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Hey, Buckhead! This week: the Atlanta Financial Center is getting rechristened APEX Atlanta, with about 260 apartments proposed for one of its office towers. We also have Mo Ivory's first post-election interview, a new sandwich shop headed for Chastain Square, and a weekend lineup that includes Garden Lights opening Nov. 14.

- News — The Atlanta Financial Center's APEX Atlanta makeover leads the section, alongside Elyse Buckhead's vertical climb, Mo Ivory's plans for the Fulton County chair's seat, and a new reentry housing program.
- Business — Hero Boy Sandwich Co. has leased the former Doughnuts+Fries space in Chastain Square for a second location, with an opening planned for early 2027 pending permitting and construction.
- Events — Veterans Day at the Atlanta History Center, Fauré's Requiem (Nov. 12–15), and Garden Lights, Holiday Nights (Nov. 14–Jan. 10) headline a week that also includes Oyster Fest and a Hanukkah Bazaar.
- Government — Fulton commissioners approved a $45.5 million jail design contract and voted to abolish the Board of Ethics, while NPUs weighed a new zoning definition of "family" and City Council committees meet this week.
- Construction — New EV charger permits on Peachtree, a retail alteration in the Village, I-75 LED lighting upgrades and a pile of pothole reports are on the list.

Let's dive in.

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Atlanta Financial Center to be rechristened APEX Atlanta, add apartments
Banyan Street Capital is renaming the Atlanta Financial Center as APEX Atlanta and will convert one of its three office towers into residences. About 260 units have been proposed to replace 284,000 square feet of office space in the south tower, and no completion date was provided.

Crane Watch: Vertical climb begins for next Buckhead tower
Kolter Urban Development reports deep foundation work is finished and vertical construction is underway at Elyse Buckhead, a 20-story condo tower at 102 West Paces Ferry Road, where a second crane was recently erected. The project's 194 condos have started around $1 million, and top-out is on pace for next fall.

Making history, Mo Ivory outlines her vision for Fulton County in first post-election interview
Mo Ivory defeated Republican Eric Tatum with 75 percent of the vote in the Nov. 3 general election, becoming the first Black woman and first Latina elected chair of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners. She said her first priority in January will be passing a budget, followed by fixing the jail, funding the courts, and building a hospital in South Fulton.

Fulton County reentry program offers affordable housing for former inmates
Project Rebuild, launched by social entrepreneur Keith Lewis, operates six homes across metro Atlanta housing fewer than 25 tenants, with private units costing about $600 per month. Lewis hopes to expand to 50 to 100 units through state support, and organizers have not confirmed which neighborhoods host the homes.

BUSINESS

Hero Boy Sandwich Co. opening second location in Chastain Square — Alpharetta-based Hero Boy Sandwich Co., which opened its first location at 1055 Mansell Road in September 2023, has leased a 1,500-square-foot space at 4285 Roswell Road in Buckhead's Chastain Square, the former Doughnuts+Fries space between Supercuts and Swoozies, with plans to open in early 2027 pending permitting and construction.

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Monday, November 9
- Los Parceritos (Rescheduled from 8/26/26) | The Buckhead Theatre

Tuesday, November 10
- Bam in Buckhead: Tuesday Mahjong at Gypsy Kitchen | Livable Buckhead Events

Wednesday, November 11
- Veterans Day 2026 | Atlanta History Center
- Livingston Lecture featuring Nicholas Reynolds and Katie S. Sanders in Conversation | Atlanta History Center
- Brush: Tuna Cutting & Tasting | Buckhead Village District
- Josh Garrels | The Buckhead Theatre

Thursday, November 12
- Autumn Tilé Soirée with Mahj City Club | The Veranda at Buckhead Village District
- Fauré’s Requiem (Nov. 12–15) | Atlanta Symphony Hall
- BUCKHEAD COUNCIL OF NEIGHBORHOODS Monthly Meeting | Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods
- SiM | The Buckhead Theatre

Friday, November 13
- Skate the Station Returns to Atlantic Station! ⛸️❄️ | Atlantic Station

