Beltline: 17 Miles of Beltline, and Poncey-Highland Preservation

Hey, Beltline neighbors! The Southside Trail connection is done, which means you can now walk or roll 17 continuous miles around the city, and Poncey-Highland residents are organizing to make sure the neighborhood on the other end of your stroll stays recognizable. Meanwhile, Krog District just announced YETI and Eggslut are on the way, City Council is voting on next year's budget Monday, and the Old Fourth Ward Arts Festival lands at Historic Fourth Ward Park this weekend.

- News — The Beltline's 17-mile loop is officially complete, Poncey-Highland residents are pushing for historic district status to hold off development pressure, and Atlanta's tax extension plan is heating up the Fulton Commission chair runoff.
- Business — Krog District is on a run: YETI opens June 18th, Eggslut is coming this fall, and the mixed-use hub keeps stacking tenants worth watching.
- Events — The Old Fourth Ward Spring Arts Festival takes over Historic Fourth Ward Park on Saturday, Cowboy Junkies celebrate 40 years at Variety Playhouse on Tuesday, and a Juneteenth block party, Pride bar crawl, and Father's Day brunch round out a genuinely packed week.
- Government — The full City Council votes Monday on the FY2027 budget and property tax rates, a new sidewalk safety ordinance is moving forward, and a Cabbagetown truck cut-through ban just cleared committee — plus a $7.85 million forest preservation land buy is headed to a full council vote.
- Construction — Foundation work is underway at 448 Moreland, a triplex gut reno is kicking up dust on N. Ave, GDOT's LED lighting crews are active in the I-75 tunnels, and Moreland Ave at Arkwright is being rebuilt as right-in/right-out — permanently changing how you navigate that intersection.

Let's dive in.

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NEWS

Poncey-Highland residents push for neighborhood to be designated historic site
Residents of Poncey-Highland are organizing to seek historic district designation, hoping to shield the neighborhood's architectural character from the development pressure bearing down on the Beltline corridor. It's a community-driven effort to draw a line in the sand before more of what makes the area worth living in gets replaced by something that doesn't.

The Atlanta Beltline now has nearly 17 miles of connected trails
A newly completed stretch of the Southside Trail just linked the Eastside and Westside trails into a single, continuous 17-mile loop, the kind of milestone Beltline believers have been waiting years to celebrate. If you haven't laced up recently, now is a very good time to fix that.

Atlanta's Municipal Market hosts weekly 'Made in ATL' activation
Sweet Auburn's beloved Municipal Market is rolling out a weekly showcase for local artisans, makers, and culinary talent under the "Made in ATL" banner. It's a smart move for a landmark building that deserves more foot traffic than it gets, and a good excuse to wander over if you haven't been lately.

How Cape Fear turned Atlanta into Savannah
Apple TV's new adaptation of Cape Fear needed Savannah's historic streetscapes and found them, in Inman Park. Residents of the neighborhood may get a jolt of recognition when the series drops, spotting their own blocks standing in for Georgia's coastal city.

World Cup Atlanta: Additional watch parties in metro Atlanta
Atlanta is deep in a historic summer of soccer, and the watch party options keep expanding across the metro. Whether you're looking for a rooftop, a bar, or a full-on community gathering, this roundup will help you find your spot.

Atlanta's tax extension plan becomes issue in Fulton Commission chair runoff
The race for Fulton County Commission chair just got more consequential — Atlanta's proposed tax extensions have moved to the center of the debate, with real implications for property owners and how the region funds infrastructure going forward. This is one to watch closely before you tune it out as inside baseball.

BUSINESS

The Krog District - opening - The mixed-use hub is rolling out a fresh wave of tenants this season, with a YETI store arriving June 18th and the cult-favorite breakfast spot Eggslut set to follow this fall — adding to recent arrivals Nando's and LikeMinds.

