathology. The integration will allow for greater proximity of work to create cutting-edge conservation science in the wild and within the aquarium, expansion of up-to-the-minute technology capacities and promotion of intellectual synergies among clinicians, animal caretakers, field biologists and scientists.

Greater physical accessibility: New circulation pathways will significantly reduce the number of transitions between areas of the aquarium, allowing guests to have multiple options regarding where they can start their journey, and making navigation easier and more efficient for guests with strollers, wheelchairs and other mobility needs.

Activated outdoor spaces: The four acres of green space around the building — equivalent to 40 Chicago backyards — offer a myriad of possibility to serve as a living classroom while extending the aquarium’s conservation efforts. New and reinvigorated spaces will offer everything from a celebration of natural splendor to a comfortable place where guests can view the profound meeting of land and water. Increasing these direct connections to nature, as well as biodiversity at all levels, will bolster resilience on the lakefront while adding experiential value and environmental improvements.

Locally, the aquarium’s onsite project will create economic opportunities for diverse contractors in Chicago. Shedd has mandated self-imposed goals to award subcontracting packages to diverse targets of at least 26% and 6% MBE/WBE vendors, 50% of total onsite labor work hours to Chicago residents and 25% of all onsite labor work hours to minority and female workers. Additionally, Shedd has also committed to ensuring hundreds of thousands of dollars go directly into the pockets of nearby Chicagoans, creating greater economic mobility and benefit for communities closest to Museum Campus.

In addition, contractors are strongly encouraged to commit to participating in one or more Chicago Public School “Work-Based Learning” programs, such as the Job Shadow Week, CPS’ Guest Speaker Series, Site Visit Week, Soft Skills Month and Career and/or the Technical Education Training Summer Internship Program. These commitments will allow for real-world skill building and career exploration opportunities for local teens.

Photo credit: © Shedd Aquarium in collaboration with Thinc/Valerio Dewalt Train