So How Much Will The Greensboro Aquarium Cost?

For starters, I'm far from qualified to answer that question but my guess is we can build it for $120 Million Dollars. Ed believes the cost will be closer to $80 Million and to be honest he has spent more time on this than I have.

Yes, that is a huge chunk of change. I can't even imagine that the aquarium would hold $120 Million Dollars. Nor do I like the idea of asking the public to pay for it with bonds and other forms of taxes. Now in the long run, if that's what Greensboro decides to do then so be it but I've made mention of a means to private funding and I'm sure that's not the only way private funding can be achieved.

Several people have mentioned to me that since Home Depot, a Georgia company, contributed heavily to building the Georgia Aquarium that Lowes Home Improvement, a North Carolina company might do the same here. But what if we offered Lowes a better deal? What if we offered Lowes all the perks of having their name associated with such a great project while at the same time, instead of accepting their donations, allowing Lowes to buy shares of stock in the project? That way, if the project turns a profit then Lowes sees higher profits and if the project fails then Lowes is out no more than they would have been had they just donated.

I mean, seriously Greensboro, would it bother you if Lowes Home Improvement were to make a profit while bringing Millions of Dollars of economic development to Greensboro annually? Let's not forget Mack, Volvo, Coca-Cola, Honda, FedEx and many other corporations have a big presence locally and would probably want to be involved.

And there's no reason why lots of other businesses from Greensboro and across the State of North Carolina couldn't be invited to buy in as well. Well managed businesses round out their portfolios by buying stock in other businesses every day as a way to protect themselves from unexpected downtowns in their own respective markets.

Of course you're probably wondering why if this is such a good idea, why is it that Greensboro's "movers and shakers" never came up with it. I know the answer but I'll be nice....