Beltline: The Beltline Rail Fight Just Got a Lot More Complicated

Hey, Beltline neighbors! The transit fight you've been watching just escalated significantly, with residents packing a public hearing to push back on a proposal that would trade light rail for bike lanes, and now one of Atlanta's most powerful executives has weighed in on the other side. Meanwhile, a neighborhood institution quietly served its last Blizzard, a rooftop restaurant is taking shape in Sweet Auburn, and your commute is about to get more complicated in a few different directions. Read on for everything worth knowing this week.

- News — The Beltline rail-vs.-bike-lanes showdown drew fierce pushback at a public hearing, the Cox Enterprises CEO called light rail "antiquated," Mayor Dickens is rethinking how TADs fund anti-displacement work, and we check in with Beltline Kevin — the singing rollerblader who's become the trail's most beloved fixture.
- Business — The Dairy Queen on North Avenue has closed after nearly 60 years in Old Fourth Ward, while tech firm Northspyre is moving into 6,500 square feet at Ponce City Market.
- Events — A packed week runs from Beauty and the Beast at the Fox to a wine-vs.-beer dinner battle at Tio Lucho's, a Food and Street Art Tour on the Beltline, and the Atlanta Fringe Festival filling multiple stages through the weekend.
- Government — A proposal to hand 0.71 acres of Gilmer Street to Georgia State University is up at NPU-M, city committees are weighing $15 million in trail investments and a ban on new self-storage in the Beltline Overlay District, and FIFA World Cup prep is reshaping Downtown permit rules starting June 11.
- Construction — A rooftop restaurant permit landed in Sweet Auburn, Lululemon is popping up at Ponce City Market, GDOT is rewiring the I-75 tunnels with LED lighting, and storm damage left 11 emergency traffic signal outages across the neighborhood — most now resolved.

Let's dive in.

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Public outcry stalls proposal to replace Beltline light rail with bike, scooter lanes
Residents showed up — and showed out. At least 25 speakers pushed back hard against Councilmember Mary Norwood's proposal to swap the Beltline's long-promised light rail for additional bike and scooter lanes, throwing a wrench into what some had hoped would be a quiet pivot. For anyone living along the Ponce City Market to Krog Street corridor, the outcome of this fight will define how — or whether — this stretch of the city ever gets serious transit relief.

Cox CEO blasts Beltline rail as 'pollutive, antiquated' concept
Now the opposition has a corner office. The head of Cox Enterprises has publicly derided the Eastside Trail light rail project as pollutive and outdated, lending serious institutional muscle to those who want to kill it. Whether you agree with him or not, when one of Atlanta's most powerful media and business empires weighs in on a neighborhood transit fight, Inman Park and Old Fourth Ward residents would be wise to pay attention.

Atlanta flooding puts city drainage systems under scrutiny
Flash floods recently turned city streets into impromptu rivers — trapping cars and, in a very 2026 twist, Waymo autonomous vehicles — and now officials are being forced to ask uncomfortable questions about Atlanta's drainage infrastructure. For residents of areas where low-lying streets can turn treacherous fast, the scrutiny is long overdue and the answers can't come soon enough.

Dickens pitches pared-back TAD extensions to fund $5.5B neighborhood plan
Mayor Andre Dickens wants to reshape how Atlanta pays for its future, proposing to pull the Beltline out of certain Tax Allocation District extensions and redirect the focus toward anti-displacement and accountability. It's a significant policy recalibration that could ripple through how affordable housing and infrastructure get financed in Sweet Auburn, Old Fourth Ward, and beyond — and the details are worth reading carefully.

Following up with Beltline Kevin, the accidental celebrity of the Eastside Trail
If you've spent any time on the Eastside Trail, you've probably seen him — Kevin Randolph, the singing rollerblader who has quietly become one of the Beltline's most beloved fixtures. Atlanta Magazine caught up with him for a full profile, and it's a welcome reminder that amid all the transit fights and flood damage and policy debates, the trail still generates its own irreplaceable culture.

