Progress is underway on the new Georgia Aquarium and the new World of Coca-Cola in downtown Atlanta, USA.
Home Depot founder, Bernie Marcus and Coca-Cola CEO, Doug Daft, were among those present at the official ground-breaking ceremony on 29 May. It marks the start of the first phase in the development of a 20-acre site, just north of Centennial Olympic Park.
According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, Marcus is giving the $200m to build the Georgia Aquarium, which will be run by a non-profit board.
The 400,000sq ft aquarium offers an education wing, a food court and a meeting space to host 14,000 people. Its centrepiece will be a five-million gallon tank with 50,000 creatures.
The aquarium will be designed to look like an ocean liner and is due to open in 2005, next to the new World of Coca-Cola.
Jerde Partnership is masterplanning the overall site. The Coca-Cola Co. has donated nine acres to The Georgia Aquarium Inc, an organisation established by The Marcus Foundation to operate the aquarium.