EVENTS | Presented by

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Monday, June 15
- Atlanta Run Club: Monday Night Runs | Ponce City Market
- Soccer Watch Party: Spain vs. Cape Verde | Buena Vida Tapas Bar
- Modern Alibi | Aisle 5

Tuesday, June 16
- BeltATL June Meet-Up: Eastside Beltline | Pour Taproom-Beltline
- Kevin James Thornton | City Winery Atlanta
- Cowboy Junkies - Celebrating 40 Years and Beyond | Variety Playhouse
- sewerperson | Aisle 5

Wednesday, June 17
- Spyro Gyra | City Winery Atlanta
- Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area Book Event | Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum
- Insert Laugh Here | Dad's Garage

Thursday, June 18
- Larry Griffith Band: Larry Griffith Trio@Two Urban Licks,6-10! | TWO urban licks
- The Cold Stares | Aisle 5

Friday, June 19
- Juneteenth Block Party at Marcus Bar & Grille | Marcus Bar & Grille
- 9th Annual Georgia Shorts Film Festival | 7 Stages Theatre
- O4W Juke Joint | Trade & Tempo

Saturday, June 20
- Old Fourth Ward Spring Arts Festival | Historic Fourth Ward Park
- Prepare CARE PACKAGE Kits for Families Recovering from Disasters | LikeMinds ATL (formerly BrewDog)
- Food & Street Art Tour on the Atlanta Beltline | 99 Krog St NE

Sunday, June 21
- Hops for Pops — A Father's Day Brunch | New Realm Brewing
- Barks & Bites: Beltline Doggie Crawl | Krog Street Market
- It's Giving Edgewood: O4W Pride Bar Crawl | BE On Edgewood
- Gutenberg! The Musical! - PRIDE Matinee | Dad's Garage
- Community Sessions: Trina Meade, Lee Johnson, and Leaf Halelujiah | 1083 Austin Ave NE

GOVERNMENT

Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.

Past Week Roundup

Atlanta City Council – Finance/Executive Committee

The committee's most consequential action was recommending approval of the city's Fiscal Year 2027 budget alongside the ad valorem tax rates that will fund everything from parks to the Atlanta BeltLine Special Service District — decisions that directly set what property owners pay and what services they receive next year. Equally significant, the committee unanimously advanced the Atlanta Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative (NRI) Trust Fund, a sweeping economic development framework that extends the life of select Tax Allocation Districts to channel money into affordable housing, small business preservation, and community stabilization. On annexations, the committee approved bringing several properties on Woodland Avenue NE into city limits — expanding the Atlanta Independent School System's boundaries — while holding two other annexation requests, including one connected to the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam, for further review. A proposed ordinance to establish consumer protections for parking garages, covering rate transparency, payment access, and dispute resolution, was forwarded to the full City Council without a formal recommendation. The committee also killed a proposed $2.28 million water tank services contract with Davis Water Service, Inc., voting to file it permanently, and approved a $30,000 donation split between the Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation and the Diaspora District.

Atlanta City Council – Transportation Committee

The committee approved a new ordinance requiring construction projects to provide safe, temporary pedestrian routes whenever sidewalk access is blocked — a direct quality-of-life win for walkers throughout the city. On traffic management, the committee banned commercial cut-through truck traffic in the historic Cabbagetown Landmark District and approved residential-only parking designations on Lakeview Avenue NE, both measures driven by residents seeking relief from outside traffic pressures. Street infrastructure got a major funding injection: the committee accepted a $6 million GDOT grant for local resurfacing and authorized a separate $3.27 million resurfacing contract, while Hartsfield-Jackson Airport received more than $310 million in combined construction management, Skytrain modernization, and program support funding. Two high-profile items were held in committee for further review — a $3.6 million grant-funded improvement project on Peachtree Street and a proposal to install dedicated bicycle and vehicle lanes along the Atlanta BeltLine — meaning residents eager to see those projects move forward will need to wait.