BUSINESS

Dairy Queen (Old Fourth Ward) - closing - The walk-up window on North Avenue has served its last Blizzard: the decades-old location near Ponce City Market has officially shut down after nearly 60 years in the neighborhood, taking a little piece of Old Fourth Ward history with it.

Northspyre - opening - The tech-focused development management platform has signed on for 6,571 square feet at Ponce City Market, planting its Atlanta hub in a building that's become a reliable magnet for exactly this kind of company.

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Tuesday, May 26
- Beauty And The Beast (Touring) | Fox Theatre - Atlanta

Wednesday, May 27
- Divas of the Decades | City Winery Atlanta
- Maestro | Dad's Garage
- DEATH ANGEL - ACT III Tour | The Masquerade

Thursday, May 28
- Tio Lucho's Serves Up a Wine vs. Beer Dinner Battle with A Cork in the Road | Tio Lucho's
- Sounds of Blackness | City Winery Atlanta
- Larry Griffith Band: Blues and beyond with Larry Griffith Trio,@Two Urban Licks-6-10! | TWO urban licks
- The Rare Occasions | The Masquerade
- Ryn: Robin of the Sun | 7 Stages Theatre
- The Reel Report: Live & Unfunded | The Supermarket
- The Allison Wonders Show at Atlanta Fringe Festival | The Supermarket
- Babylon Is An Action Verb | The Supermarket

Friday, May 29
- Chef & Winemaker Dinner | City Winery
- Doughboys | City Winery Atlanta
- Sho Baraka: The Good Culture Show | Blueprint Church Old Fourth Ward Campus
- Book Baddies! The Cute Connect Silent Party for BRBF weekend | Handlebar ATL
- In The End - The Linkin Park Experience | The Masquerade
- Wage War - It Calls Me By Name Tour | The Masquerade

Saturday, May 30
- Food & Street Art Tour on the Atlanta Beltline | 99 Krog St NE
- Blooms Art Class: Chrysanthemums | Ponce City Market
- Zainab Johnson | City Winery Atlanta
- TheatreSports | Dad's Garage
- Poe, Through the Tales Darkly - Atlanta Fringe | 7 Stages Mainstage
- MAGA Pop Girly! A Musical Satire | The Supermarket
- That Haint Right: Appalachian Ghost Stories | Dynamic El Dorado
- Lt. Love Dr.'s Boot Camp for Lonely People like You | 7 Stages Theatre
- Audacity's 7th Anniversary Community Market | Little Five Points Community Center
- RUM & JERK ON THE ROOFTOP | #1 CARIBBEAN SATURDAY NIGHT | Cafe Circa Atlanta
- Electric Feels | 18+ | The Masquerade

Sunday, May 31
- Buckethead | Variety Playhouse
- The Kitty Kat Ball 2026 | 18+ | The Masquerade
- Christian Johnson | City Winery Atlanta

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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

During the May 18 full council meeting, members approved a feasibility study to explore privatizing security at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and authorized a street abandonment to support Georgia State University's campus expansion. The council also greenlit new affordable housing developments and passed a resolution to make city summer camps free for students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. While these actions were finalized, the council opted to defer critical votes on the 2027 city budget and property tax rates, allowing more time for public input. Meanwhile, the Community Development Committee reviewed proposals to transform West Midtown industrial sites into high-density mixed-use hubs and considered adding dedicated lanes for bikes and scooters to the Beltline. Finally, the Committee on Council moved to dissolve several inactive city boards but held a decision on whether to station law enforcement officers at all recreation center polling places. Note that for items appearing only on committee agendas without minutes, such as the Beltline lane proposal, final outcomes have not yet been confirmed.

