Brookhaven / Chamblee: School Fights and a $375k "Oops" Check

Good morning, Brookhaven and Chamblee! The Cherry Blossom Festival is just two weeks away now, though Ashford Park parents are currently more focused on saving their school than scouting festival outfits. We’ve also got the scoop on a $375k "oops" check and a replacement for that vacant Publix on Shallowford.

- Big Stories — From Oscar-nominated Bulldogs to a $1.1 million paving sprint, here’s everything making waves in our area this week.
- Local Business Updates — Say goodbye to your Publix-sized void and hello to a massive international market.
- Upcoming Events — Whether you’re running a pink 5K or sipping rooftop tacos for St. Paddy’s, your social calendar is officially booked.
- Local Government Discussion — We’re talking "fancy" apartment demands, microblading glow-ups, and $21 million worth of very important sewer pipes.
- Development & Construction Nearby — Between Buford Highway’s long-overdue facelift and new townhouses popping up like daisies, the orange cones are out in full force.

Let's dive in.

BIG STORIES

DeKalb County school closures: Ashford Park Elementary parents fight proposal (March 10, 2026) Parents in Ashford Park are officially in "not on our watch" mode regarding the potential closure of their local elementary school. They’re making their voices heard loud and clear before the district drops its next round of closure scenarios on March 20—so maybe don't pack up those backpacks just yet.

Brookhaven to receive $375K settlement over faulty pavilion (March 10, 2026) The city just won a $375,000 "oops" check after the Murphey Candler Park pavilion project went sideways due to some major design and construction blunders. It’s a nice win for the city’s bank account, though most of us are probably just ready to have a finished place to sit that doesn't involve a legal battle.

Applications open for artists at new studio space in Chamblee (March 09, 2026) Chamblee is officially upping its cool factor by opening up applications for brand-new dedicated artist studio spaces. If you’ve been painting in your garage and dreaming of a proper creative haunt, this is your sign to finally move your masterpieces into a professional spot and join the local arts scene.

Pair of Chamblee High alumni nominated for Academy Award (March 11, 2026) Who knew the road to Hollywood glory started right here at Chamblee High? Two former Bulldogs were in the running for the gold during this past Oscar weekend, proving that there is definitely something special in the water over in DeKalb that's churning out world-class talent.

LOCAL BUSINESS UPDATES

Nam Dae Mun Farmers Market - opening - If you've been mourning the loss of the Shallowford Publix, dry those eyes because a massive upgrade is on the way. The international grocery giant is officially moving into the Shallowford Exchange to fill that 29,000-square-foot void with all the fresh produce and global snacks we can handle. (March 10, 2026)

UPCOMING EVENTS

Lace up your running shoes and get ready for a sea of pink because the Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival 5K is finally here! This is the high-energy kickoff to one of our community's favorite spring traditions, so clear your Saturday morning and get ready to hit the pavement at Blackburn Park with the rest of the neighborhood.

Monday, March 16
- Eggstravaganza Scavenger Hunt | Brookhaven Branch Library
- Speaking Industry Xpo a/k/a THE 6 | Atlanta Marriott Northeast/Emory Area
- A'Lelia Bundles | Atlanta History Center

Tuesday, March 17
- Taco Tuesday at PURE taqueria | Pure Taqueria Brookhaven Rooftop
- St. Patrick’s Day at Fadó | Buckhead Village District
- St. Patrick’s Day at St. Julep Rooftop | St. Julep
- Joyce Manor, Militarie Gun, Teen Mortgage, & Combat | Buckhead Theatre

Wednesday, March 18
- LEGO Afternoon | Brookhaven Branch Library
- Cornhole ATL League at Town Brookhaven | Town Brookhaven
- Gogol Bordello Live at Buckhead Theatre | Buckhead Theatre
- ADAC Spring Sample Sale | ADAC

Thursday, March 19
- Live Poetry Reading with Poet Jericho Brown | Oglethorpe University
- Coffee With The City Manager | Kin Coffee Co.
- The Evening Exchange: Women's Health, Aging, and Aesthetics | Brookhaven City Centre
- Espress Yourself: A Rooftop Evening w/ Nigel Barker | St. Julep
- The Early November & hellogoodbye | Buckhead Theatre

