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Hey, Buckhead! This week: Tommy Holder is stepping in as the Buckhead Coalition's next chair, the Beltline finally has a groundbreaking date for that tricky I-75 underpass segment, and Vince is packing up Phipps Plaza for a new home in Buckhead Village. Add in a $1.3 billion airport bond vote, a stadium debt refinance, and the old Iron Hall space getting reborn as an Asian restaurant, and there's plenty to catch up on.

- News — Tommy Holder takes the reins at the Buckhead Coalition, the Beltline sets a September groundbreaking under I-75, and MARTA is about to make long-term parking pricier.
- Business — Vince is trading Phipps Plaza for Buckhead Village, and a new sports bar is gearing up for a fall opening.
- Events — From a Buckhead Theatre hip-hop show to omakase at Atlanta Fish Market and a full slate of Buckhead Village District happenings, the week's packed.
- Government — Fulton moves to hand senior transit off to MARTA while Atlanta Council approves $1.3 billion in airport bonds and refinances stadium debt, with zoning, transportation, and finance committees all meeting this week.
- Construction — The old Iron Hall Brewery space is getting gutted for a new Asian restaurant, fire safety upgrades are rolling out across Peachtree, and lighting work continues on I-75.

Let's dive in.

NEWS

Buckhead Coalition appoints civic leader Tommy Holder as new chair
The Buckhead Coalition has named longtime resident and Holder Construction Chairman Tommy Holder as its incoming board chair for 2027 through 2029, succeeding current chair Jonathan Rodbell.

Beltline sets official groundbreaking for trail section under freeway
Atlanta Beltline leaders have scheduled a formal groundbreaking on September 10 for Northwest Trail Segment 3B, a stretch that will bridge underneath Interstate 75 to link upcoming trail networks with existing pathways around Bobby Jones Golf Course and Collier Hills.

RangeWater Spends $55M on Atlanta Rental Community
RangeWater Residential has purchased the Bell Buckhead West multifamily community on Downwood Circle for $54.9 million, rebranding the property as Blaine Buckhead West as it takes over operations.

New La Grotta executive chef Drew Van Leuvan builds on the restaurant's long-standing legacy
Longtime Buckhead fine-dining staple La Grotta Ristorante Italiano is entering its next chapter under new executive chef Drew Van Leuvan, who is modernizing kitchen operations while preserving the nearly fifty-year-old restaurant's Northern Italian heritage.

MARTA raising prices on long-term parking at stations, reducing free period
Beginning September 14, MARTA is increasing daily long-term parking fees by $2 and shortening the initial free parking window from 24 hours down to 14 hours across its paid facilities, including stations like Lindbergh Center and Lenox.

BUSINESS

Vince Relocating from Phipps Plaza to Buckhead Village — Longtime luxury apparel retailer Vince is preparing to move its Buckhead storefront out of Phipps Plaza and into the Buckhead Village shopping district.

Illusion Sports Bar Opening in Buckhead This Fall — Illusion Sports Bar is set to open in Buckhead this fall, bringing a new food, drink, and sports-watching destination to the neighborhood.

EVENTS | Presented by

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Tuesday, August 25
- The Pink Hour | Atlanta • Soft Power Soirée at The Waldorf Astoria | Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead
- Garden Club Kick-Off Meeting | Garden Hills Neighborhood Association
- NPU-B Monthly Zoning Committee Meeting | Garden Hills Neighborhood Association

Wednesday, August 26
- Los Parceritos | Charlie Loudermouth Park
- AMA Atlanta August Mixer | Atlanta Tech Village - Buckhead

Thursday, August 27
- John Heffron | The Punchline Comedy Club
- Atlanta Fish Market Omakase-Inspired Dinner | Atlanta Fish Market
- Sip & Spin at Brush Sushi | Buckhead Village District
- NYLA SYMONE & GENERATION NOW PRESENTS: HONOR ROLL | Buckhead Theatre
- Buckhead Heritage Hosts "Bless Your Heart" Author Aug. 27 | Cathedral of St. Philip

Friday, August 28
- Choirs Uncorked! | The Cathedral of St. Philip
- Club 90s - MJ Night (18+ Event) | The Buckhead Theatre

Saturday, August 29
- CANN PRESENTS: YACHT ROCK REVUE – PRIMETIME | Chastain Park
- Longevity, Wellness & Biohacking Expo - Atlanta Edition | 3376 Peachtree Rd NE
- bornbaby Annual Warehouse Sale | Buckhead Village District
- Make Your Own Fresh Pasta Class at Bella Cucina | Buckhead Village District
- D.J. Demers Live | The Punchline
- The Art of Hatmaking | Buckhead Village District

Sunday, August 30
- Chastain Challenge | Chastain Park
- Basque in the Sun at Gypsy Kitchen | Buckhead Village District

GOVERNMENT

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

Past Week Roundup

Fulton County Board of Commissioners
Commissioners moved to hand off funding, and possibly operation, of the Fulton County Senior Transportation Program to MARTA, directing staff to negotiate an agreement that would tie MARTA's contribution to sales tax growth while the county keeps control of how the program runs. The board also backed a bond deal with the Fulton DeKalb Hospital Authority to build a new Behavioral Health Crisis Center that will serve indigent patients, a move that expands mental health care access countywide. Commissioners approved emergency stabilization funding for the historic St. Mark AME Church and voted 4-1 to eliminate two standalone court technology funds, folding that money into the general fund. The board also renewed a $2.4 million landscaping contract covering county properties and approved $1.6 million to modernize seven elevators at the Juvenile Justice Center. Finally, commissioners reappointed the county manager, county attorney, county auditor, and clerk to the commission following executive session, locking in leadership through the next term.

