A little over one week ago, Omni Development Co. submitted a vision to transform downtown Albany and reap economic benefits for the entire region: The aquarium/IMAX-type theater/science museum concept. The public response has been overwhelmingly positive and encouraging.
When people objectively consider the economic potential, and the fact that this concept has a proven track record of success, they understand that the proposal is worthwhile and urgently worth further investigation. There are a number of extremely successful such complexes in the United States today, so the benefits are proven, not speculative or based on mere opinion. Better still, there is nothing like it in our region, making it unique across a wide marketing geography.
The most frequent question has been, "What are the next steps?" Here is what is needed next:
1. Everyone in the community and its leadership should discuss it more. It is no longer politically incorrect to say, "The convention center will never happen." It has been 10 years and more delay is destructive.
2. We respectfully suggest that a productive shortcut to a full feasibility study would be for Mayor Jerry Jennings to pick up the phone and call the mayor of Chattanooga, Tenn. He should visit Chattanooga and see for himself what the Tennessee Aquarium has accomplished to revitalize that city, formerly a similar situation to the Albany/Schenectady/Troy region. We believe he owes it to the hard-pressed taxpayers of his city and the region to at least find out from people who have successfully accomplished a transformation of this magnitude. Omni would be willing to underwrite the cost of such a fact-finding trip by the mayor.
3. We respectfully urge Gov. Andrew Cuomo to call the governor of Tennessee and find out whether Chattanooga is a success story worth emulating. In the interest of the Capital Region, we think he should not dismiss the concept out of hand.
These next steps would be responsible and constructive and advance the discussion. Attendance at the Tennessee Aquarium in 2011 was 657,443 with an economic impact of $77.4 million a year. Aquarium revenues were $19 million in 2010. Employment is 150, plus 650 volunteers. Capital funding was $45 million initially (opening in 1992) plus $35 million for a subsequent major expansion.
This community deserves a hard-nosed, public-spirited and open-minded vetting of this concept. The convention center, as originally conceived, cannot be supported these many years later at any site within the City of Albany. It would be like forcing a square peg into a round hole.
We at Omni continue to urge concerned residents, community leaders and the Convention Center Authority to join us in taking the necessary steps toward this new public/private partnership, achieving a gleaming image and a cultural treasure for all families, residents and visitors to experience and enjoy.
I. David Swawite is president and CEO of Omni Development Co.