Atlanta City Council – Community Development/Human Services Committee

The committee's biggest ticket item was a unanimous vote to authorize the city's $7.85 million acquisition of nearly 30 acres on Randall Mill Road NW, permanently protecting the land as forested preserve through the Tree Trust Fund — one of the largest green space investments the city has made in recent memory. The committee also unanimously advanced the Atlanta Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative (NRI) Trust Fund, which extends Tax Allocation District sunset dates to direct funding toward affordable housing and equitable development, though Committee Member Michael Julian Bond voted against the measure and Chair Matt Westmoreland abstained. On blight, a resolution requesting a tax increase on the neglected commercial property at 1155 Peachtree Street NE was approved and referred jointly with the Public Safety committee, giving the city a financial tool to pressure property owners into remediation. Several land-use changes were approved — including a switch from industrial to high-density mixed-use for properties on Sylvan Road and Cox Avenue — while proposed short-term rental regulations, including a new permitting office and registry, were held in committee at the sponsor's request.

Atlanta City Council – City Utilities Committee

The committee approved a $822,567 contract change order and 280-day extension for RES CCE Greensferry, LLC to complete the Greensferry Stream and Floodplain Restoration project, keeping a key environmental remediation effort on track. A nine-month, up-to-$2 million extension for on-call diving services with Salmons Dredging Corporation was also approved, ensuring the city maintains underwater inspection and maintenance capacity for its water infrastructure through early 2027. A proposed ordinance adjusting solid waste taxes, assessments, and service fees — and clarifying who qualifies for backyard collection exemptions — was held in committee to allow for a future public hearing, giving residents the opportunity to weigh in before any rate changes are finalized. Separately, a proposal to restore green infrastructure incentives and stormwater retention requirements that were stripped from city code in 2020 was also held for further review, and a new ordinance to acquire 12 parcels for the Valley of the Hawks Constructed Wetlands Project received its first reading with no vote yet taken.

Atlanta City Council – Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee

The committee's headline action was a unanimous vote to approve a nearly $3.5 million contract amendment with Axon Enterprise, Inc., adding a counter-drone security system to the Atlanta Police Department's arsenal — giving officers the ability to detect, track, and neutralize unauthorized drones operating over the city. The committee also approved a $500,000 settlement in a pending Fulton County State Court lawsuit, and unanimously backed a resolution directing the Atlanta City Detention Center to explore reducing detention of low-level, non-violent misdemeanor offenders to address overcrowding and prioritize space for serious offenses. A blight tax increase on the neglected property at 1155 Peachtree Street NE was advanced in coordination with the Community Development committee, giving the city another enforcement lever against property owners allowing deterioration. Two significant local items were deferred to June 15: a proposed 180-day moratorium on new alcohol licenses in the Edgewood Corridor, and a proposal to retroactively lease space from the Israel Missionary Baptist Church for an APD Zone 6 precinct at $102,000 annually — both of which will return for further committee consideration.

Atlanta City Council – Zoning Committee

The committee's agenda was dominated by large-scale industrial-to-residential conversion proposals that signal continuing pressure on the city's remaining industrial land. A 12.5-acre industrial tract proposed for high-density mixed-use rezoning near the BeltLine and a contested 13.87-acre light industrial site on Sylvan Road — where city staff and the Zoning Review Board recommended denial despite neighborhood support — both received hearings, as did a sweeping set of Upper Westside properties along Logan Circle and Chattahoochee Avenue where developers are seeking to replace heavy industrial uses with mixed residential and commercial development. A city-wide text amendment to impose special use permits and buffer zone requirements for state-licensed medical cannabis dispensaries was also on the agenda, a proposal that would affect where dispensaries can legally operate relative to homes and schools. The committee also considered special use permits for a private club and an outdoor dining operation near residential areas, the kinds of land-use decisions that tend to generate strong neighborhood interest.

Fulton County Board of Commissioners – Special Called Meeting

Note: No minutes have been posted for this meeting; the following reflects what was scheduled on the agenda, and any item may have been tabled, deferred, or otherwise not taken up.