NPU-M

NPU-M's May 25 meeting — for which only the agenda has been posted, so any items may be tabled, deferred, or withdrawn — is scheduled to take up a significant proposal to transfer roughly 0.71 acres of Gilmer Street SE to the Board of Regents for Georgia State University, a move that would convert a public right-of-way into campus property and likely restrict vehicle access on that block. The agenda also includes a wave of new hospitality applications, most notably WonTown Food Hall near Centennial Olympic Park seeking a liquor license, and Whiplash Comedy proposing a new open-air cafe on North Avenue — neighbors may want to weigh in on the latter given questions around outdoor hours and noise. Two variance requests for 8-foot fences — exceeding the city's standard 5-foot limit — are up for review as well, the kind of item that often draws comment from nearby residents concerned about neighborhood character. Finally, the board is scheduled to consider a packed slate of eight summer events, including the Summer Halal Festival at Fourth Ward Park, a Soapbox Derby on Rankin Street, and a month-long Global Village installation at Underground Atlanta — all of which will bring crowds, parking pressure, and street closures to the area in the months ahead.

Fulton County Board of Commissioners

At its May 20 meeting, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners approved more than $5.3 million in grants to nonprofits through the 2026 Community Services Program, which funds social services across the county — a significant investment that touches everything from housing assistance to health programs. In a notable policy move, commissioners voted 5-0 to ask the Fulton County Sheriff to use existing authority to decline bookings for certain misdemeanor offenses, a direct response to ongoing jail overcrowding that the board framed as a way to prioritize space for more serious offenders. The board also voted 4-0 to authorize a legal challenge to Georgia House Bill 369, which would require nonpartisan elections for county officers and district attorneys in several metro counties starting in 2028 — a fight that puts Fulton in direct conflict with the state legislature over how its own elections are run. Rounding out the meeting, commissioners approved a resolution to help independent small businesses in South Downtown benefit from the 2026 FIFA World Cup's economic activity, along with a $160,000 drug and alcohol testing contract for the Police Department and Sheriff's Office and a $54,350 agreement with GDOT to relocate sewer lines to improve turn lanes on Fulton Industrial Boulevard.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Atlanta City Council
- 520 Daniel St SE — The city approved a Special Use Permit to allow for an outdoor sales and dining area at this local establishment.

NPU-M
- Sweet Auburn Bottle Shop (312 Auburn Ave SW) — A request to change the named agent on the business's existing beer, wine, and liquor licenses is scheduled to be heard at the May 25 meeting.
- Whiplash Comedy (650 N Ave NE) — A new open-air cafe and comedy venue is proposed for this address; neighbors may want to weigh in on hours and potential noise given the outdoor format.
- Cool Dads Rock Soapbox Derby (664 Rankin St) — The 12th Annual Soapbox Derby is on the agenda for approval as a permitted street event on August 1.
- Sip & Drool Dog Festival (680 Dallas St NE) — A dog-friendly outdoor festival is scheduled to be heard for approval for a July 26 event at this location.
- Historic Fourth Ward Park/Skatepark (830 Willoughby Way NE) — Two summer events — the Shop Black Fest (June 13) and the Summer Halal Festival (July 11–12) — are on the agenda for approval at this park.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee — Tuesday, May 26 at 10:00 AM
The committee will take up several items with direct household impact, including a proposal to adjust solid waste service fees, new criteria for mandatory sewer connections, and an $8.5 million transfer for citywide road resurfacing. Also on the agenda: a $20 million funding move for sanitary sewer repairs and a $4.1 million renewal for the city's watershed billing software.

- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee — Tuesday, May 26 at 11:00 AM

- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee — Monday, May 26 at 1:00 PM
The committee is scheduled to consider a new compensation plan for Atlanta Fire Rescue, a temporary open-container exemption for the FIFA World Cup (June 11–July 19), and a resolution directing APD to rely on lab testing rather than field drug tests before making arrests. A proposed 180-day moratorium on new alcohol licenses in the Edgewood Corridor remains held in committee.

- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee — Tuesday, May 26 at 1:30 PM
A wide-ranging agenda includes a proposal to create a new Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative trust fund tied to extended Tax Allocation Districts, a $7.85 million acquisition of nearly 30 acres of forested land on Randall Mill Road, and a $1.05 million Beltline parks maintenance contract renewal. Final votes are also scheduled on rezoning multiple properties along Logan Circle and Chattahoochee Avenue from industrial to high-density mixed use, and $735,000 in federal funds for affordable housing at the Sweet Auburn Grande development is up for consideration.

- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee — Tuesday, May 26 at 3:00 PM
The committee will consider a $3.5 million contract amendment to provide APD with body cameras and a counter-drone detection system, plus a $537,035 command vehicle to manage drone threats. Also on the agenda: a proposed lease for a new Zone 6 Police Precinct at 2025 Hosea Williams Drive SE and a funding transfer to support youth-focused violence reduction programs.

- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee — Wednesday, May 27 at 10:00 AM
More than $15 million in trail and pedestrian investments are scheduled for consideration, including an $8 million agreement for the PATH Westside Connector and a funding increase bringing the PATH 400 Trail budget to $7.74 million. The committee will also take up a $6 million GDOT street resurfacing grant, a $3.6 million Peachtree Street safety project, and a resolution requesting dedicated bike and vehicle lanes along the Atlanta Beltline.

- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee — Wednesday, May 27 at 11:00 AM
A proposed ordinance to ban new self-storage facilities within the BeltLine Overlay District is scheduled to be heard. The committee will also consider a wave of duplex rezonings in NPU-J (Mildred Place, Emily Place, and South Evelyn Place), a large-scale rezoning of the Chattahoochee Avenue industrial corridor to mixed-use, and new Special Use Permit requirements for medical cannabis dispensaries.

- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee — Wednesday, May 27 at 1:30 PM
Atlanta's FIFA World Cup preparations take center stage, with a proposal to ratify an executive order lifting outdoor event permit restrictions Downtown from June 11 to July 19. The committee will also consider the FY2027 property tax rates for city residents and Atlanta Public Schools, a utility easement at Fire Station 26 to advance the Howell Mill Road Complete Street project, and legislation creating a citywide food distribution trust fund.

- Atlanta NPU — NPU-N — Thursday, May 28 at 7:00 PM (Virtual)

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Permits

- 487 Edgewood Ave SE — A business space in Sweet Auburn is converting into a restaurant with a rooftop. No dollar figure filed yet, but a rooftop build-out is no small undertaking — worth watching for a future opening announcement.
- 675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE — Lululemon is setting up a temporary retail location at Ponce City Market (Unit S102A). Low-voltage tenant improvement permit issued, so the pop-up is moving fast.
- 676 N Highland Ave NE — A facial studio is taking shape on North Highland, with interior conversion work under review. New door, new fixtures — a quiet but steady sign that the corridor keeps filling in.
- 331 Elizabeth St NE — An existing tenant is expanding, consolidating two adjacent suites in a two-story brick building. Interior build-out permitted. Someone's growing into more space.
- 650 N Ave NE — Significant electrical work underway: roughly 200 light fixtures, 65 receptacles, and two 150-amp panels going in. The scale suggests a larger commercial fit-out in progress.
- 49 Blvd SE — Two separate electrical permits issued for amenity space and office/leasing renovations at the same address. Building upgrades happening floor by floor.
- 405 N Angier Ave NE — Commercial HVAC permit issued for gas lines to a cookline and water heaters. A kitchen getting gassed up usually means a food operation is close to opening.

Seven arborist permits for dead, dying, or hazardous trees were also filed across the neighborhood — routine but a reminder that the summer storm season has property owners paying attention to their canopy.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-75 Tunnel Lighting Upgrades (Fulton County) — GDOT is swapping out the old high-pressure sodium lighting inside the I-75 tunnels at Ralph McGill Blvd and Baker Street for new LED fixtures. Work also covers conduit and wiring repairs as needed. Expect intermittent lane impacts near those underpasses.
- I-75 Corridor Lighting (Fulton County) — The LED upgrade extends along I-75 from the I-85 interchange down to Memorial Drive, covering poles, conduit, and wiring along the stretch. If you're jumping on 75/85 from the east side, budget extra time during active work windows.
- I-75/I-85 Resurfacing (Fulton County) — The connector between the CSX crossing and the Brookwood interchange is getting a fresh layer of asphalt — it's been since 2016. Expect lane closures along this heavily traveled stretch.
- SR 8 Resurfacing (Fulton County) — SR 8 (Ponce de Leon Ave) is being resurfaced from SR 3 to SR 42, targeting a roadway that's been flagging on condition scores. This one runs right through the heart of Poncey-Highland and O4W, so heads up if that's your daily route.
- SR 154 Pedestrian Improvements (DeKalb & Fulton Counties) — Work along SR 154 (Memorial Drive) near Hill and Pearl Streets includes a new mid-block pedestrian crossing, a right-in/right-out configuration, and a restricted crossing U-turn. Good news for walkers long-term; watch for shifting traffic patterns now.

