Nearly a decade after developers first proposed the attraction, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is considering a conditional use permit to allow the addition of a 92.7KSF “indoor rainforest” and wildlife facility known as Paradise Earth to the Arizona Boardwalk property near Loop 101 and Via de Ventura.
Development representative Greg Charbeneau told a July 15 SRPMIC Council meeting Arizona Boardwalk is second only to the Grand Canyon as an Arizona tourist destination and the addition will add to guests’ educational and entertainment experiences.
Arizona Boardwalk is home to OdySea Aquarium and other interactive and educational attractions.
A local news outlet reported Paradise Earth is billed as “the largest indoor rainforest in North America” and was first proposed in 2017.
The project website details plans for exhibits built to reflect each of the four seasons. Components will include free-flying birds and other wildlife encounters, a lobby, an atrium, three levels of pathways, a children’s play area, a treehouse, educational interaction and learning spaces, an animatronic bird show, and retail and restaurant offerings.
The article reported SRPMIC members expressed concerns about water and the exhibits’ animals during the July 15 meeting. They also asked about accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. AZA is a member-based association of animal exhibit-related facilities. Its accreditation process is overseen by a 16-member Accreditation Commission made up of “experienced and trained experts in operations, animal welfare and husbandry, and veterinary medicine.”
According to the article, to receive a CUP, the developer will have to submit plans to ensure the planned project is compatible with the surrounding environment, is consistent with the General Plan and ensures the health and safety of the animals. It must also fit in with uses in the surrounding area.
OdySea experienced controversy several years ago when it leased part of its facility to Dolphinaris, an interactive “swim with the dolphins” experience. Four dolphins died between 2016 and 2019, leading to the facility closing down in the face of opposition to holding captive dolphins in a desert facility.
In the time since, exhibits at Arizona Boardwalk, most notably OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland, have been recognized as leaders in tourism and education.
Documents submitted to the SRPMIC Council show DFDG Architecture as the design firm and McCarthy Buildings Companies, Inc. as the general contractor. The project website shows Gensler as the design firm. We have reached out to all parties and are working to confirm the current development team.
The SRPMIC Council is scheduled to decide on the CUP July 29.
