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Hey, Buckhead! This week: a 1980s office tower is getting reborn as a church, Raising Cane's just quietly walked away from its Roswell Rd. plans, and city council is weighing whether tax-delinquent developers should still get public subsidies. Plus, Peachtree Road is having a moment with major renovations underway, and Chastain Park's amphitheater is about to go from gospel legends to jam-band blues in the span of 48 hours.

- News — A Buckhead office complex is being reborn as a church sanctuary, the Coalition names a new chair, and a "parking bill of rights" could shake up local lots.
- Business — Raising Cane's has officially scrapped its long-planned Roswell Road location near Chastain Park.
- Events — Hamilton lands at the Fox, Georgia Tech kicks off its season, and Chastain Park goes from V-103's gospel extravaganza to Blues Traveler in one weekend.
- Government — Council is debating a ban on subsidies for tax-delinquent developers, a 37-acre Upper Westside rezoning just got approved, and new stop signs are coming near Wieuca Road school zones.
- Construction — Peachtree Road is a hotbed of build-outs and lobby overhauls right now, plus 16 new Tesla EV chargers are landing on the same strip.

One more update: our new Downtown and Southwest Beltline editions are now live! As a reminder, you can always update your neighborhood selections here

Let's dive in.

NEWS

1980s Buckhead office building to undergo church transformation
Christ Covenant Church has acquired the 1980s-era Piedmont Place office complex in Buckhead to create a centralized permanent home. The multi-story commercial site will be renovated into a modern ministry hub and sanctuary, a shift from the more common trend of congregations selling property for commercial redevelopment.

Buckhead Coalition names construction magnate as next chair
The Buckhead Coalition has selected construction leader Tommy Holder as its incoming chair. The organization plays a central role in advocating for infrastructure, public safety, and economic development priorities across Buckhead neighborhoods.

Atlanta Opera's $72M Molly Blank Center Tracks Toward October 2027 Completion
Construction is progressing on the Atlanta Opera's $72 million Molly Blank Center, keeping the project on schedule for an October 2027 opening. The new arts complex will provide a permanent performance, rehearsal, and administrative home for the company.

Atlanta leaders consider new 'parking bill of rights'
Atlanta City Council leaders are advancing legislation dubbed the "parking bill of rights" to regulate private parking lot operators and increase signage transparency. The measure would target predatory booting and unclear payment practices in commercial districts across the city, including Buckhead.

Fulton County's Tax Digest Delay Hits Homeowners
Delays tied to mapping software backlogs have stalled the Fulton County tax digest, triggering court intervention and shifting timelines for local property owners.

BUSINESS

Raising Cane's cancels planned Chastain Park restaurant on Roswell Road — Raising Cane's has scrapped plans to open a location at 4475 Roswell Road in Chastain Park, a site that had been slated to replace the former Three Dollar Cafe.

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Monday, August 31
- Purpose | Coca-Cola Stage

Tuesday, September 1
- Stephen Berry | Atlanta History Center
- NPU-B Monthly Meeting | Garden Hills Neighborhood Association

Wednesday, September 2
- Hamilton | Fox Theatre Atlanta
- Toddler Storytime: Barnyard Buddies | Atlanta History Center

Thursday, September 3
- Georgia Tech Football vs. Colorado | 8pm/Bobby Dodd Stadium
- Sip & Spin at Brush Sushi | Buckhead Village District
- Ksquared | Spaceman

Friday, September 4
- V-103's 50th Anniversary Gospel Extravaganza featuring Yolanda Adams | Chastain Park
- Channel Tres – The Enigma Tour | Charlie Loudermouth Park
- Atlanta Black Pride 2K26 The All White Affair | Wyndham Atlanta Buckhead Hotel & Conference Center

Saturday, September 5
- Blues Traveler | Chastain Park
- FATTMACK – The McKenzie Tour 2.0 | Charlie Loudermouth Park
- Museums on Us® Free Admission to GA Cultural Attractions Labor Day Weekend | Atlanta History Center
- The Art of Hatmaking | Buckhead Village District
- Uptown Market ATL: Battle of the Generations Silent Disco (3 Live DJs) | The Lawn at Uptown

