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Hey, Memorial Drive Corridor! This week: the long-awaited Memorial Drive Greenway is showing off refined renderings that finally include a dedicated skatepark, and Grant Park neighbors rejected a $25M development. Both stories have real implications for this stretch of the southside, so keep reading.

- News — The Memorial Drive Greenway gets a skatepark concept after 25 years of planning, the Beltline budget in detail, and a new mortgage assistance program targets teachers and firefighters looking to buy near the trail.
- Events — Red Bull Showrun shuts down Hank Aaron Drive on Saturday and Passion Pit hits The Eastern on Saturday
- Government — NPU-O meets Monday night with a loaded agenda: a Fayetteville Road annexation, medical cannabis dispensary rules, Drew Charter's renewal, and a liquor license transfer for Jolene Jolene all on the table.
- Construction — Nineteen townhomes are in the permit pipeline on Memorial Drive, Moreland Avenue is losing its left turns at Arkwright Place, and seven pothole reports landed across the corridor this week.

Let's dive in.

NEWS

Images: Refined Memorial Drive Greenway, skatepark vision emerge
Updated renderings have been released for the Memorial Drive Greenway, a linear park concept that has been under discussion for 25 years. The newly refined plans include design elements such as shade trees and a dedicated skatepark.

Breaking down the Beltline's $265 million budget
The Atlanta Beltline budget stands at $265.8 million for fiscal year 2027 as the organization pushes toward its 2030 completion goal. This article has a helpful breakdown of where that money is going.

Next to Beltline, another neighborhood board rejects development plan
A redevelopment proposal targeting affordable housing communities on both sides of a newly completed Atlanta Beltline trail segment was almost unanimously opposed by Grant Park Neighborhood Association. This comes after opposition by several other neighborhood groups towards the project.

Edgewood celebrates 1 year of Goodr Community Market and affordable food access
The Goodr Community Market in Edgewood has marked its one-year anniversary providing local families with access to fresh, affordable food. The milestone reflects a sustained grassroots effort to address food insecurity in the area.

Atlanta Beltline mortgage assistance program aims to keep public servants in city neighborhoods
The Atlanta Beltline has launched a new mortgage assistance program targeting public servants looking to purchase homes near the trail. Teachers, firefighters, and healthcare workers are among those eligible.

Aerial tour: How 5-acre, flood-solving Atlanta park is taking shape
Construction is advancing on a 5-acre park on Custer Avenue, situated just south of Grant Park and the Beltline, designed to address longstanding flooding problems in the area. The dual-purpose project will combine advanced stormwater infrastructure with recreational greenspace for southside neighborhoods.

Back-to-school events set for Decatur, DeKalb, Atlanta
A series of back-to-school events and school supply giveaways have been scheduled across Decatur, DeKalb County, and Atlanta public school districts. Families with children in these districts can find the full list of events at the link above.

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EVENTS | Presented by

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Monday, July 27
- Atlanta City Studio July Book Club Meeting | The Overlook at the Oakland Cemetery Visitor Center
- Summer Safari Camp at Zoo Atlanta | Zoo Atlanta
- Grant Ole Opry at Grant Central East | Grant Central East
- Big Samson and the Truth's Pro Jam | 529 EAV
- Oakland Tour | Oakland Cemetery

Tuesday, July 28
- Atlanta Checkmate Club 5th Anniversary | Hotel Clermont
- Qveen Herby | The Eastern
- Heathen | The Earl

Wednesday, July 29
- Atlanta Public Schools CTAE 13th Annual Golf Tournament | East Lake Golf Club
- Oliver Tree | The Eastern
- Sleepytime Gorilla Musuem | The Earl

Thursday, July 30
- Holy Wave | The Earl
- KING 810 | 529 Bar

Friday, July 31
- LIHEAP Cooling Program Opens July 31st | Fulton Atlanta Community Action Authority Resource Center
- Pinkest | The Earl
- LungBurner | 529 Bar

Saturday, August 1
- Red Bull Showrun Atlanta | Hank Aaron Dr.

