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Hey, Midtown! This week: a brand-new park on 14th Street is gearing up for September programming, Bank of America Plaza is eyeing a public restaurant and possible observation deck, and MARTA finally has its permanent CEO. Plus, city council moved serious money this week — think $99 million for roads and a stadium debt refinance.

- News — A new 14th Street park, a freshly opened street, and Bank of America Plaza's bid to open its doors to the public headline a busy week of Midtown milestones.
- Business — 5Church toasts a decade in Midtown, Hal's Steakhouse is coming to Midtown, and PopUp Bagels is angling for a spot across from Piedmont Park.
- Events — From Buddy Guy at Symphony Hall to spirit-free cocktails at Bar Margot and a Piedmont Park unity festival, the calendar's packed all week long.
- Government — City council approved $99 million for road work and refinanced Mercedes-Benz Stadium's debt, while the school board pushed forward on A.D. Williams construction and a new demolition contract.
- Construction — Peachtree's towers have a lot going on with asbestos abatement, sprinkler upgrades, and office buildouts, while GDOT keeps chipping away at resurfacing and tunnel lighting projects nearby.

Let's dive in.

NEWS

UPDATE: New park taking shape on 14th Street in Midtown, programming to begin in September
Midtown's newest public park on 14th Street is nearing completion, with community programming scheduled to kick off in September. The new green space brings added park amenities and walkable open space to Midtown and surrounding residents.

Bank of America Plaza plans new public restaurant and potential observation deck
Midtown's Bank of America Plaza skyscraper plans to open its doors to the public with a new restaurant concept and a possible observation deck.

MARTA names Jonathan Hunt permanent General Manager, CEO
The board gave interim CEO and general manager Jonathan J. Hunt the full-time job over two other candidates, including the leader of the Washington D.C. metro. Hunt has served as interim general manager and CEO since August 2025.

Brand-new Midtown street almost ready for public access
The 15th St. extension in the heart of Midtown is approaching completion and preparing to open for public access. The street project improves local connectivity and pedestrian infrastructure throughout the area.

Atlantic Station Under New Management, Seeking Public Input on Future
Atlantic Station has transitioned to new management, which is actively inviting neighborhood residents and visitors to share feedback regarding the future direction of the commercial and residential hub. The community input drive is intended to help shape upcoming operational changes, tenant mixes, and public programming.

BUSINESS

5Church Midtown celebrates 10th anniversary of storytelling through food — Midtown culinary destination 5Church is marking its 10th anniversary in the neighborhood, with owner Ayman Kamel reflecting on the decade-long journey of the restaurant.

Botánico Cocina & Social Club opens Latin American dining concept in Midtown — Botánico Cocina & Social Club has opened in Midtown Atlanta, offering a Latin American menu alongside a late-night social club experience.

Hal's The Steakhouse opening second location in Midtown's Spring Quarter — Buckhead dining institution Hal's The Steakhouse is expanding into Midtown inside the historic former Patterson funeral home building, plus adding a European-style café and art gallery.

PopUp Bagels planning new Midtown location near Piedmont Park — PopUp Bagels is planning to open at 1086 Piedmont Avenue across from Piedmont Park, taking over the former Skate Escape building.

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EVENTS | Presented by

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Monday, August 17
- Registration: Scarecrows in the Garden Atlanta | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Tuesday, August 18
- Bar Margot Spotlights Spirit Free Sips During its August Shaken & Stirred Mixology Class | Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta
- Land Use Committee Meeting | Midtown Neighbors Association
- Tesla vs Edison | Center for Puppetry Arts

Wednesday, August 19
- Fiddler on the Roof: A Behind-the-Scenes Feature | The Temple
- The Aloha Sensory Journey | 7pm - 9pm/Colony Square Midtown
- Safety Committee Meeting | Midtown Neighbors Association
- Hand Embroidery Workshop | Piedmont Park

Thursday, August 20
- Buddy Guy 90 | Atlanta Symphony Hall
- Business X Design: Aaron Fender of Portrait Coffee | 5:30pm - 8pm/Museum of Design Atlanta
- Blind Tasting Wine Down | Epicurean Theatre
- Raphael Ghanem a carne so cai no prato do vegano | Center Stage Theatre
- Jazz Night at Hartley featuring the Brian Hudson Trio | 5pm - 7pm/Kimpton Shane Hotel
- Cocktails in the Garden | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- IWA Collaboration Dinner | Lazy Betty

Friday, August 21
- Furtado Global & Speakeasy present…A Bobby Nsenga Experience | Centerstage Theater The Loft
- Hotel Burgundy | THE LOFT
- CRAZY RICH IMPROV | Whole World Improv Theatre Co

Saturday, August 22
- Majic Afer Dark Presents: Kevin Ross | Centerstage Theater The Loft
- Abigail Osborn/Harrison Boe/Eli Patterson | THE LOFT
- Green Market | Piedmont Park
- Introductory Bonsai Workshop | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Garden Chef Demos: Anïsa Lewis | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Stop the Violence Community Unity Festival | Piedmont Park
- Baek Ji Young | Atlanta Symphony Hall
- Squeeze at The Fox Theatre | Fox Theatre

Sunday, August 23
- Adrian Vandenberg | Aerial Kitchen & Bar

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 Board of Education met three times this past week, and the board pushed forward on several major facility and financial decisions. Members approved construction management services for the new A.D. Williams Elementary School and signed off on a bundled demolition contract covering several former or surplus district properties. The board also passed a Tax Anticipation Note to help manage cash flow, adjusted budgets for both the current and upcoming fiscal years, and gave final approval to new policies governing tax allocation district investments and electronic payments. On top of that, the board introduced first-read policies on repurposing old school facilities and updating student technology rules, both of which will come back for a final vote later. Consent items included new playground equipment, security camera upgrades, and mold and asbestos remediation contracts across several schools.