Sunday, September 6
- V-103's 50th Anniversary Concert feat. Raphael Saadiq and Ari Lennox | Chastain Park
- Pureheat Community Festival | Piedmont Park
- Basque in the Sun at Gypsy Kitchen | Buckhead Village District

Monday, September 7
- WRFG's 41st Annual Labor Day Blues BBQ | Park Tavern

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

Council committees packed in a busy week covering everything from taxes to traffic safety. The Finance/Executive Committee took up next year's property tax rates and considered barring tax-delinquent data centers and developers from getting city subsidies, plus over $332,000 in water and sewer refunds for residents. The Transportation Committee had a big agenda too, with $7 million in grants proposed for the next BeltLine trail segment, a $4.5 million street resurfacing partnership, and new stop signs and a school speed zone extension near an elementary school, though outcomes aren't final since minutes aren't posted yet for that meeting. Zoning decisions moved fast: the Zoning Committee approved rezoning nearly 37 acres on the Upper Westside for a major mixed-use redevelopment, shelved a proposed historic district designation in a close vote, and backed a commercial recreation permit in Buckhead Village. The Community Development/Human Services Committee considered rezoning several corridors for denser development and voted on condemning five blighted Westside properties, while also reviewing $350,000 in youth afterschool funding. The City Utilities Committee approved $2 million for stream restoration work, a $2.7 million trash contract extension, and a no-cost utility deal tied to the I-285 Express Lanes project, but held off on a data center water-use crackdown until next month. Finally, the Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee approved $815,000 in police lawsuit settlements and sent a $40 million police camera contract expansion to the full council, while holding a proposed 7th police patrol zone study for further review.

Atlanta Public Schools Student Advisory Council

The Student Advisory Council met to review district priorities rather than vote on anything binding. Members got a first look at a draft district Artificial Intelligence policy that would eventually set rules for how students and staff can use AI tools in classrooms, though no restrictions or timelines got finalized. They also heard a broader strategy update covering district goals for the 2026-2027 school year. The rest of the meeting focused on internal council business, including handbook reviews and committee assignments for the coming term. If you're a parent tracking how APS handles AI in classrooms, this is still early stage, so expect more concrete proposals down the road.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Atlanta City Council
- Bennett Street NW — The committee considered abandoning and conveying 0.211 acres of public street right-of-way along Bennett Street NW to an adjacent property owner.
- Loridans Road NE & Wieuca Road NE — A proposal is under consideration to install a three-way stop, rumble strips, and a new pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of Loridans Road NE and Wieuca Road NE.
- North Ivy Road NE & Wieuca Road NE — Legislation is under review to convert the intersection of North Ivy Road NE and Wieuca Road NE into a three-way stop with rumble strips to calm school-zone traffic.
- Sarah Smith Elementary School (Wieuca Road NE & PATH 400 Trail) — A resolution is being considered to relocate and extend the Sarah Smith Elementary School speed zone eastward along Wieuca Road NE toward the PATH 400 trail crossing.
- 647 Moores Mill Road NW — The committee approved granting a utility easement to Georgia Power Company across city-owned property at 647 Moores Mill Road NW for underground electrical distribution facilities.
- Chastain Park Golf Course — The committee approved transferring $2,000,000 to fund stream stabilization and watershed restoration work across the Chastain Park Golf Course grounds.
- 4475 Roswell Road NE — The committee voted to file and dismiss a special use permit application for outdoor dining located within 1,000 feet of residential zoning at 4475 Roswell Road NE.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta Public Schools — Board of Education | Sep-01 | key topics: affordable housing redevelopment agreements with AUDC, shared recreational facility joint use agreement with the city, and facility repurposing policies
- Atlanta NPU — NPU-C | Sep-01, 6:45 PM | key topics: retaining wall special exception on Peachtree Battle Avenue, setback and parking pad variances on Northcliffe Drive, and 2027 bylaws vote
- Atlanta NPU — NPU-A | Sep-01, 7:00 PM | key topics: certificate of occupancy appeal on Hillside Drive NW and 2027 bylaws vote
- Atlanta NPU — NPU-B | Sep-01, 7:00 PM | key topics: 5 Paces Inn ownership and entertainment license, residential zoning variances on Winall Down Road and Herrington Drive, and 2027 bylaws vote
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners | Sep-02, 10:00 AM | key topics: affordable housing grant funding in Vine City and English Avenue, water main relocation IGAs in Roswell and Milton, and Fulton County Jail elevator modernization

