Aquarium Coming To Ridgmar Mall Late Next Year

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FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - Things are about to get wild at the Ridgmar Mall in Fort Worth, as some exotic animals are set to move into the shopping center next year. The mall's new owners announced early Tuesday that SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium is coming to the Ridgmar Mall in late 2017.

The aquarium will move into a 27,000 square foot space, filling it with more than 1,500 animals spanning 300 unique species from around the world. SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium already operates two other locations, one in Las Vegas and another in Utah, just north of Salt Lake City. Both of those locations are also inside of shopping malls.

SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium boasts exotic underwater exhibits filled with sea life. But they also promise many more animal encounters including rainforest reptiles, tropical birds and desert creatures. Visitors will have a chance to check out stingrays, caimans, sharks and snakes -- and even feed toucans.

Garo Kholamian is the president of Ridgmar Mall owner GK Development. "SeaQuest Interactive Aquarium is family-friendly fun for all ages, and will help create the ultimate experience for the mall's customers," Kholamian said. "With each new tenant and concept, we hope to add exciting and diverse options to the property, making it a retail attraction for the region."

Since acquiring the property earlier this year, GK Development has been working to turn Ridgmar Mall into a mixed-use area, and has been renovating the 120,000 square foot shopping center in phases. The mall has welcomed Fort Worth's first H&M store, and the Cinemark movie theater saw a $3 million remodel.

Future plans include more new retail, entertainment and dining partnerships. "We have many ideas for Ridgmar Mall, and we are proceeding with a number of plans and considering many options," Kholamian added.