Midtown: Blight Tax Targets Dewberry's Tower

Hey Midtown! Big week on the development front and for events between the World Cup and Pride Month. City Council is finally taking aim at the Dewberry tower that's been rusting over the skyline for years, while a luxury condo developer is quietly locking up land for what could be the neighborhood's next major high-rise. Add in World Cup energy spilling into local bars and parks, Jill Scott at the Fox, and a packed government calendar, and there's a lot to dig into this week.

- News — Council is pushing a blight tax to force developer John Dewberry's hand on his long-stalled Midtown tower, while Kolter Urban is snapping up seven townhome sites to make room for a new luxury condo high-rise called Fourteen Park.
- Business — Synchronicity Theatre is closing its Midtown chapter with a bittersweet farewell: a world premiere running through June 28 at Peachtree Pointe before the company moves on.
- Events — It's a packed week: World Cup watch parties and "Flavors of Spain" specials hit local bars Thursday, Jill Scott takes the Fox stage Wednesday, and the brand-new O4W Soccer Program kicks off its inaugural festival at Historic Fourth Ward Park on Saturday.
- Government — The Atlanta City Council unanimously banned new self-storage facilities from the Beltline and approved $1.26 billion in water bonds, while this week's committee calendar includes a blight tax hearing for 1155 Peachtree and a vote on the FY2027 city budget and property tax rates.
- Construction — SR-13 resurfacing is already disrupting one of Midtown's busiest corridors, EV chargers are coming to 1745 Peachtree, and 311 logged a dozen pothole complaints and four traffic signal repair requests across the neighborhood this week.

Let's dive in.

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NEWS

Atlanta council members push blight tax for Dewberry's skeletal Midtown tower
City Council members are moving to hit developer John Dewberry where it hurts (his wallet) over the long-stalled Campanile office building that has loomed over Midtown like a very expensive eyesore. The proposed blight tax would impose significant financial penalties designed to force Dewberry's hand and finally get construction moving again on the skeletal high-rise.

Luxury condo developer plans to buy additional land to house first Midtown tower
Kolter Urban is locking up contracts on seven adjacent townhome sites to make room for Fourteen Park, its debut luxury condo tower in Midtown. The land grab signals the developer is serious about going big, and that another high-rise is coming to the neighborhood's already-evolving skyline.

June Pride Month events in metro Atlanta | 2026
Pride Month is here, and metro Atlanta is showing up with festivals, community gatherings, and cultural celebrations throughout June. Midtown — the historic heart of Atlanta's LGBTQ+ community — will be front and center for many of the signature events, so mark your calendar and plan accordingly.

Where to watch the World Cup around Atlanta
The wait is over. The World Cup has arrived, and Atlanta is in the thick of it as a host city. Whether you're a die-hard supporter or just someone who wants to be part of the energy, this guide rounds up the best spots around town to catch the matches and soak it all in.

BUSINESS

Synchronicity Theatre - relocating - The beloved theater company will close out its Midtown chapter at Peachtree Pointe with the world premiere of In Spite of My Ambivalence, running June 5–28 — a fitting, if bittersweet, farewell to the neighborhood stage it's called home for years.

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The World Cup comes to Atlanta's backyard this week — and the neighborhood is feeling it. Five Iron Golf is hosting watch parties, "Flavors of Spain" specials are popping up at local bars, and the brand-new O4W Soccer Program kicks off its inaugural festival at Historic Fourth Ward Park on Saturday. Plan your routes accordingly and embrace the beautiful game energy all week long.

Monday, June 8
- Community Game Night | Piedmont Park
- BASURA | Alliance Theatre

Tuesday, June 9
- Community Craft Night | Piedmont Park
- Weekly Walking Club | Piedmont Park
- Garden Playtime | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Drawing Orchids in Black and White | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Wednesday, June 10
- Three-Time GRAMMY Winner Jill Scott Set to Take Fox Theatre Stage with "To Whom This May Concern" | Fox Theatre
- Drop-In Kids Gardening Activity | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience | Alliance Theatre

Thursday, June 11
- Infrastructure Committee Meeting | Midtown Neighbors Association
- Cocktails in the Garden | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Lettuce With The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra | Atlanta Symphony Hall
- Kid & Family Fishing | Piedmont Park
- U.S. World Cup Watch Party at Five Iron Golf - Atlanta Midtown | Five Iron Golf - Atlanta Midtown
- Flavors of Spain Specials at The Office Bar | The Office Bar

