St. Louis area to get aquarium

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Plans for a new $55 million aquarium in suburban St. Louis were announced Tuesday, an aquarium that officials say will serve as a "world class showcase."

The World Aquarium is expected to open in 2004 at Hanley Road and Highway 40 in Richmond Heights, just west of St. Louis. Plans call for an 80,000-square-foot facility on more than two acres.

The domed, partly underground building will be divided into eight sections, illustrating marine and freshwater habitats around the world.

The aquarium will be financed with an initial $15 million in private donations and $40 million in revenue bonds. Construction is expected to begin this year.