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Hey, Downtown! This week: Woodruff Park has a brand-new off-leash dog park, and Keisha Lance Bottoms is Georgia's governor-elect after Democrats swept the statewide races. Mastro's Ocean Club has also opened its first Georgia steakhouse at The CTR, and a Peters Street bridge open house is coming up Tuesday, so grab a coffee and read on.

- News — Woodruff Park's new dog park has separate areas for large and small dogs, Bottoms' historic win reshapes Georgia politics, and GDOT invites you to weigh in on replacing the Peters Street bridge at a Nov. 10 open house.
- Business — Mastro's Ocean Club opened its first Georgia restaurant in the former CNN Center, and a grillz shop from Jamia Gibson is on the way to Trinity Avenue, according to a permit filing.
- Events — Usher and Chris Brown, Olivia Rodrigo (Nov. 11–12), the Hawks and Lakers, the Sunday Shindig at Founders Green, and the Falcons-Chiefs watch party make for a loaded week.
- Government — Fulton commissioners approved a $45.5 million jail design contract and voted to abolish the county ethics board, while Atlanta City Council set its FY2027 tax rates and committees meet Nov. 9 and 10.
- Construction — Look for a hotel-wide guestroom overhaul at 210 Peachtree St NW, new shade canopies at Centennial Olympic Park, tunnel lighting upgrades on I-75, and a pile of traffic signal repair reports.

Let's dive in.

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Downtown Atlanta's Woodruff Park now has an off-leash dog park
The 6,500-square-foot dog park has separate sections for small and large dogs, with decorative fencing, canine turf, improved drainage, and added lighting and seating. The project also delivered a refreshed ATL playground and sidewalk and pathway repairs for ADA accessibility, with construction funded through a state-administered INODIC grant program.

Public meeting set for Nov. 10 on Peters Street bridge replacement
The GDOT open house runs from 5 to 7 p.m. at Antioch Baptist Church, 540 Cameron M. Alexander Blvd NW, with no formal presentation and a court reporter available for verbal comments. The proposed 703-foot bridge would have two travel lanes and two bike lanes, and Ted Turner Drive SW would be closed for 36 months during construction. Comments are accepted until Dec. 4.

MARTA says this is what Five Points Station will look like after transformation
The renderings show a new large canopy, green spaces, and a soccer field, replacing the canopy of the station, which was built in 1979. The station will remain open during construction, and no completion timeframe has been given.

Bills are coming due for Downtown's condo stock even as city aims to create more housing
A survey of Downtown Atlanta condominiums identified about $50 million in repair needs. Condo owners are seeking financial assistance for the improvements, including at the historic Healey Building at 57 Forsyth St. NW.

Dentons Moves Atlanta Office From Downtown to Midtown
Dentons is leaving Truist Plaza at 303 Peachtree St. for the Proscenium, a 526,000-square-foot tower at 1170 Peachtree St. in Midtown. KPMG also signed a lease there for about 105,000 square feet after leaving Truist Plaza and One Atlantic Center.

Making history, Mo Ivory outlines her vision for Fulton County in first post-election interview
Ivory defeated Republican Eric Tatum with 75 percent of the vote and has represented District 4 on the commission since January 2025. Her stated priorities include passing a budget in January, fixing the jail, funding the courts, and building a hospital in South Fulton, along with pursuing acquisition of the Atlanta City Detention Center.

BUSINESS

Mastro's Ocean Club opens first Georgia restaurant at The CTR in Downtown Atlanta — The steakhouse opened November 6 at 190 Marietta Street NW, Suite 200, taking an 8,200-square-foot ground-floor space in the former CNN Center that was previously home to McCormick & Schmick's, and serves USDA Prime steaks, fresh seafood and live music.

Top Shelf Diamonds opening on Trinity Avenue in Downtown Atlanta — The grillz shop from Jamia Gibson, who also operates Gibson Global Grillz in Huntsville, Ala., will open soon at 253 Trinity Ave. in a former beauty salon space, according to a permit filing, and plans to offer same-day diamond and gold grillz.

