New SeaQuest Aquarium Now Open In Stonecrest: DeKalb County

DEKALB COUNTY, GA — A new aquarium opened this month at the Mall at Stonecrest. SeaQuest at Stonecrest, located at 8020 Mall Pkwy., opened Monday, Nov. 8, in the mall’s former Sears building, according to its Facebook page.

The aquarium is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday, according to its website. Visitors are invited to touch, feed and interact with animals from five continents. Virtual field trips are also available through the SeaQuest YouTube page. Tickets can be purchased online.

The former Sears building sold for $2.1 million, according to a news release from Stonecrest Resorts. The real estate company was created to repurpose vacant real estate at the Mall at Stonecrest.

Vaughn Irons, principal for Stonecrest Resorts and developer for the project, said in a news release that the sale of the Sears building represents a “new era” for the mall and community.

“Our plan to redevelop the building into a destination tourism attraction is a much-needed asset for this community,” Irons said.

The project was made possible through the cooperation of the Stonecrest Urban Redevelopment Authority under the leadership of Stonecrest Councilwoman Jazzmin Cobble (District-3).

“The Mall at Stonecrest is our #1 economic driver in the city and once we reviewed the plans and confirmed the funding was there we wanted to work together to make the project happen,” she said in a news release. “This sale and the developer’s plans to establish Stonecrest as a regional destination is a very positive thing for this community.”

"We have believed for many years that Stonecrest was one of the very best locations in the country for SeaQuest, and are thrilled to be a part of the incredible vision for its future," said Vince Covino, CEO of SeaQuest.

SeaQuest was originally announced in 2017 as a part of the Atlanta Sports City project. Atlanta Sports Connection was the planned owner and operator of the sports complex and their inability to deliver on commitments derailed the project. Now restructured without Atlanta Sports Connection’s involvement, the remaining parties desired to move forward.

“It was important to me that we delivered on what we promised a few years ago," Irons said. "Despite the delays due to my kidney disease and COVID-19, we continued to plan our resurgence from the ashes of that project.”

“We learned a lot from the problems we experienced with Atlanta Sports Connection and those lessons allowed us to move forward successfully with this effort,” said Russell Platt, CEO of Forum Partners and an investor in the project. “We evaluated the revised strategy and believed reinvesting in this new effort was the perfect way to create a viable asset for the community and for investors.”

The first phase of a planned $12 million renovation of the former Sears building began quietly in April 2021 when Stonecrest Resorts won a competitive bid for the property through an RFP process led by Stonecrest Urban Redevelopment Authority.