Atlanta's original World of Coca-Cola building is currently being demolished by Georgia's state government to make way for a parking lot near the state capitol. The three-story museum, which opened in 1990, was once a popular indoor attraction but has been vacant since Coca-Cola moved out in 2007. The state purchased the building from Coca-Cola in 2005 for $1 million.
Visitors have since flocked to the newer and larger Coca-Cola Co. museum located in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, which has become a hub for tourism in the city. The park is surrounded by various attractions, including the Georgia Aquarium, the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, State Farm Arena, and the Georgia World Congress Center convention hall.
The decision to demolish the original World of Coca-Cola building was made to address the need for additional parking space around Capitol Hill. The existing surface parking for the Georgia Capitol complex is being utilized for a construction staging area to build a new legislative office building. The demolition of the old building will create new parking adjacent to a state-owned event space housed in a former railroad freight depot.
The state government allocated $392 million this year to construct a new eight-story legislative office building and renovate the historic 1889 Capitol building. The demolition of the original World of Coca-Cola building is estimated to cost just under $1.3 million and is scheduled to be completed by August 1.
