SeaWorld breaks ground for new company headquarters in Orange County

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment broke ground for its new headquarters on Sea Harbor Drive. The 40,725-square-foot building will be used for corporate and park employees. 

"To many of us today is a celebration of a new beginning, prefaced by a proud heritage and a renewed focus on our mission," interim SeaWorld CEO John Reilly said. 

While Reilly was excited for the future regarding SeaWorld's new headquarters, the company was less interested in talking about its past. A spokesperson declined to have Reilly or anyone else speak on-camera and answer questions at the event. 

It has been a busy week for the SeaWorld. The company was previously the subject of a criminal investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice, looking into whether former executives committed fraud by misleading investors over the impact on attendance of the documentary "Blackfish." 

On Wednesday, SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. announced it was notified that the Justice Department has ended its probe.

However, SeaWorld is also scheduled to go to trial in July after a group of shareholders filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, that alleges "Blackfish" cost them millions of dollars in losses. 

The park also recently made headlines for a new $11 an hour minimum wage for all three of the companies' Orlando parks -- a $1 increase from its previous starting hourly pay.

The new building is projected to open next fall.