Friday, June 12
- Max Richter with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble | Atlanta Symphony Hall
- Rick Ross – Port of Miami 20 Orchestra Tour | Fox Theatre
- Frame by Frame: Opening Screening and Artist Talk | Center for Puppetry Arts
- Shows for Seedlings: Atlanta Symphony Orchestra's Meet the Musician with Isabel Kwon | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Saturday, June 13
- Green Market | Piedmont Park
- Music in the Garden | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- MAAP's Pride Brunch Block Party | El Viñedo Local
- Refugee Recipe Celebration | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Harland Williams | Center Stage Theater
- Abe Parker | Center Stage Theater
- Introduction to Needle Felting | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Time of recipes and gratitude with Friend of Refugees at Atlanta | First Presbyterian Church
- Stand-Up Comedy Class | Laughing Skull Lounge
- Introducing O4W Soccer Program, Kickoff Festival | Historic Fourth Ward Park

Sunday, June 14
- National Bourbon Day | Establishment Atlanta
- Sugar Cookie Decorating Class at ASW Distillery | ASW Distillery
- Lil Jon and Friends: An Atlanta Rap Review | Fox Theatre
- Choir! Choir! Choir Presents: MAMMA MIA! An Epic ABBA Sing-A-Long | Center Stage Theater
- Sun Printing Workshop | Piedmont Park
- Father's Day Cricut Craft Class | Peachtree Branch Library

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

The Atlanta City Council met on June 1 and took action on a wide range of zoning, infrastructure, and fiscal matters. In a unanimous 13-0 vote, the Council approved a ban on new self-storage facilities within the Beltline Overlay District, a move aimed at preserving prime corridor land for active, mixed-use development — a significant win for advocates who argued warehouses were crowding out more vibrant uses. The Council also greenlit more than $1.26 billion in water and wastewater capital bonds alongside $20 million in targeted sewer repairs and $8.5 million for street resurfacing, investments that will affect roads and utilities across the city for years to come. On the affordable housing front, the Council approved reprogramming $735,000 in federal HOME funds to lock in affordable units at the Sweet Auburn Grande development, and authorized a $1.05 million contract renewal with Atlanta Beltline, Inc. to maintain parks and greenspaces within the Beltline Tax Allocation District. Notably, the proposed FY2027 city budget and property tax millage rates were sent back to the Finance/Executive Committee for further review, meaning residents won't yet know what their tax bills may look like next year.

Atlanta City Council — Committee on Council

Also meeting on June 1, the Committee on Council unanimously approved two procedural reforms that will change how City Council meetings run: one ordinance overhauling how public comment sign-ups and ceremonial proclamations are managed, and a companion resolution requiring the Municipal Clerk to display real-time timers during ceremonial presentations — a transparency measure aimed at keeping meetings on track. The committee approved a slate of board and commission appointments, including Alfred "Shivy" Brooks to both the Beltline Affordable Housing Advisory Board and the Beltline TAD Advisory Committee, and Forrest Coley, Jr. to the Atlanta Urban Design Commission. However, two higher-profile proposals were held in committee without a vote: a resolution that would station certified law enforcement officers at recreation centers used as polling places, and a separate resolution calling for an independent outside investigation into city contracts involving Foris Webb, III. Both items remain in committee pending further discussion, so residents interested in either issue should watch for them to resurface in future meetings.

Atlanta Public Schools — Board of Education

The Atlanta Board of Education met on June 1 and, based on posted minutes, took up a packed agenda headlined by the final adoption of the district's FY2027 budget — covering the General Fund, Special Revenue Funds, SPLOST, Nutrition, and Student Activity funds — which determines how local school dollars are allocated and how they interact with property tax rates. The board also considered Construction Management at Risk contracts for building and site improvements at Midtown High School and Maynard Jackson High School, projects that will matter to nearby residents as construction timelines and staging plans come into focus. On student policy, the board weighed the purchase of Yondr cell-phone pouches, a tool used by districts nationwide to limit in-school phone distractions, signaling a potential shift in how APS handles devices during the school day. The board also considered purchasing 22 new school buses and 13 service vehicles for facilities and transportation departments, as well as a Public Safety Band Signal Enhancement to ensure first-responder radio reliability inside school buildings.

