McMahon unveils Harborview Aquarium animals, names new executive director

Sea dragons, piranhas and sea nettles are among the first creatures County Executive Ryan McMahon put in front of the public as he unveiled new Harborview Aquarium animals and named Jonathan Nevitt as the Syracuse facility’s executive director. The reveal offered the clearest sign yet of what Onondaga County is trying to build at the Inner Harbor: a tourism stop, an education site and a new draw for downtown foot traffic.

McMahon said the aquarium is still on track for a summer 2026 opening and has previously said it was pacing toward an August debut. County officials said in March that Harborview Aquarium was about 66% complete. McMahon has also said the facility is expected to hire 50 to 100 employees, which would make the project a meaningful new employer in a part of the city where event traffic, waterfront visitors and school groups already shape the daily rhythm of nearby businesses.

The aquarium is expected to house more than 250 species, with earlier announcements including garden eels, red lionfish, piranhas, sea nettles and sea dragons. Those animals are central to how county leaders are pitching the project, not just as a construction milestone but as a public attraction that can pull families, field trips and repeat visits to Syracuse’s Inner Harbor once the doors open.

Nevitt arrives with aquarium operating experience already on his résumé. He previously managed one of ZoOceanarium’s other aquariums, the St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station, giving county leaders a familiar face to point to as the project moves from construction to launch planning. His hiring also suggests the county is shifting from fundraising and design work to the harder test of opening day logistics, staffing and animal acquisition.

The project’s finances remain a political flashpoint. Its cost has climbed from an initial $85 million public commitment to $103.8 million, with county officials saying 42 donors helped reach that total and 41 of them were anonymous. A county-controlled entity also transferred $5.7 million to the project. In December 2025, the Onondaga County Civic Development Corporation approved a $1 million grant to help Friends of Onondaga County Aquarium begin buying animals before opening, and grant paperwork put startup operations at about $4.2 million in 2026.

The aquarium was officially renamed Harborview Aquarium in April 2026 after county officials selected the name from a list that included suggestions submitted by two school-age sisters. Even with the rebrand and the new executive director in place, the project still faces scrutiny from county Democrats, who have pushed legislation requiring legislative approval for donations over $10,000, and from Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, which accused county leadership of pressuring it to redirect $1 million to the aquarium.