Atlanta City Council and its committees moved a lot of money and policy this week. At a special meeting, the full council unanimously approved the pricing terms for new airport revenue bonds, and the Finance/Executive Committee followed up by approving a refinancing of Mercedes-Benz Stadium's public debt to lower annual payments, plus a land swap agreement with Atlanta Public Schools. The Transportation Committee approved a $99 million fund for road and street construction citywide and a $4.5 million engineering agreement for the Peachtree Safe Street project running through Midtown. The City Utilities Committee signed off on a $57.2 million solid waste contract, a $25 million drinking water renewal project, and a new task force to study how cities regulate data centers. The Community Development/Human Services Committee approved over $3 million in workforce training grants and forwarded several land-use plan changes to the full council, while the Zoning Committee took up citywide rules that would require special permits for future self-storage facilities and medical cannabis dispensaries, and the Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee considered expanding community policing officers to every zone and two lawsuit settlements totaling nearly half a million dollars.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Committee on Council | Aug-17, 11:30 AM | key topics: stationing law enforcement at recreation center polling sites, updating public comment procedures, establishing a city council civility pledge, requiring legislative sponsors on proposed city ordinances
- Atlanta City Council | Aug-17, 1:00 PM | key topics: $1.3 billion airport revenue bond authorization, Mercedes-Benz Stadium debt refinancing, $57.2M solid waste contract, $4.5M Peachtree Safe Street Midtown project, data center task force creation
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners — Second Regular Meeting | Aug-19, 10:00 AM | key topics: bond issuance for a new Behavioral Health Crisis Center, historic preservation grant for St. Mark AME Church, court technology fund restructuring, residential sewer easement dedications

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 675 W Peachtree St NE — Asbestos abatement underway on the Concourse/Basement 1 level, covering roughly 8,000 square feet of AHU and ductwork. Expect this to run alongside a separate demo permit at the same address, clearing out vacant space for an incoming tenant.
- 1230 Peachtree St NE — This building's seeing a wave of activity. Permits cover an electrical renovation to Suite 1125, plus two rounds of interior alterations to a vacant business office suite, one already issued and another ready to go. The office itself stays vacant through the work, so no new tenant demising walls yet, but it's clearly getting prepped for someone.
- 999 Peachtree St NE — A partial alteration to the fifteenth floor just got the green light. Existing stairs and core restrooms stay put, so this reads as a standard office buildout rather than a full gut job.
- 960 Spring St NW — Minor electrical work, adding a 120 volt and a 240 volt circuit. Routine, but worth flagging if you're near the building.
- 1375 Peachtree St NE — Fire sprinkler additions and relocations moving through review, per code (NFPA 13). Nothing dramatic, just building maintenance keeping pace with code.
- 1201 Peachtree St NE — Plumbing work went in for two sinks, two instant hot water heaters, and a dishwasher, alongside a separate fire sprinkler adjustment. Sounds like a break room or small kitchen upgrade.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 8 & SR 8 WE from SR 3 to SR 42 — Crews are resurfacing SR 8 to fix its low pavement condition score.
- SR 13 from SR 9 to North Fork Peachtree Creek — GDOT is resurfacing this stretch of SR 13, last paved back in 2012.
- Buford Spring Connector @ I-85, Tunnel Lighting — Workers are swapping out old HPS tunnel lighting for energy-efficient LEDs, with possible conduit and wiring replacement too.
- I-75 from I-85 to Memorial Drive — This corridor is getting an LED lighting upgrade, replacing older HPS fixtures and potentially poles and conduit.
- SR 9 from SR 3 to north of Paces Ferry Rd, and SR 9 South — SR 9 is getting resurfaced along this stretch to bring its pavement condition up to standard.
- I-75 @ Ralph McGill Blvd & Baker Street, Tunnel Lighting — Crews are converting these tunnels from HPS to LED lighting, with conduit and wiring work included as needed.
- SR 3/US 41 from Tech Pkwy to Hemphill Ave — This project reworks the intersection cluster where Northside Drive, 14th Street, and Hemphill Avenue meet, simplifying the layout and giving traffic signals more flexibility.

Service Requests
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Seven reports across 5th St & Juniper St, Peachtree St & 11th St, Charles Allen Dr & 8th St, Peachtree St & 5th St, and Monroe Dr & 8th St. Crews have already fixed three of these, and the rest are in progress.
- Litter Removal — Crews are clearing right-of-way litter at N Ave & Central Park Pl and along Spring St NW.
- Potholes — A report on Argonne Ave NE is in progress.

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Until next week,
Midtown 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.