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Hey, Midtown! This week: Selig Enterprises made moves on two fronts — hiring brokers to unlock its Midtown land while Council approved its massive Upper Westside rezoning — and the city finally settled its decade-long tax fight with MARTA, freeing up $52 million for transit upgrades. Plus, chef Fuyuhiko Ito just opened Sozou at Spring Quarter, and Atlanta Black Pride takes over the neighborhood this Labor Day weekend.

- News — Selig's land ambitions, a new "parking bill of rights," and a $52 million MARTA settlement lead a busy week of headlines.
- Business — Chef Fuyuhiko Ito's new robata and sushi spot Sozou has officially opened its doors at Spring Quarter.
- Events — Atlanta Black Pride, Hamilton at the Fox, and a full slate of yoga, garden, and rooftop happenings fill out the holiday week.
- Government — Council greenlit Selig's 37-acre Upper Westside rezoning and shelved a historic district, while a new Ponce corridor density plan starts moving.
- Construction — Peachtree corridor office suites are turning over fast, plus a heavy plumbing permit hints at a new restaurant coming to 811 Peachtree.

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Let's dive in.

NEWS

Atlanta leaders consider new 'parking bill of rights'
Atlanta City Council leaders are advancing legislation dubbed the "parking bill of rights" to regulate private parking lot operators and increase signage transparency, targeting predatory booting and unclear payment practices in commercial districts.

Selig Enterprises hires Partners Real Estate to unlock value of its Midtown land holdings
Selig Enterprises has partnered with Partners Real Estate to market and activate its prime land parcels across Midtown, aiming to attract corporate tenants for future mixed-use and commercial office projects in the neighborhood.

Accounting firm Forvis Mazars to move into Midtown's 999 Peachtree building
Forvis Mazars is relocating its Atlanta offices from Downtown to the 999 Peachtree tower in Midtown, adding another major commercial tenant to the neighborhood's core business corridor.

Your Guide to Atlanta Black Pride 2026: Parties, Festivals and More
Atlanta Black Pride returns for Labor Day weekend with programming spanning Midtown, Piedmont Park, and nearby cultural venues, including community gatherings, cultural festivals, health expos, and nightlife events.

Atlanta and MARTA settle decade-long tax dispute, paving the way for transit upgrades
The City of Atlanta and MARTA have resolved a long-standing dispute over sales tax revenue, freeing up $52 million in funding for key regional transit improvements.

BUSINESS

Chef Fuyuhiko Ito Opens Robata Grill and Sushi Restaurant Sozou at Midtown's Spring Quarter — Chef Fuyuhiko Ito has officially opened Sozou on the ground floor of Ten Twenty Spring at Spring Quarter, serving robatayaki, sushi, and Japanese shareable plates.

EVENTS | Presented by

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Monday, August 31
- Strings in the Garden | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Purpose | Coca-Cola Stage

Tuesday, September 1
- Carmella Full of Wishes | Alliance Theatre
- Yoga Flow at 10th Street Park | 6pm - 7pm/10th Street Park
- Big Peach Social Run | 6:30pm/Big Peach Ride and Run
- Garden Playtime | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- NPU-E Meeting | Midtown Neighbors Association
- Atlanta Black Pride 2026 | Atlanta, GA

Wednesday, September 2
- Hamilton | Fox Theatre Atlanta
- Tech Talks Business Featuring Jaime Gilinski, IE '78, CEO of Grupo Nutresa | 5:30pm - 7pm
- Queer Figure Drawing: Drag & Transformation | 7pm - 9pm/Museum of Design Atlanta
- ONE PACT | Center Stage Theatre
- Yoga on the Square | 6pm - 7pm/Colony Square Midtown
- God Bless R&B II: Kennis Clark/Don Ready & Friends | Vinyl
- Basics of Pruning | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Thursday, September 3
- Georgia Tech Football vs. Colorado | 8pm/Bobby Dodd Stadium
- Karlous Miller | Centerstage Theater The Loft
- The Barista League North America | THE LOFT
- Movies on the Square | 7pm - 9pm/Colony Square Midtown
- Graphic Design Studio: Space Creature Codex | 4pm - 6pm/Museum of Design Atlanta
- Moves on the Green: Fall Free Fitness | 5:30pm - 6:30pm/Midtown Green
- Cocktails in the Garden | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Friday, September 4
- September High Frequency Friday | High Museum of Art
- Design Book Club: Salt: A World History | Peachtree Branch Library
- K-Prodigy Artist Breakout Stage | THE LOFT
- Shows for Seedlings: Atlanta Ballet's Fairytales with Friends | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- The Well: A Socially Soberish Gathering | Lotus Flower Om @ Colony Square

Saturday, September 5
- Atticus Roness | THE LOFT
- Dukes and Boots | Dockside
- Green Market | Green Market
- Patio Gardening | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Afterwords: PURPOSE | Alliance Theatre
- PRIME TIME | Whole World Improv Theatre Co