Pre-Construction

- SR 10 Resurfacing (Fulton County) — Pavement work on SR 10 between I-75 and Ponce de Leon Ave is funded and in the pipeline. Just 0.2 miles from the Beltline area, this one hits close to home for anyone commuting along that stretch.
- I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector Study (Fulton County) — A scoping study covering a one-mile section of the Connector between Baker/Highland and Decatur Street. No shovels yet, but GDOT is laying the groundwork for a future project on one of Atlanta's most congested corridors.
- SR 42/US 23 Lane Narrowing Study (DeKalb County) — A scoping project between DeKalb Ave and Austin Ave in the City of Atlanta proposes narrowing travel lanes from 11.5 feet to 10 feet — a road-diet-style move that could reshape traffic flow near the eastern edge of the Beltline area.
- I-75/I-85 Capping — The Stitch, Phase I (Fulton County) — The long-anticipated Stitch project is funded and in pre-construction. This pedestrian bridge cap over the Downtown Connector is a generational infrastructure investment that will eventually reconnect neighborhoods severed by the interstate.
- SR 8/Ponce de Leon Place Median Work (Fulton County) — Median improvements on SR 8 between Peachtree Street and Ponce de Leon Place are in the queue. Expect some changes to the streetscape along this well-traveled corridor.
- Peachtree Street Streetscape, Ellis St to Baker St — The Stitch LCI (Fulton County) — A companion project to The Stitch, this one focuses on pedestrian-oriented, multimodal street improvements along Peachtree between Ellis and Baker, rebuilding the local street grid with enhanced pedestrian infrastructure.
- SR 8/US 23 at SR 42 Intersection Improvements (DeKalb & Fulton Counties) — Turn lane extensions and additions at the Ponce de Leon Ave/SR 42 intersection are funded and pending construction. The planned work adds 160 feet of westbound left-turn storage and a new westbound right-turn lane — changes that could meaningfully ease backups at this busy crossroads straddling the county line.
- I-75 Bridge Preservation — 4 Locations (Fulton County) — Maintenance work at four I-75 bridge locations in Fulton County includes polymer overlay, superstructure painting, joint replacement, and header repairs. Expect lane restrictions when this one kicks off.

Service Requests

Most of this week's activity stems from the storms that pushed through the area. Traffic signal issues dominated the queue, with 14 non-emergency repairs requested at intersections including Glen Iris Dr & North Ave (twice), Edgewood Ave & Randolph St, and Ponce de Leon Ave & Charles Allen Dr, among others — and 11 emergency-level signal outages reported at Highland Ave & Central Park Pl (three separate reports), Charles Allen Dr & Ponce de Leon Ave (twice), Freedom Pkwy & North Ave, and several other locations. Most of the emergency calls have already been resolved. Downed trees were reported at nine locations, including Central Park Pl NE, Highland Ave NE, Edgewood Ave SE, and the intersection of Ponce de Leon Ave and John Lewis Freedom Pkwy, with several still being cleared. Overgrowth blocking sightlines was flagged at Randolph St NE and the Ponce de Leon/Freedom Pkwy interchange, both marked resolved. Rounding out the week: a pothole at Boulevard & Auburn Ave, a sign in need of repair or replacement on DeKalb Ave NE, and graffiti reported in the right of way on McGill Pl NE.