Commissioners convened a Special Called Meeting on June 9 focused entirely on one high-stakes issue: the county's Service Delivery Strategy (SDS), a state-mandated agreement that determines how Fulton County and its cities — including Atlanta — divide responsibility and funding for essential services like water, sewer, fire protection, police, and parks. These negotiations matter directly to property owners because the SDS is the mechanism designed to prevent residents from being double-taxed for the same service by both the county and their municipality. How the county resolves these arrangements shapes future tax distributions and can affect the level of service residents actually receive. This appears to have been a discussion session rather than a final vote, and no specific resolution language was included in the published agenda, so the outcome — and any concrete next steps — remains to be seen.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Committee on Council — June 15, 2026 at 11:30 AM
The committee is scheduled to consider a resolution requesting certified law enforcement officers be stationed at all city recreation centers used as polling places during major elections, alongside a proposed ordinance that would change how residents sign up for public comment at council meetings. Appointments to the BeltLine Tax Allocation District Advisory Committee, the Atlanta Citizen Review Board, and the city's Housing Commission are also on the agenda.

- Atlanta City Council — June 15, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The full council is scheduled to vote on adopting the Fiscal Year 2027 budget and setting property tax rates across general, debt, parks, and special district levies — including the Atlanta BeltLine TAD. Also on the agenda: a proposed ordinance to require mandatory pedestrian detours whenever sidewalks are blocked by construction, a $7.85 million acquisition of nearly 30 acres on Randall Mill Road NW for permanent forest preservation, and a proposed blight tax increase targeting a neglected property at 1155 Peachtree Street NE. Several rezonings will be heard, including a request to convert 13.87 acres near Sylvan Road and Cox Avenue from light industrial to mixed residential-commercial — a case where city planning staff and the Zoning Review Board have recommended denial while the local NPU has recommended approval — and a proposal to rezone 1200 White Street SW from industrial mixed-use to high-density mixed residential-commercial near the BeltLine.

- Fulton County Board of Commissioners — June 17, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Commissioners are scheduled to vote on a nearly $8.96 million contract for election staffing through the end of 2026, a grant to convert 66 market-rate Downtown Atlanta apartments into affordable units, and construction funding for a new 20-unit affordable housing development in English Avenue. Also on the agenda are site preparation funds for the Andrew Young International Institute for Peace and Reconciliation in Vine City, a preservation grant for the historic George Towns and Grace Towns Hamilton Homes, and a $1.775 million cybersecurity contract to upgrade the county's firewall systems. Public Works is also scheduled to present a progress update on the countywide rollout of smart water meters.