Friday, March 20
- Creative Roots ATL Pop-Up | Distillery of Modern Art
- Women of Action Atlanta Fashion Show MS Fundraiser | Cherokee Town and Country Club
- The Renaissance Orchestra | Buckhead Theatre

Saturday, March 21
- Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival 5K | Blackburn Park
- Blooms Art Class: Chinese Watercolor Koi Fish | Atlanta Chinatown
- A Magical Night of Celtic Culture | Merely Players Presents
- AuDACITY x Jetset: Spring Alignment Pilates | Porsche Atlanta Perimeter
- Belles and Chimes at the Escape Gamebar | The Escape Gamebar
- Moondog Pub & Grub Dog Adoption Event | Moondog Pub & Grub
- Spring Sip & Pintxos Tasting at The Betty | The Kimpton Sylvan Hotel
- Local Coffee Pop Up | Cometa Coffee at Todd Patrick | Buckhead Village District

Sunday, March 22
- Spring Fest 2026 | Atlanta History Center
- Andres Lopez at Buckhead Theatre | Buckhead Theatre
- Italian Sunday Dinner | Local Three Kitchen & Bar

LOCAL GOVERNMENT DISCUSSION

City of Chamblee

Discussion from the Past Week

Chamblee is looking at a significant density boost on Hardee Avenue, but the City Council isn't entirely sold on the "look" just yet. The proposed "Edmund Chamblee" project aims to bring 61 mixed-income apartments to the neighborhood. While staff is fine with the size, they are giving a firm "no" to the developer's request to ditch balconies and swap out brick for cheaper materials. Essentially, the city wants the new neighbors, but they want the building to look good, too.

In a move that should make getting ready in the morning a little easier, the city is updating its rules on microblading and permanent makeup. Currently, these services are legally lumped in with tattoo parlors. The proposed change would reclassify them under "beauty shops," allowing them to pop up in the same zoning districts as your favorite hair salon. Meanwhile, the city is getting serious about its "Safe Streets for All" plan. The data is sobering: 93% of Chamblee’s serious crashes happen on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or higher, with Buford Highway and Peachtree Boulevard being the biggest offenders. The plan aims to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2050 through better engineering and lower speed limits.

Also worth noting: the PDK Airport area is continuing its slow crawl toward more asphalt. Aero Center is looking to turn two vacant lots on Hardee Avenue into a 33-space parking lot. While the city is likely to allow the parking, they aren't keen on the developer’s request for a 6-foot chain-link fence in the front yard, insisting that 4 feet is plenty for security.

Most notable to your neighborhood:

Meetings in the Next Week
- Public Facilities Authority Regular, March 17, 5:40 PM – The authority will vote on a $4.1 million budget, with a massive $3.5 million chunk earmarked for the Fish Bolt Park project.
- Urban Redevelopment Authority Regular, March 17, 5:50 PM – A quick administrative session to handle $2.1 million in debt payments for past city redevelopment projects.
- City Council Regular, March 17, 6:00 PM – This is the "final answer" meeting where the Council will officially vote on the Edmund Chamblee apartments, the PDK parking lot, the "Safe Streets" plan, and the new EV parking rules discussed last week. (Addresses: 3380 & 3384 Hardee Ave, 1982 & 1974 4th St, 3297 & 3289 Hardee Ave, 2816–2824 Chamblee Tucker Rd, 1700 Century Circle, 2800 NE Expressway).

City of Brookhaven

Discussion from the Past Week

Brookhaven spent the last week doing a bit of housekeeping—both the literal "fixing broken pipes" kind and the "cleaning up legal messes" kind. First up, the City Council is moving to put a literal roof over our heads—or at least, fix the one that fell down. They authorized a settlement agreement to resolve a lawsuit regarding the partial collapse of Pavilion C at Brookhaven Park. If you recall, the pavilion suffered a collapse because of a subsurface storm pipe failure that eroded the soil under a main column. This settlement with several design and construction firms finally clears the legal path for the city to move forward from the incident.