Fulton County Board of Commissioners

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to have taken up a full agenda on June 3, though minutes are not yet posted — so the following reflects what was on the agenda, and items may have been tabled, deferred, or otherwise not acted upon. The most significant item up for a vote was an eight-year, $15.5 million non-competitive contract with Motorola Solutions to upgrade and maintain the county's ASTRO P25 digital radio system used by public safety agencies — a contract that drew scrutiny for bypassing the competitive bidding process. Also on the agenda: a renewal of a $12.6 million contract with Grady Health System to operate the Fulton County Behavioral Health Crisis Center, and a $1.5 million expansion of ride-sharing transportation services for county residents aged 60 and older. Three affordable housing and historic preservation grant proposals — including funding to convert market-rate apartments into affordable units and support a new 20-unit multifamily development — were deferred at the sponsoring commissioner's request and did not come to a vote.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee — Monday, June 8, 2026 at 11:00 AM
The committee is scheduled to take up a wide range of rezoning cases, including a first reading on a proposal to convert a 12.5-acre industrial site at 1200 White Street, SW into high-density mixed-use development along the Beltline corridor, and a contested plan to rezone 13.87 acres along Sylvan Road and Cox Avenue from light industrial to mixed residential-commercial — a case where city staff and the Zoning Review Board have recommended denial despite NPU approval. Also on the agenda: a city-wide text amendment that would add special use permit requirements and buffer zones for medical cannabis dispensaries, and public hearings on sweeping industrial-to-residential rezoning proposals along Logan Circle and Chattahoochee Avenue in the Upper Westside.

- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee — Monday, June 8, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The committee is scheduled to consider a proposed $3.5 million counter-drone detection and tracking system for the Atlanta Police Department, a $500,000 lawsuit settlement in Stanley Mack v. Travis Gray and the City of Atlanta, and a resolution aimed at reducing the detention of low-level, non-violent misdemeanor offenders to ease jail overcrowding. A targeted blight tax penalty is also on the agenda for 1155 Peachtree Street, NE, a Midtown commercial property cited for neglect.

- Fulton County Board of Commissioners — Special Called Meeting — Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Commissioners are convening a special session to discuss the county's Service Delivery Strategy — the state-mandated agreement that determines how Fulton County and its cities divide responsibility and funding for services like water, sewer, emergency response, and parks. The outcome of these negotiations could have direct implications for property tax distributions and utility service agreements across the county.

- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee — Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 10:00 AM
The committee is scheduled to consider a solid waste rate study presentation alongside a proposed ordinance adjusting trash and recycling service fees — changes that could affect residents' utility bills. Also on the agenda: a proposed $1.88 million land acquisition to construct the "Valley of the Hawks" wetlands for stormwater management, a $822,567 contract amendment for the Greensferry Stream and Floodplain Restoration project, and a proposal to reinstate green infrastructure requirements for developers that were removed in 2020.

- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee — Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 1:30 PM
A proposal to spend up to $7.85 million to permanently protect nearly 30 acres of forested land along Randall Mill Road, NW is scheduled to be heard, along with an ordinance correcting the funding source for a $4.5 million donation to build a new gym at Chastain Park. The committee will also consider a land donation at 0 Eugenia Street, SW for affordable and mixed-income housing in Mechanicsville, and a blight tax resolution targeting 1155 Peachtree Street, NE in Midtown.

- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee — Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM
The committee is scheduled to consider a proposed ban on heavy commercial truck cut-throughs on residential streets in the Cabbagetown Landmark District, a new ordinance requiring mandatory temporary pedestrian walkways when construction blocks city sidewalks, and over $9.3 million in road resurfacing and unpaved street repair contracts. A $43.8 million SkyTrain modernization project at Hartsfield-Jackson is also on the agenda. A parking restriction proposal for Lakeview Avenue, NE — relevant to the Midtown area — remains held in committee pending further review.

- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee — Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 1:30 PM
The committee is scheduled to consider adopting the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 city budget and setting property tax rates across all levies, including the general fund, parks, bonded debt, and special service districts for the Atlanta BeltLine and the Atlanta Stitch. Also on the agenda: a new consumer protection ordinance establishing disclosure and dispute rules for paid parking lots, three annexation proposals that would bring unincorporated properties into Atlanta city limits and the Atlanta Public Schools district, and resolutions addressing the city's use of artificial intelligence in official communications.

CONSTRUCTION | Presented by

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Permits

- 1745 Peachtree St NE — Six EV chargers coming to this address, pending review. Pedestal-mounted with cable management and wheel stops — a sign that even older commercial properties are racing to catch up with the EV moment.
- 908 Juniper St NE — A miscellaneous commercial permit filed for this multi-family property. Details are sparse, but activity on Juniper is worth watching.
- 778 Argonne Ave NE — Roof replacement filed for this multi-family building. Twenty-three squares of like-for-like material — routine maintenance, but good to know if you live nearby.
- 1170 Peachtree St NE — Tenant improvement permit in review for a commercial space: new breakroom, updated finishes, and new furniture. Someone's getting a nicer office.
- 999 Peachtree St NE — Law firm Chamberlain Hrdlicka is remodeling fire sprinkler systems across the 19th and 20th floors. Two separate permits filed — the kind of back-of-house work that signals a longer-term lease commitment.
- 373 5th St NE — A duplex getting fully replumbed as part of a remodel. Noisy and disruptive work for neighbors in the short term.
- 715 Peachtree St NE — HVAC ductwork and air distribution permitted and issued. Fans, ducts, the works.
- 893 Peachtree St NE — A temporary electrical pole permitted for a vacant parking lot. Something may be coming to this site — or at minimum, someone needs power there soon.