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Monday, November 9
- Atlanta Hawks vs. Los Angeles Lakers | State Farm Arena
- A.I. is Not Your Doctor | Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History
- Brass Ensembles | Florence Kopleff Recital Hall

Tuesday, November 10
- The Neighbourhood – The Wourld Tour | State Farm Arena
- Beyond the World Cup: The Future of Downtown Atlanta | Atlanta, GA
- George Balanchine's The Nutcracker® in Shared Reality | Downtown Atlanta Inc. (ADID)
- Graduate Solo Recital: Roger B Pomposello Jr., euphonium | Florence Kopleff Recital Hall
- The R&B Tour - Starring Usher Raymond & Chris Brown | Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Wednesday, November 11
- Olivia Rodrigo – The Unraveled Tour (Nov. 11–12) | State Farm Arena
- College Football Hall of Fame: Salute to Service (Nov. 11–15) | Downtown Atlanta Inc. (ADID)
- Whitechapel | Tabernacle
- Senior Recital: Hyewon Kim, jazz piano | Florence Kopleff Recital Hall

Thursday, November 12
- Game Design Studio: Lost Expedition | Atlanta Central Library – Fulton County Library
- ATEEZ | GOLDEN HOUR : Part.6 OFFICIAL ALBUM LISTENING PARTY | 18+ | The Masquerade – Purgatory
- Dining By Design in South Downtown | Tyde Tate Kitchen
- MIXTAPEatl | Atlanta City Hall
- Night Market at The Home Depot Backyard: Soulful Holiday Edition | Downtown Atlanta Inc. (ADID)
- Judah and the Lion | The Tabernacle

Friday, November 13
- The Red Clay Strays | State Farm Arena
- MagicCon: Atlanta | Georgia World Congress Center
- Muu Muu Party | Afrobeats, Dancehall, Reggae, Soca, Konpa & R&B | Atlantucky Brewing

Saturday, November 14
- American Ballet Theatre Studio Company | Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University
- SatAdv: Storytime with Joanne Telcide-Bryant | National Center for Civil and Human Rights
- CIVICS 4 ALL AGES!! | National Center for Civil and Human Rights
- Game Night: Spades, Dominoes & Uno (30+) | Koncept House
- Atlanta Halal Fall Festival | Atlanta, GA
- 2026 GSU Sculpture Iron Pour | Atlanta, GA
- Georgia State University Men's Basketball vs Norfolk State | Ga., GSU Convocation Center

Sunday, November 15
- Atlanta Falcons v Kansas City Chiefs | Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- JOHN SUMMIT – CTRL ESCAPE ARENA TOUR | State Farm Arena
- Sunday Shindig in South Downtown | Founders Green
- Falcons vs. Kansas City Chiefs: Founders Green Watch Party | Founders Green
- Junior Joint Recital: Karma Allen & Nicholas Coppola, percussion | Florence Kopleff Recital Hall

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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 facility, a big step in a project that will shape county spending for years. They also voted 5-1 to abolish the county Board of Ethics, so independent officers will now screen and decide ethics complaints. You'll see the school millage rate in your tax bill, since the board adopted the 2026 rate for Fulton County Schools. The board also approved nearly $47 million to keep medical services running at the county jail and a grant to help build a 200-unit affordable housing development in Vine City. Commissioner Dana Barrett's proposals to lift the 5% departmental budget cap and to push back on private equity ownership of medical practices both failed.

