East Atlanta: Southside Trail is Next Up, and a Historic EAV Corner Reborn

Hey, East Atlanta — a lot is moving this week, and most of it is centered on the BeltLine corridor. The Southside Trail's missing link through your backyard is officially funded and heading toward construction, a historic bank building in EAV is getting a second life as retail space, and Lennar is plotting townhomes in Reynoldstown. There's plenty more below — from a packed week of live music to some city council votes that affect your neighborhood.

- News — Lennar's Reynoldstown townhomes, Beulah Heights shopping its BeltLine-adjacent campus to developers, and the Southside Trail hitting a major milestone are the week's big stories.
- Business — A new plant-based lunch spot has quietly opened in Reynoldstown, giving the midday dining scene a fresh option worth checking out.
- Events — St. Paul & The Broken Bones headlines The Eastern on Friday, Cinco de Mayo lands at Republic Social House Tuesday, and live music runs wall-to-wall all week across EAV's venues.
- Government — The city council approved a $52M FIFA World Cup safety grant, a new 72-hour demolition waiting period that could protect neighborhood character, and a $39M contract for Atlanta's new 911 center — plus a Moreland Ave sidewalk project is moving forward.
- Construction — A coffee shop is getting wired on Boulevard, a restaurant is signaling its arrival on Glenwood, and the Moreland Ave intersection at Arkwright Place is being permanently reshaped — no more left turns.

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Let’s dive in.

NEWS

National homebuilder plots townhomes in Reynoldstown
Lennar is pushing forward with Camber Crossing, a new townhome community in historic Reynoldstown — and it's yet another sign that the BeltLine Eastside Trail corridor is still a magnet for residential density. If you've watched the neighborhood transform block by block over the past decade, this one won't surprise you, but it's worth tracking as the character of the area keeps shifting.

Beulah Heights University floats big development plans for its Ormewood Park campus
Beulah Heights University is shopping its 5-acre Ormewood Park campus to developers, and the timing is no coincidence — the newly opened Southside Trail section of the Atlanta BeltLine runs right by it. What gets built here could meaningfully shape how that stretch of the trail feels for years to come.

At historic East Atlanta Village corner, retail revival underway
New renderings are out for the restoration of a landmark corner in East Atlanta Village, where a historic bank building is being converted into fresh retail space. For a neighborhood that takes its streetscape seriously, this project is a welcome sign that someone is investing in EAV's bones rather than tearing them out.

Early Voting for May 19 Primary Underway in Fulton County
Early voting is open now ahead of the May 19 primary, and the decisions made in this election have real stakes — zoning policy, school funding, and public safety are all on the table depending on who advances. Don't wait until Election Day; check Fulton County's site for the polling location nearest you and go get it done.

Atlanta City Council president's first town hall connects residents with city liaisons
City Council President Overstreet held the first in what will hopefully become a regular series of town halls, putting Atlanta residents in the same room as the department heads who actually control infrastructure budgets, planning decisions, and public safety resources. If you've ever wanted to cut through the runaround and talk to someone who can act — this is that opportunity.

Atlanta BeltLine Nears Completion of New Southside Trail
The Southside Trail is hitting a major construction milestone, moving Atlanta closer to a continuous paved connection from Krog Street Market all the way through to southwest Atlanta neighborhoods. For East Siders who've been waiting years for this loop to close, the finish line is finally coming into view.

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BUSINESS

Vegan Lunch Service in Reynoldstown - opening - A new plant-based lunch spot has quietly taken root in Reynoldstown, giving the neighborhood's midday dining scene a fresh (and cruelty-free) option to rally around.

