http://www.wlwt.com/article/newport-aquarium-hints-at-largest-addition-in-10-years/8602987

I'm bummed to see the otters go but am anxious to see what the new exhibit will be.

That marketing is similar to how Kings Island has marketing Mystic and Banshee; that is, sending items in to media outlets hinting at what could be in the works.

(Truck for Mystic; Silver Hair Comb for Banshee)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So it appears the new exhibit will be themed to Disney's Moana

Maybe they are taking over the seemingly unused buildings south of the main entrance and this is a huge expansion for them

The new exhibit is a stingray exhibit.  It will open in May.

http://www.rcnky.com/articles/2017/01/23/stingray-exhibit-coming-newport-aquarium

Those unused buildings to the south of the Aquarium are from the former IMAX theater that was there but didn't last long.

The existing theatre offers 1 or 2 IMAX screens though, does it not?

The current theater has one IMAX screen, but it's IMAX digital and not full-size 70mm IMAX (see http://www.slashfilm.com/qa-imax-theatre-real-imax-liemax for an explanation of the difference). I don't remember how many screens were in the old theater building, but its screens were true IMAX screens - 76 feet tall (I saw The Lion King in IMAX there before the theater closed, and it was quite an experience).

Note though that the IMAX building is owned by Newport on the Levee, while Herschend (or whoever owns the aquarium) owns the land and building for the aquarium.