Elsewhere across the neighborhood, there are another 36 commercial permits in the mix — mostly electrical, low-voltage, and alteration work — plus the usual round of residential HVAC, plumbing, and water heater swaps.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 13 Resurfacing (Fulton County) — Paving work is underway on SR 13 from SR 9 northward to North Fork Peachtree Creek. This corridor runs straight through the heart of Midtown, so expect lane disruptions and delays along one of the area's busiest corridors. Last resurfaced in 2012, it's overdue.
- SR 3/Northside Drive Intersection Overhaul at 14th Street & Hemphill Ave (Fulton County) — Signal and operational improvements are active at the cluster of Northside Drive (SR 3), 14th Street, and Hemphill Avenue. The goal is a simplified intersection layout with more signal flexibility — but during construction, budget extra time if this is part of your daily route in or out of Midtown.
- Bridge Preservation at Multiple Locations — Cobb, DeKalb & Fulton Counties — A multi-county bridge preservation project covering co-polymer overlay, steel beam painting, and joint replacement at seven locations across Cobb, DeKalb, and Fulton. One Fulton location falls close enough to the Midtown area to warrant a heads-up, though specific bridge addresses within the neighborhood boundary weren't confirmed. Worth watching if you cross any aging overpasses nearby.
- Buford Spring Connector Tunnel Lighting Upgrade (Fulton County) — LED lighting is being swapped in at the I-85 tunnel along the Buford Spring Connector, just southeast of Midtown. Primarily a nighttime work zone, but expect periodic lane restrictions near the connector.
- I-75 Lighting Upgrades — I-85 to Memorial Drive & Tunnel Lighting at Ralph McGill/Baker Street (Fulton County) — Two concurrent LED lighting upgrade projects are active on I-75 south of Midtown. Work spans the I-75 corridor from I-85 down to Memorial Drive, plus tunnel upgrades at the Ralph McGill Blvd and Baker Street underpasses. If you use I-75 to access Midtown from the south, expect lane closures, likely during overnight hours.

Pre-Construction

- Peachtree Street Reconstruction (North Ave to West Peachtree St) — A lane reconfiguration along this 0.3-mile stretch will build one 10-foot travel lane in each direction. If you walk, bike, or drive this corridor daily, changes are coming — just not yet.
- SR 9 / 14th Street Realignment (Howell Mill Rd to West Peachtree St) — A full road transformation is proposed along 14th Street, one of Midtown's busiest cross-streets. Worth watching closely as this moves toward construction.
- SR 8 Median Work (Peachtree Street to Ponce de Leon Place) — Median improvements are planned along this stretch. Details are limited, but any median work on this corridor will affect traffic flow through the heart of Midtown.
- Atlanta Traffic Signal Enhancement Program – Phase I — Signal upgrades are coming to intersections along Atlanta's High Injury Network, with full mast-arm replacements planned. Midtown intersections are likely in the mix — good news for safety long-term, short-term disruption expected once work begins.
- The Stitch – Phase I (I-75/I-85 Cap) — The long-anticipated cap over the Downtown Connector is in the pipeline. This pedestrian bridge and green space project would reconnect Midtown to Downtown — a big one to track.
- Northside Drive Realignment (Marietta St to 8th St) — A new Northside Drive alignment is proposed with two lanes in each direction and improved intersections at Marietta Street and 8th Street. Affects the western edge of Midtown.

Service Requests

Midtown's 311 queue this week was heavy on street conditions. Potholes dominated, with 12 reports filed across the area — Ponce de Leon Ave and Robin Hood Rd NE each saw multiple complaints, along with 8th St NE, Montgomery Ferry Dr NE, Peachtree St NE, and several other locations. Traffic signals also drew attention: four non-emergency repair requests came in along Peachtree St NE, W Peachtree St NE, N Ave at Angier Ave, and the Peachtree/Ponce de Leon intersection, plus two emergency-level signal issues at W Peachtree St NE and Ponce de Leon Ave NE that have since been resolved. Elsewhere, overgrowth on Williams St NW and Peachtree St has been addressed, a sign repair is underway on Juniper St, and litter removal on Charles Allen Dr NE is in progress.