Meanwhile, the city is shelling out $150,000 for emergency repairs to the North Fork of Nancy Creek near Murphey Candler Lake. It turns out that when the water levels were lowered for dam maintenance, the resulting flow change caused some existing "log sill" structures to fail. To keep the streambank from falling apart, the city is swapping the wood for more resilient rock sills. In a move of peak efficiency, they are "piggybacking" on an existing Gwinnett County contract to get the work done faster and bypass the usual mountain of red tape.

Also worth noting: The Council officially appointed Aaron Szarowicz to the "Explore Brookhaven" board (the Convention and Visitors Bureau), where he’ll serve through 2029. And, in the most wholesome part of the evening, the city continued its tradition of featuring an adoptable pet from LifeLine Animal Project.

Most notable to your neighborhood:

Meetings in the Next Week
- Board of Appeals Work Session, March 18: A procedural deep-dive where the board will review upcoming cases and internal rules before the main event later that evening.
- Board of Appeals Regular, March 18: A packed agenda featuring six variance requests ranging from a new Panda Express redevelopment to homeowners fighting to keep their artificial turf.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners

Discussion from the Past Week

It was a "big check" kind of week for the Board of Commissioners, who spent a significant amount of time authorizing millions of dollars to keep the county’s basic functions from, well, leaking. The biggest ticket item was a massive $21 million contract for gravity sewer line restoration. If that sounds boring, just remember that "gravity sewer" is the polite way of saying "the pipes that keep the bad stuff moving away from your house." This investment is part of a continuing effort to fix DeKalb’s aging infrastructure before the federal government sends another sternly worded letter.

But the spending didn’t stop at the pipes. The Board also moved forward with a $22.2 million contract extension for the Lifeline Animal Project to keep running the county’s animal shelters through 2027. Meanwhile, public safety got a boost with over $3 million earmarked for police precinct repairs. In a move that surprised absolutely no one given recent headlines, the Board is also hitting the "pause" button on data centers. They are pushing for a county-wide study on the health and environmental impacts of these massive, power-hungry facilities before handing out any more land disturbance permits.

Also worth noting: the county is getting serious about its plan to address homelessness. The Board approved the implementation plan for the "DeKalb County Day Center," which is designed to provide a centralized hub for services. On the lighter side (literally), the "Shakespeare On The Green" series secured its funding, so you can still get your midsummer night’s dream on later this year.

Most notable to your neighborhood:
The Board approved a sublease consent for 2005 Flightway Drive, located right at the edge of the DeKalb Peachtree (PDK) Airport. Speaking of the airport, they also officially accepted GDOT funding for airfield crack sealing and remarking. It’s routine maintenance, sure, but for those of us living under the flight path, anything that keeps the runways in top shape is a win.

Meetings in the Next Week
- Committee of the Whole, March 17, 2026 at 9:00 AM – This is the "pre-game" for the next full vote, and it’s packed. Expect a deep dive into a proposed new ordinance targeting "vagrancy and unauthorized camping," a $300,000 study to see if the county should create a totally separate Water and Sewer Authority, and more discussion on those controversial data center regulations. This meeting will also touch on several PDK Airport items, including the termination of a T-Hangar lease and the final sign-off on the $835,000 runway crack-sealing project.

DeKalb County School District

Discussion from the Past Week

The DeKalb County School Board went on a bit of a shopping spree this week, greenlighting tens of millions in contracts to keep the district’s massive infrastructure from, well, crumbling. The heavy hitters included a $10 million maintenance supply contract and a $12 million renewal for supplemental custodial services. Translation: The district is shelling out big bucks just to ensure there are enough air filters in the closets and enough hands to mop the hallways.

But the item that really caught eyes was a $7.6 million architectural amendment for the modernization of Druid Hills High School. If you feel like you’ve been hearing about Druid Hills' facility woes for a decade, you’re not wrong—this is a significant (and expensive) step toward finally making those long-promised upgrades a reality. Meanwhile, the district is also planning a bit of a "glow up" elsewhere, approving $2.9 million for interior lighting upgrades across various facilities, a track renovation at Stephenson High, and new bleachers at three schools.

Also worth noting: the board is putting some cash behind the effort to staff up. They approved a $1 million recruitment and retention program specifically targeting "high-needs" schools over the next three years. It’s a targeted attempt to lure educators into the classrooms that historically struggle with vacancies, which is a win for stability if the incentives actually move the needle.

DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION NEARBY

Permits
- 4139 Parsons Dr — Clear the way for the construction crews! There’s a flurry of activity here with fire reviews for a whole row of new townhouses. It’s about to get very busy (and likely very loud) on this block as these units start going up.
- 4285 Buford Hwy (Ste B1) — A new African grocery store is officially moving into the neighborhood. I’m already making a mental list of all the global snacks and frozen items I need to try.
- 3292 La Venture Dr — Looks like we’re getting a new spot for a caffeine fix. A cafe specializing in tea, coffee, and packaged foods is in the works—perfect for those of us who need a mid-day pick-me-up.
- 4308 N Peachtree Rd — This retail space just went through a change of ownership. No word yet on if they're changing the shop's vibe, but the City has officially signed off on the paperwork.
- The Big Picture — Beyond the new shops, we’re seeing over $1.2 million in construction value flowing into the area this week. With ten additional permits filed for new townhouses and single-family homes, the Brookhaven and Chamblee skyline (and traffic) is definitely evolving. Plus, keep an ear out for the chainsaws; three new tree removal permits were just cleared.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 13 (Buford Highway) from the Fulton County Line to Chamblee Tucker Rd — Our main corridor is finally getting some love. Crews are resurfacing this entire stretch to fix that low pavement rating, so expect a much smoother ride once they're done. Until then, watch for lane closures and orange cones between Brookhaven and Chamblee.
- Peachtree Industrial Blvd Signal Optimization — If you feel like you’re hitting every red light between Peachtree and New Peachtree, help is on the way. They are working on "system optimization" for the signals here, which is fancy talk for timing the lights better to keep traffic flowing.
- Ashford Dunwoody Road EB Ramp at I-285 — Commuters headed toward the Perimeter, take note: work is active on adding a third lane to the eastbound ramp connecting to I-285 northbound. It’s a major bottleneck right now, but this extra lane is designed to provide some much-needed relief for that daily congestion.
- PATH 400 Trail Extension (Windsor Pkwy to north of Baroque Cir) — For those near the Fulton/DeKalb line around Historic Brookhaven, Segment 2 of the PATH 400 is officially under construction. This fills in the "middle gap" of the trail, so while you might see some equipment moving near Windsor Parkway, it’s all in the name of better walkability for the neighborhood.

Construction Work Program
- Ashford Dunwoody Road @ Windsor Parkway — The heart of Brookhaven is getting some much-needed safety and operational love at this busy intersection. It’s officially funded and ready to roll, so keep an eye out for upcoming lane shifts near the park.
- Chamblee Rail Trail Extension — Great news for the local trail junkies: this extension is moving toward construction, stretching the path from Pierce Drive all the way north toward Peachtree Boulevard and Chamblee Dunwoody Road.
- Shallowford Road (New Peachtree to Chamblee Dunwoody) — A major pedestrian upgrade is in the works. We’re looking at a new 10-foot shared-use path on the west side and a fresh sidewalk on the east side to make this 0.7-mile stretch much more neighbor-friendly.
- I-85 Pavement Markings (DeKalb and Gwinnett Counties) — Heads up for night owls: this project spans multiple counties and means fresh, high-visibility markings are coming to the interstate. Watch for rolling lane closures once the paint trucks start moving.
- I-285 Eastbound & Westbound Express Lanes (DeKalb and Fulton Counties) — The "Top End" transformation is inching closer. This massive project spans both counties and will eventually add two express lanes in each direction from SR 400 over to Henderson Road. It’s the big one that will change our perimeter commute forever.
- North Fork Trail (Fischer Trail Park to Presidential Pkwy) — More greenway goodness is coming! This project will develop a multi-use trail along North Fork Peachtree Creek, eventually connecting the Fischer Trail area up toward Chamblee-Tucker Road.
- SR 141 (Peachtree Blvd) @ North Shallowford Road — Chamblee drivers, take note: this project is set to realign the intersection at Parsons Drive and Peachtree Boulevard to help smooth out the traffic flow in one of our busiest corridors.
- I-85 & I-285 Bridge Preservation — Our local overpasses are getting some TLC, including new polymer overlays and joint repairs. It’s essential maintenance that usually results in those "fun" weekend lane closures, so keep your maps app handy.