Presented By Green Box Homes

Hey, O4W / L5P / Candler Park! This week: the "Firehouse" affordable housing model in Sweet Auburn is almost finished, and the Atlanta Botanical Garden just unveiled a $160 million plan to give it direct Beltline access by 2028. Also on deck: a new French-American restaurant-slash-bookstore just opened on the Eastside Trail, Criminal Records hits 35 years in L5P, and county commissioners are eyeing a nine-figure water plant overhaul plus a big MARTA senior transit deal.

- News — The Firehouse affordable housing project nears the finish line, Criminal Records celebrates 35 years, and the Botanical Garden's $160M Beltline expansion could reshape access to Midtown and Ansley Park.
- Business — The team behind Buckhead's Lucian Books and Wine brings French-American fare and curated books to O4W's Eastside Beltline with the opening of Sargent.
- Events — From City Winery residencies to Dad's Garage vaults and a hip-hop history show at 7 Stages, the week's packed with comedy, music, and a Beltline doggie crawl.
- Government — Fulton moves toward handing senior transit to MARTA and funds a new behavioral health crisis center, while DeKalb weighs a staggering $233.8M water plant overhaul and Atlanta Council locks in $1.3B in airport bonds.
- Construction — Sidewalk repairs on the Boulevard, a coffee shop electrical upgrade, and the right-in/right-out at Moreland and Arkwright top this week's permits and road work.

Let's dive in.

NEWS

Images: 'Firehouse' project planned as new affordable housing model in Sweet Auburn
Construction is entering the final stretch on the 10-unit "Firehouse" infill development at 26 Hilliard Street NE, situated between Auburn and Edgewood avenues in Sweet Auburn.

Little Five Points celebrates 35 years of Criminal Records
The independent record store is marking 35 years in Little Five Points, having long served as a gathering space for local music lovers and artists.

8 residences pitched for middle of Old Fourth Ward block
A new proposal calls for eight homes to be built in the interior of an Old Fourth Ward block as low-rise residential infill.

Little 5 Points Halloween Festival & Parade returns this October with new theme
The two-day festival will feature over 100 art vendors, costume contests, and the Bat Cave Rave.

Atlanta Botanical Garden plans $160M Beltline expansion, direct access by 2028
The $160 million expansion will create a direct connection to the Atlanta Beltline by 2028, making the garden the first major cultural institution with seamless Beltline entry and improved pedestrian and bicycle access for Midtown and Ansley Park.

Building on Freedom Park Trail listed for sale as adaptive-reuse opportunity
A 1990s creative loft property directly along the Freedom Park Trail in Old Fourth Ward has been listed for sale as an adaptive-reuse opportunity.

BUSINESS

American-French Restaurant and Bookstore Sargent Opens in Old Fourth Ward — Sargent, a new American-French restaurant and curated bookstore from the team behind Buckhead's Lucian Books and Wine, has opened along the Eastside BeltLine in Old Fourth Ward.

EVENTS | Presented by

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Monday, August 24
- A$H. | City Winery Atlanta

Tuesday, August 25
- Mustard Service | The Masquerade
- Tim Rogers and The Fellas | City Winery Atlanta

Wednesday, August 26
- Insert Laugh Here | Dad's Garage
- Funky Dineva's Wednesday Wind Down | City Winery Atlanta
- AKA Ezzy: The Next Gen | Lore

Thursday, August 27
- From The Ashes The Birth and Rise of Hip Hop | 7 Stages Theatre
- Dad's Garage Vault | Dad's Garage
- Aaron Rizzo w/ Desmond Myers | Moods Music
- Worst | The Masquerade
- The Eric Roberson Improv Sessions | City Winery Atlanta

Friday, August 28
- Only Improv in the Building | Dad's Garage
- Catch23 | Dad's Garage
- Sincere Engineer - the Probable Claws Tour | The Masquerade
- True Blossom & Nelward | Aisle 5
- DLai - Comedian | City Winery Atlanta
- Devon Rex | Lore

Saturday, August 29
- Disco Biscuits | Variety Playhouse
- Wowie Zowie! | Dad's Garage
- The Tight Acquaintances | Dad's Garage
- Cage Match | Dad's Garage
- Morning Hike | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Kamelot | Dark Asylum World Tour | The Masquerade
- An Acoustic Evening with Max Bemis of Say Anything | The Masquerade
- Internet Islands & Mallbangs | Aisle 5

