A nonprofit group has a futuristic vision for a first-of-its-kind museum in the heart of Atlanta.
The team behind a proposed $100 million museum focused on innovation and ingenuity called “FutureVerse” has scouted sites near downtown’s mix of entertainment attractions. The group has yet to raise the needed funds and no site has been selected, but its boosters say it would feature immersive digital experiences on topics ranging from health care, transportation sustainability and entertainment.
“With the great things that Georgia stands for and with our wonderful universities, it would be great to have a national asset, FutureVerse, based here in Atlanta,” said the project’s lead booster, David Wynett.
Leaders at Emory Healthcare, Morehouse School of Medicine, Georgia State University, Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia are serving in advisory roles for the initiative. Wynett, an Atlanta native and innovation consultant who previously worked for Delta Air Lines and other Fortune 500 companies, said the effort has raised $250,000 to date. He aims to eclipse $1 million in funding before trying to finalize a project site.
Credit: Cooper Carry
Credit: Cooper Carry
FutureVerse’s plans were first reported by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
Credit: Cooper Carry
Credit: Cooper Carry
Museums are often difficult to finance and build. Atlanta has tried for years to attract a Grammy museum and a proposal for a national health and medical science museum downtown years ago hasn’t panned out.
Wynett said his team commissioned a feasibility study from Cincinnati-based International Theme Park Services (ITPS), which estimated FutureVerse would attract 1.2 million annual visitors. That’s roughly in line with number of people who visit the World of Coca-Cola each year.
Wynett said consultants evaluated three potential downtown locations: Centennial Yards, the former World of Coca-Cola site at 55 MLK Jr. Dr. and a site near the Georgia World Congress Center.
Wynett said his preferred location is Centennial Yards, the $5 billion redevelopment of downtown parking lots and rail lines known as The Gulch. Centennial Yards leadership confirmed to the AJC that they’ve met once with the FutureVerse team.
“We know that we need to obviously raise the capital that’s required to kind of get us there,” Wynett said.
Cushman & Wakefield was tapped to help with FutureVerse’s real estate needs, and Atlanta-based Cooper Carry is handling the project’s design. Wynett said his team is targeting 2028 as an opening date.
Credit: Cooper Carry
Credit: Cooper Carry
Editor’s note: The story has been updated to clarify the potential museum sites evaluated in the feasibility study.
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