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Permits
- 3414 Peachtree Rd NE — Build-out permit filed for a vacant office suite in this multi-story building. Another sign that Buckhead's office market is still landing tenants despite the broader slowdown.
- 3525 Piedmont Rd NE — Renovation permit filed for the lobby-level cafe at Piedmont Center's Building 6. Expect some scaffolding and noise around that entrance.
- 3353 Peachtree Rd NE — Major interior renovation planned across the building lobby, terrace level, and mezzanine common areas. This is a big second-generation upgrade, not a quick cosmetic job, so expect it to drag on for a while.
- 3391 Peachtree Rd — Sixteen Tesla Universal Wall Connector EV charging stations are going in. That's a serious commitment to EV infrastructure and points to more electric vehicles parking in the area.
- 3284 Northside Pkwy NW — Two separate permits filed for this building: one for a common-area renovation covering the elevator lobby and restrooms, and another for a full build-out in a vacant suite that includes demolition work. Between the two, this property is getting a real overhaul.
- 3402 Piedmont Rd NE — Electrical demo and buildout tied to a related building permit. Standard construction sequencing, nothing unusual here.
- 2625 Piedmont Rd NE — Simple sink installation. Routine plumbing work, no impact on the neighborhood.
- 3340 Peachtree Rd NE — Security alarm system installed. Already issued, low-key housekeeping item.
- 3393 Peachtree Rd NE — Full interior fit-out permitted, including new mechanical and electrical systems. This suite is getting gutted and rebuilt from the inside out.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-75 from Musket Ridge Drive to I-85 Lighting Upgrade (Fulton County) — Crews are swapping out old HPS lighting for energy-efficient LED fixtures along this corridor. The work also covers pole and conduit replacement where needed.
- SR 400 at Justin C. Martin Building Tunnel Bridge Rehab (Fulton County) — This project targets tunnel repairs including spall repair on transfer beams and roof slabs, plus fire system repair and upgrades.
- SR 9 Resurfacing from SR 3 to North of Paces Ferry Rd (Fulton County) — GDOT is resurfacing this stretch of SR 9 to fix a low pavement condition score.

Service Requests
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Crews are handling 14 non-emergency repair requests at Moores Mill Rd & Howell Mill Rd, Northside Pkwy, Conifer Cir NE, Ivy Pkwy & Roswell Rd, Habersham Rd & Paces Ferry Rd, and several other intersections, with most already in progress. Five emergency-level repairs also came in at Northside Dr & Martin L King Jr Dr, Peachtree Battle Rd & Moores Mill Rd, E Paces Ferry Rd & Flat Shoals Rd & Andrews Rd, and Piedmont Rd & Peachtree Dr.
- Potholes — Reported on E Wesley Rd NE, Northside Pkwy & Paces Ferry Rd, King Rd NW, W Wieuca Rd NE, Peachtree Battle Ave NW, and three other spots around the area.
- Right of Way Litter Removal — Crews are clearing litter on Stovall Blvd NE, Pharr Rd NE, and Rivers Rd NW.
- Visibility/Overgrowth Issues — Flagged at Conway Dr & Glen Devon Dr and near Wesley Rd.
- Sign Repair, Replacement, or Installation — Needed at Habersham Rd NE & Piedmont Rd NE and Wesley Rd & Arden Rd.
- Downed Trees — Reported on Roswell Rd NE and near Roswell Rd & Interlochen Dr.

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Until next week,
Buckhead Busybody

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Disclaimer: We use advanced data retrieval and analysis techniques across hundreds of sources, and may be prone to occasional error. Independently verify information with a secondary source, and please let us know if we got anything wrong via the feedback form.