Sunday, August 30
- A Twink And A Redhead – Atlanta | Aisle 5
- Barks & Bites: Beltline Doggie Crawl | Krog Street Market
- Jubu Smith | City Winery Atlanta
- Mungo & 2AM Ricky & Travis Hall | The Supermarket

GOVERNMENT

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 voted to start negotiations with MARTA on an agreement that would have MARTA fund, and possibly run, the county's Senior Transportation Program, with a report due back to the board in 90 days. They also approved a bond deal with the Fulton DeKalb Hospital Authority to build a new Behavioral Health Crisis Center serving indigent patients, a significant investment in mental health care access. The board approved a grant to stabilize the historic St. Mark AME Church, which has been at risk of structural damage. Commissioners also voted to abolish two court technology funds and roll the money into the county's general fund, centralizing how the county pays for tech upgrades. Rounding out the meeting, the board renewed a $2.4 million countywide landscaping contract and approved a $1.6 million elevator overhaul at the Juvenile Justice Center, and reappointed the county manager, county attorney, auditor, and clerk to new contracts.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners
The Committee of the Whole's agenda (minutes aren't posted yet, so outcomes on these items aren't confirmed) included a massive $233.8 million contract for a treatment plant overhaul at Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant and an $18.2 million boost to on-call water and sewer repair funding countywide. Pedestrian projects on the agenda included over $3.2 million for new sidewalks and a protected crossing along Flat Shoals Parkway and a $4.1 million design contract to extend the Michelle Obama Trail. The county also took up several quality-of-life ordinances, including new noise regulations, a rebate program for switching from gas to electric lawn equipment, restrictions on pet store animal sales, and a resolution requiring an environmental study before the county's data center moratorium can be lifted. Parks items included grant applications for improvements at several county parks and up to $800,000 for tennis court upgrades at Sugar Creek. Separately, the Board held a Special Called Meeting that same day, but that session was procedural, limited to entering and exiting executive session with no public votes on policy or spending.

Atlanta City Council
The full council approved a major slate of fiscal legislation, including authorization for up to $1.3 billion in bonds to fund airport capital improvements and a $200 million refinancing of Mercedes-Benz Stadium debt that's expected to lower the city's annual payments. Council also voted 12-1 to adjust solid waste fees and backyard collection exemption rules, and awarded a $57.2 million, three-year trash collection contract to Waste Management of Georgia. On the infrastructure side, the council approved a $99 million fund for small-scale street and transit repairs across the city and a $25 million contract to renew aging drinking water infrastructure. A proposal to create a task force studying data center regulations and environmental impacts got sent back to committee on a 13-1 vote rather than moving forward. At the Committee on Council meeting, members advanced two mayoral board appointments but kept several reform proposals on hold, including a charter amendment requiring named sponsors on legislation and a push for an independent investigation into city contracts tied to Foris Webb III.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee | Aug-24, 11:00 AM | key topics: major industrial-to-mixed-use rezonings in the Upper Westside, commercial redevelopment on Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur Street corridor mixed-use rezoning, and new historic district protections for Peachtree Circle
- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee | Aug-24, 1:00 PM | key topics: expanding police body and vehicle camera contracts, studying a potential 7th APD patrol zone, and phasing in higher initial alcohol license application fees
- Atlanta NPU — NPU-M | Aug-24, 6:15 PM | key topics: Invest Atlanta funding requests for Highland Avenue and Marietta Street, mixed-use rezoning on Decatur Street SE, special use permits for self-storage, and local alcohol license applications
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Board of Commissioners | Aug-25, 9:00 AM | key topics: a $233.8 million overhaul of the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant, data center moratorium study requirements, Michelle Obama Trail and Flat Shoals sidewalk expansions, and pet store sales bans
- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee | Aug-25, 10:00 AM | key topics: potable water restrictions for data center cooling, creation of a Data Center Task Force, Chastain Park Golf Course stream restoration, and electric vehicle fleet purchases
- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee | Aug-25, 1:30 PM | key topics: comprehensive development plan amendments along Ponce de Leon Avenue and Decatur Street, blight condemnations on the Westside, and electric vehicle chargers at Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark
- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee | Aug-26, 10:00 AM | key topics: grant funding for BeltLine Southside Trail Segment 6, Buckhead roadway resurfacing, Wieuca Road traffic calming near Sarah Smith Elementary, and dockless mobility permit extensions
- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee | Aug-26, 1:30 PM | key topics: restrictions on tax delinquent data centers, customer water billing refunds, FY2027 property tax rates, and a lease for Old Fire Station 22
- Atlanta NPU — NPU-N | Aug-27, 7:00 PM | key topics: citywide special use permit requirements for self-storage facilities, residential variances in Cabbagetown and Kirkwood, local alcohol licensing, and community festival permits