EVENTS

Monday, May 4
- Cabbagetown Initiative Meeting | Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association
- Samantha Crain & Flyte | The EARL

Tuesday, May 5
- Cinco De Mayo | Republic Social House
- Kamru | 529 EAV
- Drugdealer | The Earl

Wednesday, May 6
- MedShare's HumanKind 2026 | Trees Atlanta
- Spring HomeSchool Academy at Zoo Atlanta (K-12) | Zoo Atlanta
- Clara La San | The Eastern
- The Convalescence & Bible Belt Massacre | 529 EAV

Thursday, May 7
- New Candys | The Earl
- Nettspend | The Eastern
- The Maxines & Heroes for Ghosts & Added Color | 529 EAV

Friday, May 8
- St. Paul & The Broken Bones | The Eastern
- Nobody Cares Album Release Show | 529 EAV
- School and Group NightCrawler Overnight | Zoo Atlanta
- Reptile Room & Dandruff & JOA | 529 EAV
- Ben Again | The Earl
- An evening of Groove and Funk | 529 EAV

Saturday, May 9
- moe. | The Eastern
- Keeper for a Day: Reptiles and Amphibians | Zoo Atlanta
- Dinner Time & Night Palace & The Normas & Wardrobe Malfunction | The EARL

Sunday, May 10
- Mother's Day at the Zoo! | Zoo Atlanta
- Trainer for a Day: World of Wild Theater | Zoo Atlanta
- $leazy EZ & Amber Ryann & DAMAG3 | 529 EAV

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 – Finance/Executive Committee

The committee's biggest move was approving the issuance of up to $1.3 billion in bonds for major improvements at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, covering engineering, design, and construction as part of the airport's long-range master plan. On the public safety front, a $39 million contract was awarded to build the city's new 911 emergency communications center — a facility that will directly affect how quickly first responders reach Atlanta neighborhoods. The committee also approved a $4 million retroactive contract for water meter installations and greenlit upgrades to local green spaces, including a $600,000 donation to the Grant Park Conservancy for an outdoor classroom, theater improvements, and fountain repairs, plus $15,000 for ironwork restoration at Oakland Cemetery's Western Gate. A new ordinance clarifying how "blighted property" tax rates work — and how owners can return to standard rates once conditions are addressed — also passed unanimously. The big outstanding question is the FY2027 city budget and property tax rates, which were held and are expected to return for a vote on May 4 — meaning homeowners won't know their final tax picture for another few days.

Atlanta City Council – Transportation Committee

The committee voted 6-0 to rename a stretch of Lee Street SW to "Judge Thelma Cummings Moore Way," honoring the longtime jurist along the corridor between West End Avenue and West Whitehall Street. In a win for pedestrians citywide, the committee approved a one-year, $7.5 million contract renewal with Knight & Associates for sidewalk, curb, and ramp maintenance and repair, and separately authorized property acquisition for a new sidewalk installation project on Moreland Avenue. The committee also accepted a $3.6 million state grant from GDOT for safety improvements along Peachtree Street in Midtown, and authorized property acquisitions — including potential condemnation proceedings — to advance Segment 4 of the Proctor Creek Greenway. Two notable items were held for further review: a proposal to study potentially privatizing TSA security screening at Hartsfield-Jackson, and a plan to abandon a portion of Gilmer Street SE to Georgia State University.

Atlanta City Council – Community Development/Human Services Committee

The committee's headline action was a unanimous 5-0 vote to accept a $52.1 million federal grant from FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security dedicated to emergency management and public safety preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Closer to home, the committee approved nearly $1.9 million to fund construction of Enota Park along the BeltLine, a project that residents in adjacent neighborhoods should expect to see moving into active construction. The committee also passed a new 72-hour mandatory waiting period for demolition permits on structurally distressed properties — a measure aimed at preventing the kind of rapid teardowns that can change neighborhood character before residents have time to respond. A proposal to create an Office of Short-Term Rentals and a mandatory registry for Airbnb-style properties was held at the sponsor's request, so final rules on short-term rentals remain unresolved.