Saturday, November 14
- Atlanta Fish Market: Oyster Fest | Atlanta Fish Market
- Garden Lights, Holiday Nights (Nov. 14, 2026–Jan. 10, 2027) | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Mannheim Steamroller Christmas | Fox Theatre
- Book Launch for Catherine Mathis at the Northside Library: LEONOR | Northside Library
- The Art of Hatmaking | Buckhead Village District
- Saturday Vinyasa Yoga Classes with Highland Yoga | Buckhead Village

Sunday, November 15
- 50th Annual Hanukkah Bazaar | Congregation Or VeShalom
- Atlanta | Angelo Tsarouchas | The Punchline

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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 approved a $45.5 million, five-year contract to design a new 1,800-bed county jail, the same jail fix Chair-elect Mo Ivory named as a priority in the news section above. They also voted 5-1 to abolish the county's Board of Ethics, so independent officers will now screen and decide ethics complaints. The board adopted the 2026 school millage rate, which sets the school portion of your property tax bill, and renewed the jail medical services contract at about $47 million. Commissioner Dana Barrett's proposals to end the 5% departmental budget caps and to push back on private equity takeovers of medical practices both failed. Commissioners also approved a grant for a 200-unit affordable housing development in Vine City.

Atlanta NPUs
Three neighborhood planning units met Nov. 3, and the minutes aren't published yet, so we only know what was on their agendas. NPU-A, NPU-B and NPU-C all took up a citywide proposal to write a new legal definition of "family" into the zoning code. That definition decides how many unrelated people can share a single-family home, so it affects renters and homeowners alike. A Zoning Review Board hearing is set for January. All three groups also put 2027 officer elections on their agendas. NPU-B added a slate of alcohol license requests and two home addition variances, while NPU-C weighed three residential variances, an alcohol distance exemption request and a Georgia Power presentation.

Atlanta City Council
The full Council set the city's 2027 property tax rates, including levies for the BeltLine and Stitch special service districts. It also extended the moratorium on new self-storage facilities in Office-Institutional zones by 60 days. Members approved more than $63 million in water system contracts and transfers, and they sent a water repair contract extension back to committee. The Council also approved a $200,000 agreement with the Buckhead Community Improvement District to design a new roundabout, and it denied two large development proposals in the southern part of the city. Over at the Committee on Council, members advanced an appointment to the Human Relations Commission but held new public comment and proclamation rules, which the full Council approved later that day anyway.

Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education
The board gave a first read to four sets of attendance zone changes that would take effect in Fall 2027, covering elementary, middle and high schools in the west, northwest and south parts of the city. No final votes came, so families will get time to review the maps and weigh in. The board also approved contracts for school buses and repairs, propane fuel, and therapy and consulting services, along with temporary construction easements with the city. And it introduced a draft of its 2027 legislative priorities, which previews what the district will ask state lawmakers to pursue.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Fulton County Board of Commissioners
- Atlanta Classical Academy (3260 Northside Dr NW) — Fulton County commissioners approved documentation authorizing the issuance of up to $35 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds to finance capital projects for the charter school.

Atlanta City Council
- Habersham Rd at Valley Rd — The Atlanta City Council approved a $200,000 project management agreement with the Buckhead Community Improvement District to design a new traffic roundabout at the intersection.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee | Nov-09, 10:00 AM | key topics: Moores Mill Road Bridge replacement feasibility study, Wieuca Road traffic calming devices, and Roswell Road sidewalk project property acquisitions
- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee | Nov-09, 11:00 AM | key topics: comprehensive overhaul of the city zoning code, new regulations for event centers, and industrial-to-mixed-use rezonings along Monroe Drive and Decatur Street
- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee | Nov-09, 1:00 PM | key topics: legal settlements totaling $775,000, an alcohol distance waiver on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, and housing code safeguards against anonymous complaints
- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee | Nov-10, 10:00 AM | key topics: restrictions on data center drinking water use, a ban on commercial septic tanks, and funding adjustments for the North Fork Peachtree Creek wastewater storage facility
- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee | Nov-10, 1:30 PM | key topics: a $4.08 million forested land purchase on Fourth Avenue NW, a $10 million upgrade for Southside Park, and corridor land-use amendments
- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee | Nov-10, 1:30 PM | key topics: a $10 million construction contract for Fire Station 31, a $204 million affordable housing bond program, and interest penalties on delinquent utility liens

