Presented By Neil Hediger Real Estate

Hey, Memorial Drive Corridor! This week: Beltline officials just dropped a $3.5 billion light-rail proposal that could reshape how we all get around, and APS is pushing its redistricting plan into a new phase. Add in a stacked EARL/529 concert calendar, a Grady urgent care rising on Memorial Drive, and Fulton's latest affordable-housing votes, and there's plenty to catch up on.

- News — Vela Park's food hall and townhomes are open for business and featured in a new article, the Beltline unveiled a $3.5 billion rail vision, and a DeKalb data center fight is heating up.
- Business — An Italian wine bar has soft-opened in East Atlanta Village while Chef Demetrius Brown turns his popular supper club into a full Summerhill restaurant.
- Events — The EARL hosts Croz Boyce and comedy oddball Neil Hamburger this week, plus a poker fest, a punk-heavy 50th birthday blowout, and Oakland Cemetery's "Fifty Ways to Die" tour.
- Government — Fulton funded 55 affordable units and jail elevator upgrades, APS is unloading surplus school sites for housing, and DeKalb's Planning Commission worked through a full slate of rezonings.
- Construction — A new 4-story mixed-use building and Grady urgent care are breaking ground, duplexes keep multiplying across the SE side, and RRFB pedestrian upgrades are landing on Glenwood Ave.

Let's dive in.

NEWS

Vela Park Brings New Homes, Food Hall and Gathering Space to East Lake
The nearly 12-acre mixed-use development has been open for a few weeks and includes 328 residences, among them 43 rental townhomes, alongside shared green spaces and a food hall meant to serve as a central community hub.

Reporter's Notebook: Cabbagetown murals; Fox Theatre content studio; Georgia Rivers Gala
The Forward Warrior mural project returns September 18 to 20, bringing 80 new murals to a 0.6-mile corridor along Wylie and Tennelle streets, with the free, all-ages event featuring expanded programming starting Friday.

Atlanta Public Schools moves into next phase of redistricting plan
The district-wide redistricting initiative continues as planners work to balance facility capacity and enrollment numbers, with potential boundary changes that could affect families across the city.

Beltline officials propose $3.5 billion light-rail system for Atlanta
Atlanta Beltline officials released final recommendations from the Beltline Transit Study, identifying preferred route alignments intended to improve travel times, access to major medical centers, and integration with the wider regional transit network.

Data center fight pits film studio against DeKalb County
Shadowbox Studios is appealing to the DeKalb County Zoning Board of Appeals to overturn the county's denial of its proposed large-scale data center facility, a dispute tied to the county's data center moratorium and debates over power infrastructure demands and commercial tax revenue.

BUSINESS

Sagra brings Italian wine bar to East Atlanta Village — Eric Di Nardo has soft-opened Sagra, a new neighborhood wine bar in East Atlanta Village inspired by traditional Italian harvest festivals and communal gatherings.

Chef Demetrius Brown opening Heritage restaurant in Summerhill — Acclaimed chef Demetrius Brown is transitioning his popular Heritage Supper Club into a permanent brick-and-mortar restaurant in Summerhill, celebrating African and Caribbean culinary traditions.

EVENTS | Presented by

Peace of Mind Recycling is your one stop shop for a convenient and affordable way to make sure your recyclables actually get… recycled! With Atlanta's city recycling services your guess is as good as ours in regards to what actually gets recycled. We document where we take your glass, metal, electronics & everything else so you can rest assured it's going to the good place 100% of the time.

Tuesday, September 8
- "The A Stands for Art" Film Screening | DH Stanton Park
- Memorials | The EARL
- Kilometer Kids - DH Stanton Park (Youth) | DH Stanton Park Soccer Field
- CNIA Monthly Meeting | Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association

Wednesday, September 9
- ONE Transportation Committee Meeting | Our Neighborhood Edgewood
- Cody Bolden Music: Roadhand Roundup: 3-Band Country Show | 529 Bar
- Croz Boyce (Avey Tare and Geologist of Animal Collective) | The Earl