Atlanta City Council – City Utilities Committee

The committee authorized more than $45 million in new funding for sanitary sewer repair projects across the city, with contracts split between Rockdale Pipeline/Integral Municipal Services and Ruby-Collins/SE Consortium JV — work that affects the underground infrastructure most residents never see but depend on daily. A separate $24 million change order extended the Peachtree Creek Westside project to include an Eastside component, and the committee accepted a $1.28 million donation from The Conservation Fund for stream and floodplain restoration at Hunter Hills Refuge. In a significant land decision, the committee unanimously approved transferring 12 acres of city-owned watershed land to Invest Atlanta to be marketed for redevelopment, with a portion reserved for continued watershed use. A proposed waiver that would have allowed a residential structure to sit lower than standard flood-protection requirements demands was deferred for the second time, remaining held in committee pending more information.

Atlanta City Council – Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee

The committee unanimously approved a temporary alcohol exemption for specified downtown streets, sidewalks, and parking areas from June 11 through July 19, 2026, to accommodate FIFA World Cup crowds — a short-term waiver of the city's standard open-container rules in designated zones. In a significant civil rights and criminal justice move, the committee directed the Atlanta Police Department and Department of Corrections to stop using colorimetric field drug tests as the sole basis for an arrest, requiring laboratory confirmation before charges proceed — a change that addresses years of concerns about the reliability of those tests. Firefighters and public safety workers got a win with the unanimous approval of an updated compensation plan for sworn Atlanta Fire Rescue Department members, aimed at improving the city's ability to hire and retain first responders. The committee also launched an emergency study of the annual "404 Day" event to assess its impact on neighborhoods and city resources, while a proposed 180-day moratorium on new alcohol licenses in the Edgewood Corridor was held at the sponsor's request, giving the community more time to weigh in.

Atlanta City Council – Zoning Committee

In a brisk 26-minute session, the committee forwarded several smaller rezoning requests to the full Council, including a single-family lot-size adjustment on Athens Avenue SW and a special use permit for a personal care home, while holding more consequential development proposals for further review. A proposal to rezone a 13.87-acre industrial site on Sylvan Road and Cox Avenue into mixed-use development — one of the larger land-use shifts on the table — remained held in committee as members sought more information. A request to rezone apartment-zoned land on Bellview Avenue NW to allow greater density and building height was deferred until at least May 4, giving neighbors additional time to engage. A proposal to install two digital billboards on Cleveland Circle was referred back to committee, meaning that project is not moving forward yet.

Atlanta Public Schools – Board of Education

The April 29 meeting was the final session of the Student Advisory Council (SAC) for the 2025–2026 school year, focused on wrapping up the student body's formal recommendations to district leadership rather than taking any binding votes on policy, budgets, or contracts. Student representatives summarized the outcomes of their "Breakfast with the Board" meeting with district officials and presented standing committee recommendations covering student experience and district policy — input that goes to the full Board but does not carry the force of a vote. The session closed with recognition of student council members for their year of service, co-led by Dr. K. Caldwell Templeton and K. Glass. For parents and residents tracking major APS decisions like the district budget or school assignments, those items are handled at full Board of Education meetings, not at the advisory council level.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners

The Board's most significant financial action was authorizing $142.3 million in Tax Anticipation Notes — essentially a short-term government loan to keep county operations funded through 2026, a routine but substantial fiscal move. Commissioners also approved a resolution establishing a comprehensive support plan for the unhoused population and allocated $10,000 to a Tucker church's cold-weather shelter and shower ministry. However, residents tracking several high-profile policy debates will have to wait: decisions on data center regulations (including environmental and health impact requirements), a proposed ban on pet shop sales of dogs, cats, and rabbits, a new blasting ordinance, and more than $52 million in emergency upgrades to the Snapfinger Wastewater Treatment Facility were all deferred to the May 12 meeting. On a smaller but neighborhood-relevant note, a traffic calming petition for a residential street was approved for $15,100.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Atlanta City Council – Finance/Executive Committee
- Oakland Cemetery (248 Oakland Ave SE) — The committee approved a $15,000 donation to the Historic Oakland Foundation for renovation of the cemetery's Western Gate ironwork and surrounding beautification.