Atlanta City Council
The council approved up to $1.3 billion in bonds for airport capital improvements and refinanced $200 million in Mercedes-Benz Stadium debt using hotel-motel tax revenue, a move that lowers the city's annual payments on the stadium without touching general fund dollars. Members voted 12-1 to adjust solid waste fees and backyard collection exemption rules, then separately awarded a three-year, $57.2 million trash collection contract to Waste Management of Georgia. The council also approved a $99 million multi-vendor fund for small-scale street and infrastructure repairs across the city and a $25 million contract to keep the drinking water system's aging pipes and treatment infrastructure running. A proposal to create a task force studying data centers and their environmental impact got sent back to committee on a 13-1 vote for more work before it comes back for a full vote. Separately, the Committee on Council advanced mayoral appointments to the Civil Service Board and the Stakeholder Oversight Committee, while holding several reform proposals in place, including a charter amendment requiring named sponsors on legislation and a push for an independent investigation into city contracts tied to Foris Webb, III. A resolution calling for police presence at recreation centers used as polling sites also remained stalled in committee.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee | Aug-24, 11:00 AM | key topics: Upper Westside industrial rezonings, outdoor dining permits on Roswell Road, and Peachtree Circle historic district protections
- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee | Aug-24, 1:00 PM | key topics: police camera contract expansion, feasibility study for a 7th APD patrol zone, and alcohol license fee updates
- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee | Aug-25, 10:00 AM | key topics: data center water restrictions, Chastain Park Golf Course stream restoration, and electric municipal fleet purchases
- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee | Aug-25, 1:30 PM | key topics: high-density mixed-use land use amendments, Westside blight condemnation resolutions, and EV charging at Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark
- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee | Aug-26, 10:00 AM | key topics: BeltLine Southside Trail grant funding, Buckhead street resurfacing agreements, and traffic safety measures on Wieuca Road
- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee | Aug-26, 1:30 PM | key topics: data center tax compliance restrictions, water and sewer billing adjustments, and FY2027 property tax rates

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 3535 Peachtree Rd NE — The old Iron Hall Brewery & Restaurant space is getting gutted and rebuilt as a new Asian restaurant.
- 3500 Lenox Rd NE — A full-floor office buildout is underway, combining several suites into one tenant space. Expect a single larger company moving into that building.
- 3565 Piedmont Rd NE — Crews are adding to and relocating the building's fire sprinkler system to meet code. This kind of infrastructure work often means a bigger renovation or new tenant is coming.
- 3393 Peachtree Rd NE — Fire alarm system renovation just got the green light. Routine but necessary life-safety work for the building.
- 129 Bolling Rd NE — New plumbing is going in for a multi-family home with three separate kitchens, water heaters, and washing machines, pointing to a conversion into multiple units.
- 3560 Lenox Rd NE — A commercial alteration permit is in the works, though details on scope are thin for now.
- 2221 Peachtree Rd NE — New signage is getting wired up, a small but visible sign of a business refreshing its storefront.
- 3667 Peachtree Rd NE — Final electrical trim work is happening on a townhome, suggesting a residential project near completion.
- 925 Canterbury Rd NE — Routine HVAC swap, replacing a heat pump and air handler in one unit.
- 24 Normandy Ct NE — Standard tub and shower replacement in a multi-family building. Nothing disruptive expected here.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-75 from Musket Ridge Drive to I-85 Lighting Upgrade — 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 Tunnel Bridge Rehab at Justin C Martin Building — This project targets the SR 400 tunnel, repairing spalling on transfer beams and roof slabs and upgrading the fire system.
- SR 9 Resurfacing — GDOT's District Maintenance Office is resurfacing SR 9 to fix its low pavement quality score.

Service Requests
- Potholes — Eight reports came in on Mathieson Dr, King Rd, the Wieucha Rd/Loridans Dr intersection, and Knollwood Dr, among other spots. Crews have resolved two and are still working through the rest.
- Visibility and Overgrowth Issues — Six reports flagged sightline problems on Moores Mill Rd, the Valley Rd/Northside Dr intersection, 1st St, and the Glen Arden Dr/Paces Ferry Rd intersection. Crews already cleared four of them.
- Downed Trees — Land O Lakes Dr had two separate reports, and Paces Ferry Rd, N Ivy Rd, and Morosgo Dr each had one. Three are closed, one's in progress, and one got marked as a duplicate.
- Emergency Traffic Signal Repairs — Signals needed urgent fixes at Northside Dr and Arden Rd (two separate reports at that intersection) and on Peachtree Dunwoody Rd. One's resolved, one's closed, and one's still in progress.
- Non-Emergency Traffic Signal Repairs — Peachtree Rd, the Wesley Rd/Northside Dr intersection, and the Roxboro Rd/Wieuca Rd intersection all got signal repair requests, with one resolved, one closed, and one still open.
- Litter Removal — Crews cleared litter along Peachtree Rd, W Wesley Rd, and the Pine Meadow Rd/Northside Pkwy intersection. All three are done.
- Sign Repair — A sign repair or replacement request on Northside Dr is still in progress.

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Until next week,
Buckhead Busybody

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.