Presented by Rally Built Homes
Druid Hills / North Decatur
Hope you had a great July 4th weekend, Druid Hills / North Decatur! Emory is making moves at Northlak Mall, and DeKalb commissioners are holding a public hearing on the 2026 millage rate and proposed fee hikes this week, which means your input still counts before anything is finalized. And if you care about the neighborhood's tree cover, there's a new documentary making the case that local leaders need to act fast before more of it disappears.
- News — Emory keeps expanding its footprint at Northlake Mall, a new film called "The Tree Economy" pushes Brookhaven and Chamblee to toughen tree preservation rules, and World Cup WatchFest has been a genuine windfall for Decatur Square merchants.
- Events — Eagle Eye Book Shop has author events three nights running this week, Fernbank brings live animals and dino talks through the weekend, and Friday's "After Dark: Under Construction" night at Fernbank is worth a look.
- Government — DeKalb commissioners meet Monday on the 2026 millage rate, stormwater and sanitation fee increases, a proposed ban on pet shop sales of dogs, cats, and rabbits, and a pedestrian safety project at N. Decatur Rd and Ridgewood Dr.
- Construction — Emory has a permit in for a full sixth-floor concierge clinic renovation on Clifton Road, a Saks retail buildout is under review at 3440 Peachtree, and CHOA is adding retaining walls on Briarcliff.
Let's dive in.
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NEWS
Emory expands at Northlake Mall, and a new film sounds the alarm on Atlanta's vanishing tree canopy
Emory Healthcare expanding footprint at Northlake Mall
Emory Healthcare is growing its administrative and medical office presence at Northlake Mall, which recently sold as part of its ongoing transformation from traditional retail space.
People pack Main Street for Tucker's July 4 celebration
Nearby, Tucker's Fourth of July brought crowds out in force to Main Street for the annual celebration. Looked like quite a time!
New documentary highlights Atlanta's alarming rate of tree loss
A new film called "The Tree Economy" takes a hard look at how fast the metro area is losing its tree canopy, with the camera pointed squarely at local communities and the lawmakers who set the rules around tree removal. The filmmakers are pushing officials to pass tougher preservation ordinances before more of the neighborhood green cover disappears for good.
Midtown International School blames declining enrollment for financial woes, but avoids bankruptcy
Midtown International School has pulled back from the edge of bankruptcy after a stretch of serious financial trouble tied to falling enrollment numbers. The school is working to stabilize its finances, and families connected to the institution will want to follow how that effort plays out in the months ahead.
Decatur Square businesses thrive during 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup and WatchFest
The World Cup has been very good for Decatur Square. Local restaurants and shops are seeing strong sales as WatchFest events draw steady crowds into the area, and merchants who prepared for the boost are reaping the rewards.
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Monday, July 6
- StoryWalk® at Mason Mill Park | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- What's Your Favorite Fox Theatre Memory? | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Books and Babies Storytime | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Toddler Storytime | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Weekday Winning: Mega Mondays | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
Tuesday, July 7
- Chanel Cleeton & Vanessa Riley: An Infinite Love Story | Eagle Eye Book Shop
- Toco Hill-Avis G. Williams Library Book Discussion Group | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Live Animal Encounter | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Weekday Winning: Toco Tuesdays | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
Wednesday, July 8
- Meredith Lavender & Kendall Shores: Perfect Life | Eagle Eye Book Shop
- American Red Cross Blood Drive | Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library
- Preschool Storytime | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Dino Talk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Weekday Winning: Wicked Good Wednesday | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
Thursday, July 9
- Robinne Lee & Ashley Jordan: Crash Into Me | Eagle Eye Book Shop
- Jewelry with Gin Live! | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Live Animal Encounter | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Weekday Winning: Thirsty Thursday | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
Friday, July 10
- Fernbank After Dark: Under Construction | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Cover to cover | Napoleon's Grill
- Blackfoot Daisy | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- July 10th The Heckin' Drawin' Club | Heck House
- Direct Depozit Presents: The Safe Depozit Box: Two-Year Anniversary Show | The Warehouse
- Friday Movies | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Dino Talk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
Saturday, July 11
- Live Music: Local Dog at 4 pm | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- Summer Goals Tour at Target | Target
- Dino Talk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Green Market | Piedmont Park
- Rum Island Festival | Piedmont Park
Sunday, July 12
- Acoustic Honey | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- Meet a Ranger | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Dino Talk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
GOVERNMENT
Millage rate and fee hikes on the docket, plus a pet shop sales ban and key rezonings
Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.
Meetings This Week
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole | Jul-07, 9:00 AM
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Regular Meeting | Jul-07, 9:00 AM | key topics: 2026 property tax millage rate public hearing, stormwater & sanitation fee increases, pet shop sales ban (dogs/cats/rabbits), pedestrian safety improvements at N. Decatur Rd & Ridgewood Dr
- DeKalb County Planning Commission | Jul-07, 6:00 PM | key topics: industrial-to-residential rezoning on Henrico Road, townhomes proposed near Mercer University (Chamblee-Tucker Rd), salon suites rezoning at 3040 Briarcliff Rd, Covington Highway package store SLUP
CONSTRUCTION | Presented by
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Emory gets a concierge clinic permit on Clifton, and a Saks buildout is under review
Permits
- 1525 Clifton Rd NE Emory's medical corridor keeps growing. A full sixth-floor interior renovation is permitted here for a new concierge medical clinic inside an existing six-story building.
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, 1920 Briarcliff Rd NE [$193,681] Four modular MSE retaining walls are going in. Expect some construction activity around the CHOA campus.
- Country Ln [$600,000] A new two-story single-family home is permitted. One of the bigger residential builds in the area this cycle.
- Silvastone Dr [$283,102] A kitchen renovation with wall removal plus a bathroom renovation. Sizable scope for a residential project.
- 3440 Peachtree Rd NE A retail buildout inside the existing Saks department store is under review. A new retail tenant is taking over a lease space inside the store.
- 2947 E Ponce de Leon Ave, Ste 100 Wall-mounted channel letter signage permitted for a business here. A new sign usually means a new (or newly rebranded) business is getting ready to open.
- 1365 Clifton Rd NE Two permits filed here recently, one for fire sprinkler work and one for an interior electrical renovation. Active work on this building.
Beyond these, 42 residential and minor permits are in the pipeline across the area, mostly routine single-family work totaling around $350K.
Road Work
Under Construction
- SR-236 EB Left Turn Lane Extension at SR-155 (DeKalb County) Turn lane extension work is underway at the SR-236 eastbound and SR-155 intersection. If you pass through that junction regularly, expect some delays while crews work.
- SR-236 & Shepherds Lane Signal Upgrade (DeKalb County) Signal upgrades are active at SR-236 and Shepherds Lane, about 2.6 miles out. The work is straightforward but can slow things down around the intersection, so give yourself a little extra time if that's part of your route.
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Until next week,
Druid Hills / Candler Park 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.