Atlanta City Council – Transportation Committee
- Moreland Avenue — The committee approved authorization to acquire the property interests needed to move forward with a sidewalk installation project along the Moreland Avenue corridor, aimed at improving pedestrian safety.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Committee on Council — Monday, May 4 at 11:30 AM | 55 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta
The committee is scheduled to consider a resolution requesting certified law enforcement presence at all city recreation centers used as polling places. Also on the agenda: appointments to the Beltline's Affordable Housing Advisory Board and TAD Advisory Committee, two Budget Commission seats ahead of FY2027 planning, and a charter amendment that would require a named primary sponsor for most city legislation.

- Atlanta City Council — Monday, May 4 at 1:00 PM | 55 Trinity Avenue, Atlanta
The full council will take up a wide-ranging agenda including a proposed $52.1 million federal grant for FIFA World Cup 2026 preparations and a temporary suspension of city code to allow outdoor alcohol consumption in designated downtown areas from June 11–July 19. The FY2027 proposed budget and ad valorem tax rates are also scheduled for consideration, alongside a text amendment that would ban new self-storage facilities within the BeltLine Overlay District. A $1.87 million construction contract for Enota Park on the Beltline and a new sworn compensation plan for Atlanta Fire Rescue are also on the agenda. A rezoning at 2410 Jonesboro Road SE is scheduled for consideration that would allow low-density mixed-use development — shops or small businesses alongside residential units — on properties currently zoned single-family.

- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole — Tuesday, May 5 at 9:00 AM | 178 Sam's Street, Decatur (Multipurpose Room A1201)

- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — PWI Public Works & Infrastructure Committee — Tuesday, May 5 at 3:30 PM | DeKalb County Government Center

- DeKalb County Planning Commission — Tuesday, May 5 at 6:00 PM | Via Zoom
The commission will hold public hearings on several significant items, including a long-deferred proposal to build 214 single-family homes near Norris Lake and a county-wide "Chronic Nuisance" ordinance that would establish penalties and administrative fees against repeat-offender properties. Also on the agenda: three permit requests for a QuikTrip at 4733–4775 Memorial Drive that would add a car wash, fuel pumps, and an accessory alcohol outlet, along with a text amendment clarifying how excise taxes are collected on short-term rentals countywide.

- Fulton County Board of Commissioners — Wednesday, May 6 at 10:00 AM | Assembly Hall
The board is scheduled to consider the issuance of $165 million in revenue bonds for a student housing project and $75 million for Georgia Tech athletic facilities. Two affordable housing investments in the English Avenue neighborhood are also on the agenda — a grant for a 26-unit multifamily building and another for 14 permanently affordable duplexes and single-family homes. The board will also take up a proposed five-year, $28-million-per-year wastewater operations contract for North Fulton and a $325 million Tax Anticipation Note issuance to manage county cash flow ahead of property tax collection.

CONSTRUCTION

Permits

- 1039 Grant St SE — Interior build-out permitted for a new multi-use commercial space with a kitchen and food prep area. The white-box tenant suite is being carved into something with actual character — worth watching to see what opens here.
- 1260 Glenwood Ave SE — New grease traps and sanitary sewer connections filed. The classic telltale sign a restaurant is coming (or expanding) on Glenwood.
- 1015 Blvd SE — Full electrical wiring permitted for a commercial coffee shop. A new café is getting wired up on Boulevard.
- 1061 Memorial Dr SE — Fire sprinkler system going into a new warehouse space. Part of the ongoing buildout along the Memorial corridor.
- 1060 Memorial Dr SE — Assembly space converting to retail. The footprint stays the same, but the use is shifting — one less gathering space, one more storefront on Memorial.
- 816 Berne St SE — Temporary power pole set for new construction. Early-stage work underway; something is rising on Berne.
- 471 Flat Shoals Ave SE — Full plumbing rough-in including toilets, sinks, a shower, and laundry hookups. Scope suggests a gut renovation or new commercial tenant buildout on Flat Shoals.