Sunday, September 6
- Pureheat Community Festival | Piedmont Park

Monday, September 7
- WRFG's 41st Annual Labor Day Blues BBQ | Park Tavern

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

Council committees packed the week with major votes. The Zoning Committee approved rezoning nearly 37 acres along Logan Circle and Chattahoochee Avenue for Selig Enterprises' mixed-use conversion of Upper Westside industrial land, the same company reported elsewhere this week to be marketing its Midtown holdings, while shelving the proposed Peachtree Circle Historic District on a 3-1 vote. The City Utilities Committee approved $2 million for Chastain Park stream restoration, a $2.7 million solid waste contract extension, and a no-cost utility deal with GDOT for the I-285 Top End Express Lanes project, but held a proposed data center water restriction and task force for more study. The Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee approved $815,000 in police lawsuit settlements and forwarded a $40 million Axon camera contract to full council, while holding a proposed 7th police patrol zone study for further review. The Community Development/Human Services Committee took up land-use amendments that would allow taller, denser development along Ponce de Leon Avenue and other corridors, plus condemnation actions against five blighted Westside properties. The Transportation Committee, whose meeting minutes aren't posted yet, took up $7 million in grants for BeltLine Southside Trail construction, a $4.5 million Buckhead street resurfacing deal, and new stop signs and crosswalks near Sarah Smith Elementary. The Finance/Executive Committee took up a crackdown on tax-delinquent developers getting city subsidies, over $332,000 in water bill refunds, and next year's property tax rates.

Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education

The Student Advisory Council met to kick off the 2026-2027 school year, and the session stayed light on formal action. Members reviewed a draft district policy on artificial intelligence in classrooms, though no restrictions or adoption timeline got finalized. District leadership also walked the council through an August strategy update covering goals for the coming school year. The rest of the meeting focused on internal housekeeping, including the council's handbook, calendar, and committee assignments for the year ahead. No votes, budget items, or zoning matters came up, so there's nothing binding for families to act on yet.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta Public Schools — Board of Education | Sep-01 | key topics: affordable housing redevelopment agreements with AUDC, parks real estate exchange and joint use agreement, facility repurposing policy
- Atlanta NPU — NPU-E | Sep-01, 6:30 PM | key topics: Piedmont Park festival permits, residential setback variances, new alcohol licenses for Midtown restaurants and open-air cafes
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners | Sep-02, 10:00 AM | key topics: affordable housing grants in Vine City and English Avenue, jail elevator modernization contract, water infrastructure agreements

CONSTRUCTION | Presented by

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Permits

- 999 Peachtree St NE — Second-generation office suite whiteboxing hits the permit office. Demolition and rebuild of interior space in this multi-story office building signals another tenant turnover downtown.
- 1349 W Peachtree St NW — Two-phase interior renovation covering suites 1525 and 1600. Both phases are heading toward completion certificates, so expect a fully built-out office floor soon.
- 1375 Peachtree St NE — Business office is expanding, with demolition, new walls, and a fire sprinkler relocation both in the works. This one's ready to issue, so construction noise could start soon.
- 708 Spring St NW — T-Mobile is swapping out antennas on an existing telecom facility. Minor exterior work, but you might notice crews on site.
- 811 Peachtree St NE — Heavy plumbing permit issued, covering multiple sinks, a dishwasher, water heater, and floor drains. Points to a restaurant or food service build-out.
- 1280 Peachtree St NE — Fire sprinkler relocation is under review. Routine safety upgrade, nothing disruptive expected yet.
- 905 Juniper St NE — A residential condo unit is redoing its bathroom. Small-scale, but it's stuck needing more paperwork before it moves forward.
- 1360 Peachtree St NE — Vacant office suite getting interior alteration work. No tenant walls are changing, so this looks like prep for a future move-in.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 8 & SR 8 WE from SR 3 to SR 42 — GDOT's District Maintenance Office is resurfacing this stretch of SR 8 to fix its low pavement quality score.
- Bridge Preservation at 7 Locations in Cobb, DeKalb & Fulton — Crews are applying co-polymer overlays, painting steel beams, and replacing bridge joints at several bridges, including the ramp from US 41 to SR 280 in Cobb and Moreland Ave/US 23. This one spans Cobb, DeKalb, and Fulton counties.
- Buford Spring Connector at I-85, Tunnel Lighting — Crews are swapping out the tunnel's old HPS lighting for energy-efficient LED fixtures, with possible conduit and wiring replacement.
- I-75 from I-85 to Memorial Drive — This corridor is getting an LED lighting upgrade, replacing older HPS fixtures. The scope may include new poles, conduit, and wiring.
- SR 9 from SR 3 to North of Paces Ferry Rd & SR 9 South — GDOT is resurfacing this section of SR 9 to address its low pavement condition score.
- I-75 at Ralph McGill Blvd & Baker Street, Tunnel Lighting — Both tunnels are getting LED upgrades to replace outdated HPS lighting, with possible conduit and wiring work included.

Service Requests
- Potholes — Reported on Inwood Circle and Peachtree Street (two spots), Juniper Street NE, Doncaster Drive and Robin Hood Road, 17th Street and Peachtree Street, Peachtree Street NE, and one other location. Most are already in progress.
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Non-emergency issues at N Avenue and Penn Avenue (two spots), Spring Street and 8th Street, 14th Street and Spring Street, Peachtree Street and 18th Street, and Charles Allen Drive and 8th Street. A separate emergency-level repair at Peachtree Street and 14th Street is already closed.
- Overgrowth and Visibility Issues — Crews are clearing sightlines on Monroe Drive NE, Myrtle Street NE, Ansley Drive NE, 7th Street and Durant Place, Argonne Avenue and 9th Street, and one other spot. Most are marked solved.
- Litter Removal — Multiple reports target Myrtle Street NE, all still in progress.
- Downed Tree — Reported on 12th Street NE and already closed out.

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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.