CONSTRUCTION

Permits

Permits
- 448 Moreland Ave NE — Foundation stabilization underway at this commercial property, with piers being driven down to load-bearing strata to address settling. Foundation work at a corner this active is worth watching — it's the kind of fix that precedes bigger things.
- 825 N Ave NE — A triplex is getting a full gut renovation across all three floors: new flooring, cabinets, tile, bathrooms, and wall removals. Expect noise and contractor traffic in the stretch between Freedom Parkway and the Beltline corridor.
- 26 Hilliard St NE — New plumbing roughed in for a multifamily apartment building. Early-stage infrastructure work that suggests units are coming online soon.
- 477 Wilmer St NE — A commercial pool is being replastered, retiled, and reinforced with foam piers — Health Department approved. Likely a fitness or hospitality facility getting its amenity back in shape for summer.
- 731 Highland Ave NE — Conduit being run through an existing cell tower easement. Routine infrastructure, but signals ongoing densification of wireless coverage along the Highland corridor.
- 616 Linwood Ave NE — A multifamily structure is completing its trim-out phase, meaning finished units aren't far off.
- 639 Glen Iris Dr NE — Tenant space remodel with new lighting and power, suggesting a new occupant is fitting out near the Beltline's Glen Iris stretch.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-75 Tunnel Lighting Upgrades (Fulton County) — GDOT is swapping out aging high-pressure sodium tunnel lighting for LED fixtures at the Ralph McGill Blvd and Baker Street tunnels along I-75. Expect intermittent lane restrictions near these underpasses — less than a mile from the neighborhood.
- I-75 Corridor Lighting (Fulton County) — The LED lighting upgrade extends along I-75 from I-85 all the way to Memorial Drive, meaning the full stretch skirting the west edge of Old Fourth Ward and Sweet Auburn is an active work zone. Pole and conduit replacements are part of the scope, so night work and lane shifts are likely.
- I-75/I-85 Resurfacing (Fulton County) — The Downtown Connector between the CSX rail crossing and the Brookwood Interchange is being resurfaced — its first refresh since 2016. If you're merging onto the Connector from the Beltline area, budget extra time for lane reductions.
- SR 8 Resurfacing (Fulton County) — SR 8 (Ponce de Leon Ave/DeKalb Ave corridor) is getting a long-overdue resurfacing pass to address a low pavement condition score. This one runs close to home — expect rough transitions and flagging operations near the Poncey-Highland and O4W edges.
- SR 154 Pedestrian Crossing Improvements (DeKalb & Fulton) — Work is underway on SR 154 (Memorial Drive) to add a mid-block pedestrian crossing plus Right-In/Right-Out and Restricted Crossing U-Turn configurations between Hill Street and Pearl Street. A multi-county project that touches the southern fringe of the Beltline area — watch for changed traffic patterns if you're cutting through that stretch.
- SR 42/Moreland Ave at Arkwright Place — Intersection Conversion (Fulton County) — The Moreland Avenue and Arkwright Place intersection is being rebuilt as a right-in/right-out only, with a new raised median eliminating left turns. If Moreland is part of your routine, start practicing your U-turns — this one will change how you navigate that node for good.

Pre-Construction

- I-75/I-85 The Stitch – Phase I (Fulton County) — The long-anticipated cap over the Downtown Connector is in the construction work program as a pedestrian bridge project. Phase I would begin reconnecting the street grid severed by the interstate decades ago — a big deal for walkability between Midtown and Downtown.
- CS 3695 / Peachtree St from Ellis St to Baker St (Fulton County) — Tied directly to The Stitch, this companion project focuses on the surface streets above the cap, building out pedestrian-oriented, multimodal infrastructure to make the reconnection actually usable once the bridge work happens.
- SR 10 from I-75 to Ponce de Leon Ave (Fulton County) — Resurfacing work is funded and queued up along this 0.2-mile stretch. Expect lane disruptions when it eventually kicks off — this is a busy connector for anyone moving between the connector and Ponce.
- SR 8 / Ponce de Leon Ave at SR 42 (DeKalb & Fulton counties) — An operational improvement that would extend the westbound left-turn lane to 160 feet of storage and add a westbound right-turn lane with 100 feet of storage at the Ponce/SR 42 intersection. If you've ever sat through multiple light cycles here, this one's for you.
- I-75 Bridge Preservation at 4 Fulton County Locations — Maintenance work on bridges along I-75, including polymer overlay, repainting, joint replacement, and header repairs. Boring but necessary — and likely to mean overnight or weekend lane closures when construction begins.

Service Requests

Potholes — Ten reports cluster along N. Highland Ave. NE (3), Highland Ave. NE (2), Blue Ridge Ave. NE, Blvd. Pl. NE, McGill Park Ave. NE & Central Park Pl., and two additional locations — most are in progress, with one flagged as a duplicate and another deemed the property owner's responsibility.

Traffic Signal Issues — Two non-emergency signal repair requests filed at DeGress Ave. & DeKalb Ave. and Ponce de Leon Ave. & Barnett St.

ROW Litter Removal — Cleanup requests logged along Moreland and E. Springs Rd. NE.

Overgrowth/Visibility — A sight-line obstruction at Blvd. & Englewood Ave. has already been resolved.