Thursday, September 10
- Smoochyface | 529 EAV
- Neil Hamburger | The EARL

Friday, September 11
- JIM BOB COOTER'S 50TH BIRTHDAY | 529 EAV
- Rock N Roll Bingo | Cabbagetown Neighborhood Improvement Association
- Gnomonaut, LungBurner, Slack Sabbath, Hot Wives @ 529 | 529 Bar
- Big Hairy Elephant with Cloak at The EARL (MusiCares benefit) | The Earl

Saturday, September 12
- East Atlanta Poker Fest | Midway Pub
- Zumba/Hip Hop Cardio | Terminal South
- Fifty Ways to Die | Oakland Cemetery
- Sparta | The EARL
- Human Clay - The Ultimate Creed Tribute | 529 EAV
- Family NightCrawler Overnight | Zoo Atlanta

Sunday, September 13
- Trainer for a Day: World of Wild Theater | Zoo Atlanta
- The Jewish Grounds of Oakland | Oakland Cemetery
- U at the Zoo presented by Cricket Wireless | Zoo Atlanta
- Fit 404 Cardio & Strength | Terminal South
- Black on the Block | Pullman Yards
- Kontravoid & Buzz Kull | The EARL

GOVERNMENT | Presented by

Want to spruce up your home or get a unique gift for a loved one? Check out Hightower Photo + Art, a local Atlanta artist that makes these extremely cool Atlanta neighborhood prints (and much more).

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 funding for 55 new affordable housing units, a mix of single-family homes and multifamily apartments, marking a notable investment in the county's affordable housing stock. The board also signed off on a $4.42 million contract to modernize nine elevators at the Fulton County Jail, a project that will run for over 18 months and address long-standing infrastructure needs at the facility. Two intergovernmental agreements totaling more than $1.7 million will fund water main relocations tied to road and trail improvements elsewhere in the county. Commissioners approved the 2026 Budget Soundings, an early step in shaping next year's county budget, and authorized $1.2 million in grant funding for a rental assistance program run through the Urban League of Greater Atlanta. Together, the votes show the county leaning into both housing support and infrastructure upkeep this cycle.

DeKalb County Planning Commission
The Planning Commission took up a full slate of rezoning requests that could reshape housing and commercial activity across several corridors. Multiple applications sought to convert commercial or office-zoned parcels into medium-density residential development, reflecting a broader push toward denser housing near existing commercial strips. One expanding subdivision proposal would add new single-family homes under a conservation-style zoning designation meant to preserve green space. Commissioners also weighed a placemaking master plan intended to guide future zoning and streetscape decisions for an entire commercial corridor, plus smaller requests covering daycare centers, a restaurant drive-through, and an alcohol retail permit. Minutes from the meeting are posted, so these outcomes reflect actual votes rather than agenda items alone.

Atlanta Board of Education
The school board approved a significant redevelopment push, authorizing a ground lease with the Atlanta Urban Development Corporation to turn a former school site into affordable housing, along with intergovernmental agreements covering four additional surplus APS properties slated for similar mixed-use redevelopment. The board also approved a real estate exchange and a Joint Use Agreement with the city's Parks and Recreation Department, opening up more shared recreational space for surrounding communities. New district policy on repurposing underused school facilities got final approval, setting clearer rules for how APS handles its surplus buildings going forward. The board finalized a policy on student technology and instructional materials, and approved a 15-year lease for another district-owned property. Taken together, these moves signal APS is actively converting unused real estate into housing and community assets rather than letting it sit vacant.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Committee on Council | Sep-08, 11:30 AM | key topics: first-come first-served public comment rules, police presence at recreation center polling places, civic board appointments
- Atlanta City Council | Sep-08, 1:00 PM | key topics: Upper Westside industrial rezonings to mixed-use, consumer protections at private parking lots, police fleet master lease agreement
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole | Sep-10, 9:00 AM