Atlanta City Council
At its full meeting, the council set the city's Fiscal Year 2027 property tax rates, which determine what you'll pay for city services, parks, schools, and the BeltLine and Stitch special districts. As covered in today's news section, projects like the GDOT-related bridge work tie into broader infrastructure spending, and the council backed more than $63 million in water system work, including $25 million for water line replacements. Members also extended the moratorium on new self-storage facilities in Office-Institutional zones by 60 days and sent a water line repair contract extension back to the City Utilities Committee. Council members unanimously denied a housing site plan amendment and killed a 21-acre commercial parking proposal. They also approved a $1 land transfer to the Metro Atlanta Land Bank for affordable housing and waived tree fees for a new grocery store. The Committee on Council voted 7-0 to recommend Dr. Annette Hall for the Atlanta Human Relations Commission, but held proposed changes to public comment rules, even though the full council approved a version of that measure the same day.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Fulton County Board of Commissioners
- 342 Marietta St NW — The Fulton County Board of Commissioners approved a grant to convert existing historic office space into a locally owned bookstore, café, and community space.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee | Nov-09, 10:00 AM | key topics: Moores Mill Road bridge replacement study, Courtland/Piedmont safe streets corridor, and citywide traffic signal modernization funding
- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee | Nov-09, 11:00 AM | key topics: comprehensive zoning code overhaul, new event center regulations, and industrial-to-mixed-use rezonings on Monroe Drive and Decatur Street
- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee | Nov-09, 1:00 PM | key topics: legal lawsuit settlements, senior housing code complaint protections, and package sales alcohol distance waivers
- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee | Nov-10, 10:00 AM | key topics: potable water restrictions for data centers, commercial septic tank bans, and Peachtree Creek wastewater storage facility funding
- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee | Nov-10, 1:30 PM | key topics: Fourth Avenue greenspace forest acquisition, Southside Park improvements, and 143 Alabama Street redevelopment
- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee | Nov-10, 1:30 PM | key topics: Fire Station 31 construction contract, affordable housing bond issuance, and 143 Alabama Street redevelopment option

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 191 Peachtree St NE — Renovation and expansion of the common corridor on the 45th floor of this office tower. The permit's been issued, so work can start. Expect high-floor polish for tenants and visitors.
- 210 Peachtree St NW — Five alteration permits are under review for a full guestroom refresh. Plans include new flooring, finishes and furniture, plus tub-to-shower conversions in the bathrooms. Corridors get new finishes too. Filing this many at once points to a hotel-wide overhaul.
- 50 Alabama St SW — A 1,250-square-foot retail space is on track to become an event space. The scope covers cosmetic improvements only, and the permit's been accepted. If you've wanted a new spot for parties or pop-ups nearby, this could be it.
- 85 Centennial Olympic Park Dr NW — An HVAC permit is issued for ductless split systems, electric heaters, split system air conditioners and refrigerant piping.
- 85 Centennial Olympic Park Dr NW — A commercial alteration permit covers building and delivering a warm shell for a future tenant fit-out. The space is being readied before a tenant has been announced.
- 85 Centennial Olympic Park Dr NW — Shade canopy structures #3 through #11 are up for assembly and installation. The permit's still routed for review. You'll likely see more shade near the park once it clears.
- 89 Mangum St SW — Structural framing and concrete repairs are underway on this multifamily building. The permit's been issued. Expect some construction noise nearby.

Road Work

Under Construction
- Downtown Connector resurfacing — Crews are repaving I-75/I-85 from the CSX rail crossing up to the Brookwood Interchange, the first resurfacing since 2016.
- Memorial Drive at Ted Turner Drive — Crews are turning one eastbound lane on Memorial Drive into a dedicated left-turn lane for westbound drivers, and the signals are being updated to match.
- I-75 tunnel lighting at Ralph McGill and Baker Street — Crews are swapping the old sodium lights in the tunnel for LEDs, with some wiring work along the way.
- I-75 tunnel lighting at Memorial Drive — The same LED upgrade is under way in the I-75 tunnel at Memorial Drive.
- I-75 lighting, I-85 to Memorial Drive — LED highway lights are going in along this stretch of I-75, and some poles and wiring may be replaced.

Service Requests
- Non-Emergency Traffic Signal Repair: You'll see 17 reports, filed Nov. 2 to Nov. 6. Locations include Decatur St and Jesse Hill Jr Dr (2 reports), Pryor St and Wall St (2 reports), Pine St and Courtland St, and Andrew Young International Blvd NE. Eleven more spots round out the list.
- Emergency Traffic Signal Repair (Level 1): Eleven reports came in over the same stretch. Decatur St and Peachtree St, Luckie St and Baker St, and Marietta St and Peachtree St each had two reports. Decatur St and Jesse Hill Jr Dr also showed up, and three other locations make up the rest. If your commute runs through these intersections, expect some hiccups at the lights.
- Potholes: Three reports, all along Ted Turner Dr NW. They cover the road itself, the corner at Marietta St NW, and the corner at Williams St NW.
- Right of Way Litter Removal: Whitehall St SW needs a cleanup.
- Sign Repair, Replacement, or Installation: Cooper St SW has a request in for sign work.

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Until next week,
Downtown 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.