On the residential side, 47 permits filed across the area this week, heavy on electrical work and additions — the usual churn of homeowners improving what they've got.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-20 Lighting Upgrade (Capitol Ave to Flat Shoals Rd) — GDOT is swapping out outdated high-pressure sodium lights for LED fixtures along this stretch of I-20 spanning both Fulton and DeKalb counties. Expect crews working along the corridor; the upgrade may also involve pole and conduit replacements. If you're commuting east on I-20, watch for lane activity.
- SR 42/Moreland Ave at Arkwright Place — Intersection Conversion — This Fulton County project is reshaping the Moreland Ave and Arkwright Place intersection into a right-in/right-out configuration, with a new median blocking left turns. If you regularly turn left here, find your alternate now — that movement is going away for good.
- SR 154 (Memorial Drive) — Pedestrian Safety Improvements — Spanning both DeKalb and Fulton counties, this project is adding a mid-block pedestrian crossing, a right-in/right-out, and a restricted crossing U-turn (RCUT) between Hill Street and Pearl Street. Drivers on Memorial Drive should watch for new signal equipment and shifting traffic patterns near these intersections.
- SR 260 (Glenwood Ave) — Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons — Multiple pedestrian crossing upgrades are underway along Glenwood Ave, with flashing beacon installations at Brownwood Ave, Joseph Ave, Haas Ave, and Eastside Ave. These are in DeKalb but just over the border — relevant if you're traveling Glenwood in either direction.

Pre-Construction
- BeltLine Southside Trail – Glenwood Ave to Woodward Ave (Fulton County) — Segment 6 of the Southside Trail is funded and moving toward construction along Bill Kennedy Way (SR 154 Conn), with a new trail bridge planned over I-20. A second connected segment runs from Faith Ave to SR 154. Big news for Glenwood Park and East Atlanta residents — this is the missing link that will stitch the Southside Trail together through your backyard. No construction disruption yet, but worth watching closely.
- SR 154 / Memorial Drive Corridor Improvements (Fulton County) — Sidewalk expansion and ADA upgrades are coming to Memorial Drive between Connally Street and Grant Street, filling in broken and missing segments. A companion project adds auxiliary lanes along the same stretch. If you walk, bike, or drive this corridor through Grant Park and Reynoldstown, this one affects your daily routine.
- Atlanta Traffic Signal Enhancements – Phase II (DeKalb & Fulton Counties) — Signal equipment upgrades, updated detection systems, fiber/4G communications, and retimed signals are headed to intersections across both counties. No specific cross streets listed, but expect improved flow at some notoriously sluggish lights in the area once work begins.
- I-20 Scoping Study – Downtown Connector (Fulton County) — GDOT is in early scoping on a 5.46-mile study of I-20 and the I-75/85 Downtown Connector. Nothing is built yet, but decisions made here could have major implications for how traffic moves along the southern edge of the neighborhood for decades to come.

Service Requests

Potholes are the week's dominant complaint, with 12 reports filed across the neighborhood — concentrated on Flat Shoals Ave SE (3 reports), Glenwood Ave SE (2), and individual intersections including Hardee St & Walthall St, Gresham Ave & Portland Ave, and United Ave SE, among others.

A handful of traffic signal issues are also in the queue: an emergency repair is underway at the busy DeKalb Ave & Moreland Ave intersection, while non-emergency signal work was reported at I-20 E & Glenwood Ave and Maynard Ter & Memorial Dr.

Overgrowth blocking sightlines was flagged at Ormond St & Rawlins St and Side Ave & Glenwood Ave — both resolved. A downed tree on Gresham Ave SE is still being addressed, and litter removal on Grant St SE has been taken care of.