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 245 N Highland Ave NE — Two condos are merging into one in a multi-story building, with non-load-bearing construction work involved. Same address also has a new exit door and exterior exit stair permitted for a separate tenant space.
- 1273 S Ponce De Leon Ave NE — Commercial pavement work filed. Expect some outdoor construction activity here.
- 1634 Ponce De Leon Ave NE — Permit issued for a like-for-like window replacement, three windows, no structural changes.
- 1165 McLendon Ave NE — Commercial electrical work covers new outlets, switches, and egress lighting, plus a separate permit for a 3-ton mini split HVAC install.
- 699 Ponce De Leon Ave NE — Main breaker replacement issued. This one requires a same-day service disconnect and reconnect, so don't be surprised by a brief power blip nearby.
- 1925 Ridgewood Dr — Interior basement remodel closed out, adding a family room, office, gym, and bathroom space. Purely interior, so no outdoor disruption here.
- 331 Elizabeth St NE — Electrical upgrade issued for a coffee shop expansion. Another sign of small business growth along this stretch.
- 112 Blvd NE — Roughly 200 square feet of sidewalk getting removed and replaced at a building entry, aimed at fixing an accessibility or safety issue. Watch for sidewalk closures if you walk this block.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 42/US 23 @ SR 154 & @ Arkwright Place — Crews are converting the SR 42 / Moreland Avenue intersection at Arkwright Place into a right-in/right-out setup, building a median that blocks left turns in and out of Arkwright Place.
- SR 8 Resurfacing from SR 3 to SR 42 — GDOT's District Maintenance Office is repaving this stretch of SR 8 in Fulton County to fix its poor pavement condition score.
- SR 154 Pedestrian Safety Upgrades at 8 Locations in DeKalb and Fulton — Work on SR 154 / Memorial Drive includes a new mid-block pedestrian crossing, a right-in/right-out conversion, and a restricted crossing U-turn between Hill Street and Pearl Street.
- Glenwood Ave Pedestrian Signal Installations at Haas Ave, Eastside Ave, Brownwood Ave, and Joseph Ave — DeKalb County crews are installing rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFBs) at four intersections along Glenwood Ave to improve pedestrian crossings.
- I-20 Lighting Upgrade from Capitol Ave to Flat Shoals Road — This DeKalb and Fulton County project swaps out old high-pressure sodium lighting for LED fixtures along I-20, with possible pole, conduit, and wiring replacement.
- I-75 Tunnel Lighting at Ralph McGill Blvd and Baker Street — Fulton County crews are replacing the tunnel lighting under I-75 at these two crossings with energy-efficient LEDs, along with related conduit and wiring work.

Service Requests
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Crews handled 9 total signal issues this week, including 2 emergency-level repairs. Jackson St NE & Highland Ave NE saw both an emergency fix and a non-emergency repair. Other spots include Clifton Rd NE & Fishburne Dr, Hilliard St & Irwin St, DeKalb Ave & Clifton Rd, Piedmont Ave & Ralph McGill Blvd, and Elizabeth St & Lake Ave. Most are in progress or already closed out.
- Downed Trees — Reported at John Lewis Freedom Pkwy NE & N Ave NE, John Lewis Freedom Pkwy & Blvd NE, and Sterling St NE. Two are still in progress.
- Right of Way Litter Removal — Austin Ave NE & Sinclair Ave and Terrace Ave NE both got cleanup requests. One's already marked solved.
- Visibility/Overgrowth Issues — Glen Iris Dr NE and DeKalb Ave & Ferguson St both need brush cleared for sightlines. One's resolved, one's still being worked.
- Potholes — Reported on Howard Cir and Lullwater Pkwy NE. Both are in progress.

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Until next week,
O4W / L5P / Candler Park 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.