- Community Clean-up | Our Neighborhood Edgewood
- History, Mystery, and Mayhem | Oakland Cemetery
- Adventure Cubs | Zoo Atlanta
- The EARL'S 27th Anniversary Series | The Earl
- Passion Pit | The Eastern
- Yule | 529 Bar
- Oakland Tour | Oakland Cemetery

Sunday, August 2
- We Shall Overcome: African American Stories from Civil War to Civil Rights | Oakland Cemetery
- Twin Fin | The Earl
- The Briefs | 529 Bar

GOVERNMENT

Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta NPU — NPU-O | Jul-28, 6:30 PM | key topics: Fayetteville Road & Second Avenue annexation and rezoning (Z-26-42 & 26-O-1350) is on the agenda, medical cannabis dispensary SUP rules (Z-26-41) will be heard, Drew Charter School APS renewal presentation is scheduled, ownership transfer for Jolene Jolene (1963 Hosea Williams Dr) is up for community input

CONSTRUCTION

Permits

2015 Memorial Dr SE — Three separate permits filed for new 3-story townhome buildings with attached garages and balconies, totaling 19 units across the permits. All are listed as Ready to Issue. This stretch of Memorial is clearly getting more density, and these projects are worth watching as construction ramps up.

791 Wylie St SE — Multiple permits in play here. The existing roof deck is getting replaced with new framing across several filings, and a window replacement (9 windows, like-for-like) is pending review. Expect noise if you're nearby.

256 Clifton St SE — A roof replacement is routed for review at Crim High School's gymnasium. Expect some disruption around the school during work.

1610 Hosea L Williams Dr NE — A tenant space is being converted into a Pilates studio. No structural or mechanical work involved, so this one's mostly a sign of what's coming to that commercial strip.

1188 Glenwood Ave SE — An HVAC inspection permit was pulled here, largely procedural. The permit notes no actual HVAC work was done, just a city-required check.

Beyond these, 67 residential permits rounded out the week, mostly HVAC replacements, home additions, and electrical work. Nothing unusual there, but the volume of additions (9 filed) suggests homeowners in the area are investing in their properties rather than moving.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 42/US 23 at Moreland Ave and Arkwright Place (Fulton County) GDOT is converting this intersection into a right-in/right-out, building a new median that blocks all left turns.
- I-20 Lighting Upgrade, Capitol Ave to Flat Shoals Road (Fulton and DeKalb Counties) Workers are swapping out the old HPS lighting along this stretch for LED fixtures. Expect lane activity and possible pole work as crews move through the corridor.
- SR 154 Pedestrian Crossing Improvements (Fulton and DeKalb Counties) This project adds a mid-block pedestrian crossing, a right-in/right-out, and a restricted crossing U-turn between Hill Street and Pearl Street.
- I-20 Concrete Rehab, Hill Street to Columbia Drive (Fulton and DeKalb Counties) GDOT is resurfacing this section of I-20 to bring it up to standard. Expect the usual disruptions that come with concrete work on a busy interstate.
- SR 260 Pedestrian Improvements at Haas Ave, Eastside Ave, Brownwood Ave, and Joseph Ave (DeKalb County) GDOT is installing Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons at several crossings along SR 260. The work is active at multiple intersections, so give yourself extra time if this is part of your regular route.

Service Requests

Seven pothole reports came in this week across Estoria St SE, Alloway Pl SE, Norwood Ave at Lanes Ln, Glenwood Ave SE, Hill St SE, and two other spots in the area. Four are in progress and three came back as no problem found.

Sign repairs are needed at several locations, including two spots on Weatherby St SE, the Seaboard Ave and Moreland Ave intersection, Memorial Dr SE, and Manigault St SE. Five reports total, with most already resolved or in progress.

Overgrowth blocking sightlines was flagged on Flat Shoals Ave SE, Marcus St SE, and Fulton Ter SE. Two are being worked on and one's already squared away.

A downed tree on Anniston Ave SE and another at Willow Wood Cir near Hosea L Williams Dr are both in progress.

Litter cleanup was requested on Cleveland St SE and Moreland Ave SE. One's done, one's still active.

And the traffic signal at Wylie St SE and Estoria St SE was flagged for repair and is sitting in a catch-all status category, so keep an eye on that one.

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Until next week,
Memorial Drive Corridor 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.