SAN ANTONIO – The new San Antonio Aquarium on Bandera Road just outside of Loop 410 in Leon Valley is just a couple of months from opening its doors.
Owner Vince Covino was in town Thursday to look at the progress of the construction project. The old Fiesta Dodge dealership is being transformed into a 50,000-square-foot aquarium.
"This building and the scope of this aquarium is more than twice the size of anything we've done," Vince Covino said. He also co-owns an aquarium in Portland and Austin.
This one will house about 1,000 species -- mostly marine life, but there will be reptiles and birds as well.
Covino showed off the several pools he had for various fish, including a 30,000-gallon tank that will allows kids to snorkel with stingrays and tropical fish.
"The primary goal is interaction and education," he said. "We built this to be a 10-year-old's favorite place on the planet. When they can connect with the animals, touch them, see them, hold them, they are going to have a memorable experience."
Several field trips have already been scheduled, along with private parties.
The aquarium will also feature a huge dinosaur display and tank big enough for scuba-divers.
Many of the animals that fill will the tanks are rescue animals. A 75-year-old tortoise named Ramsey that was rescued and saved by the Portland aquarium after being injured is on its way. Other animals will come from breeders and zoos and other aquariums that no longer have room.
Covino also addressed his brother Ammon Covino's situation. Ammon Covino was sentenced to a year in federal prison in December 2013 for illegally shipping sharks and stingrays from Florida to Idaho.
Vince Covino said his brother will have nothing to do with this aquarium.
"He is not going to be an employee," Vince Covino said. "He's not going to purchase animals. He is not going to work here."
Construction work on the project should be completed by mid-December.