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 1976 Hosea L Williams Dr NE — New 4-story mixed-use building filed, concrete podium with wood-frame residential above. That's a serious addition to the corridor's density, and you'll want to watch for construction traffic once it breaks ground.
- 1039 Grant St SE — Full interior buildout for a new restaurant, complete kitchen and two bathrooms. Another sign the area's food scene keeps growing.
- 724 Memorial Dr SE — Site prep underway for a new 5,975 square foot Grady urgent care facility. Expect grading, storm work, and utility installation, so plan for some noise and lane closures nearby.
- 39 Georgia Ave SE — New 200-amp electrical service going in for an Outfront Media billboard. Small job, but it means new signage is coming to that stretch.
- 390 Stovall St SE — Two separate heat pump replacements issued for this commercial property. Routine maintenance, nothing to worry about.
- 796 Fulton Ter SE — Exterior renovation permitted for an existing duplex, including new siding work. Low-impact but part of the steady wave of duplex upgrades hitting the neighborhood.
- 225 Stovall St SE — Duplex construction moving forward, this permit covers Unit B's certificate of occupancy. Front and rear porches included in the build.
- 2015 Memorial Dr SE — Plumbing installed for a new single-family townhome. Another townhome project taking shape along Memorial.
- 1076 Washington St SW — New three-story, two-unit duplex under review. Add it to the list of multi-unit builds reshaping this part of town.

Road Work

Under Construction
- Glenwood Ave @ Haas Ave & @ Eastside Ave - Install RRFB — Crews are installing rectangular rapid flashing beacons at both intersections to improve pedestrian crossings on Glenwood Ave.
- Glenwood Ave @ Brownwood Ave & @ Joseph Ave - Install RRFB — Another RRFB pedestrian crossing upgrade on Glenwood Ave, this time at Brownwood Ave and Joseph Ave.
- SR 42 / Moreland Avenue @ SR 154 & @ Arkwright Place — Crews are converting the SR 42 / Moreland Avenue intersection at Arkwright Place into a right-in/right-out by building a median that blocks all left turns.
- I-20 from Capitol Ave to Flat Shoals Road, Lighting — This DeKalb and Fulton County project is swapping out old HPS lighting for energy-efficient LED fixtures along the corridor, with possible pole, conduit, and wiring replacement.
- SR 154 / Memorial Drive @ 7 locations in DeKalb and 1 in Fulton, VRU — This project adds a mid-block pedestrian crossing, a right-in/right-out, and a restricted crossing U-turn along SR 154 / Memorial Drive between Hill Street and Pearl Street.

Utility Work

Atlanta Watershed:
- Traffic Advisory: Emergency Lane Closures on Boulevard SE and Woodward Ave SE Due to Valve Replacement Work — Emergency lane closures are in effect along Boulevard SE and Woodward Ave SE to accommodate valve replacement work by Atlanta Watershed.

Service Requests
- Visibility/Overgrowth Issues — Reported on Moreland Ave SE, Bouldercrest Dr SE, Hank Aaron Dr SE, LaFrance St & Whiteford, Wyman St SE, and one other spot. Crews have moved on most of these already.
- Potholes — Crews are tackling holes on Bixby Ter & Bixby St, Memorial Dr SE, Rogers St NE, and Fraser St & Glenn St.
- Downed Trees — Crews are still working through reports on Tupelo St SE, Haygood Ave SE, and Glenwood Ave SE.
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Non-emergency fixes are underway at Hosea Williams Dr SE & Rogers St SE, Hosea L Williams Dr NE, and Glenwood Ave & Eva Davis/E Lake. Two emergency-level repairs also came in at Eva Davis Way & Glenwood Ave and Hosea L Williams Dr & Rogers St, and one of those is already closed out.
- Sign Repair or Replacement — Crews are working on signs at Memorial Dr & Clifton St, Cleveland St SE, and Milton Ave SE.
- Litter Removal — A cleanup request is in progress on Hank Aaron Dr SW.
- Graffiti Removal — Crews are addressing graffiti in the right of way on Glenwood Ave SE.

Want to sponsor us? Submit here

Want to alter your neighborhood selections? Submit here

Want to promote an event? Submit here

Until next week,
Memorial Drive Corridor Busybody

Every day, 4.5 million readers turn to 1440 for their factual news fix. We sift through 100+ sources to bring you a complete summary of politics, global events, business, and culture — all in a brief 5-minute email. No spin. No slant. Just clarity.

Join for free today!

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.