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 3209 Paces Ferry Pl NW: A commercial alteration is under review for 3,287 square feet of retail space. The tenant improvement covers new electrical systems and plumbing and mechanical changes. A new retailer looks to be moving into the Village.
- 3232 Peachtree Rd NE: A commercial permit is under review to install six EV charging stations. The plan also includes parking protection, signage, and stenciling for each charger. You'll have more places to plug in soon.
- 2890 N Fulton Dr NE: Plans call for three electric vehicle charging pedestals, which add up to six charging ports. The permit is pending.
- 3340 Peachtree Rd NE: A tenant is applying to occupy a previously built-out spec suite. The permit is under review. Another business is lining up to move in.
- 3060 Peachtree Rd NW: An interior alteration of a vacant office suite is ready to issue. The existing tenant spaces stay as they are.
- 2221 Peachtree Rd NE: The UPS Store in Suite D is getting an interior alteration. The permit is under review.
- 3550 Lenox Rd NE: A fire sprinkler permit is issued to add and relocate parts of the existing system to NFPA 13 standards. Expect some contractor activity on site.
- 252 Buckhead Ave NE: A new commercial alteration permit was filed on 11/06. The listing doesn't include details yet.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-75 lighting, Musket Ridge Drive to I-85 — Crews are swapping the old sodium highway lights for LEDs along this stretch of I-75, and some poles and wiring may be replaced along the way.
- GA 400 tunnel repairs under the Justin C. Martin Building — Crews are patching damaged concrete in the tunnel's beams and ceiling, repairing its fire system, and upgrading the electrical and monitoring systems.
- Piedmont Road crosswalk at Main Street — A mid-block crosswalk is going in on Piedmont Road with a pedestrian hybrid beacon, a signal drivers must stop for when someone is crossing.
- Mt. Paran Road between Northside Parkway and I-75 — The westbound left-turn lane is being lengthened to 250 feet, the eastbound acceleration lane is coming out, and the northbound right turn from Northside Parkway becomes a yield.
- Piedmont Road at Lindbergh Drive and Lindbergh Way — Crews are installing a new traffic signal and pedestrian crossings at the intersection.
- Peachtree Road resurfacing — Crews are repaving Peachtree Road from Northside Drive to just north of Paces Ferry Road.
- Roswell Road resurfacing — Crews are repaving Roswell Road (SR 9) from SR 141 up to Abernathy Road.

Service Requests
- Potholes: 11 reports, including Ridgeland Way NE (3 reports), Pine Tree Rd and Canterbury Rd, Stephen Long Dr NE, Northside Dr and Wesley Rd, and Brentwood Dr NE. Four more spots round out the list.
- Traffic Signal Repair (Non-Emergency): 6 reports at Roswell Rd and Chastain Dr, Roswell Rd and Wieuca Rd, Northside Dr and Moores Mill Rd, Northside Dr, and Lenox Rd and Piedmont Rd. One more location was also reported. If you drive Northside or Roswell Rd, expect some wonky lights.
- Right of Way Overgrowth: Visibility problems at Arden Rd and Northside Dr and at Northside Dr and Wesley Rd.
- Graffiti Removal: Reported at Peachtree Dunwoody Rd and Club Dr, and on Pharr Rd NW.
- Sign Repair, Replacement, or Installation: Mount Paran Rd and Northside Dr.
- Litter Removal: Habersham Rd NW and Knollwood Dr NW.
- Traffic Signal Repair (Emergency): GA 400 and Lenox Rd.
- Downed Tree: Norfleet Rd and Northside 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.