The $40 million sphere that almost came to Midtown during the Atlanta Olympics

In the years running up to the 1996 Olympics, big dreamers pitched big ideas for Atlanta ranging from Maglev trains to a 720-foot-tall space needle tower with observation decks.

• Not all became a reality, but some are still worth revisiting and remembering.
• Take GeoNova, for example.

Details: Visioneering International, an Atlanta arts production company operated by husband and wife team Robert and Honora Foah, proposed a 135-foot sphere in the middle of Midtown wrapped with a giant projection screen displaying art, sporting events and performances.

• The interior called for three theaters focusing on local and regional culture and the environment.
• Plans also called for a children's museum, restaurant and a "New World Night Club" with a transparent dance floor at the top of the sphere.

Of note: GeoNova's proposed location in Midtown was never disclosed, though sites near 10th Street and 75/85 were reportedly considered.

Yes, but: In September 1995, Pepsi signed on to support the estimated $40 million project and secured the rights to advertise inside and show sponsorship messages outside the sphere.

• That deal — plus the sphere's proposed proximity to Coca-Cola's corporate headquarters — irked Coke and Olympics organizers hypersensitive to ambush marketing.
• Then-Mayor Bill Campbell promised to prohibit advertising on GeoNova's screen.

The bottom line: A month later, Robert Foah told the AJC that the company didn't expect the dome to be operational by the Olympics without more sponsors.

• And that's where the recorded history of the project ends.

What they're saying: The Foahs remain in Atlanta and continue producing works, including an opera series scheduled for an October debut in Rome.

• They politely declined Axios' interview request for this story.

💭 Thomas' thought bubble: Yes, the giant sphere under construction in Las Vegas is pretty cool. But Atlanta can say we had the idea first.