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Hey, O4W / L5P / Candler Park! This week: the High Museum is lighting up 725 Ponce with a 100-foot "Just Breathe" installation above the Eastside Trail, while APD rolls out new e-bikes for its Beltline Path Force. Rina has closed its Ford Factory Lofts spot, and the Little 5 Points Halloween Festival & Parade lands Saturday, so you have plenty to plan around.

- News — The High Museum's "Just Breathe" projection at 725 Ponce, APD's new Beltline e-bikes, Isaias power outages, a stalled jail sale, and early voting all get a look.
- Business — Rina has closed its Ford Factory Lofts location after nearly seven years, and Monks Meadery plans a Stone Mountain second location next year.
- Events — The week runs from Black Country, New Road at Variety to improv at Dad's Garage, with the Little 5 Points Halloween Festival & Parade on Saturday.
- Government — Fulton set its millage rate at 8.87 mills and voted to start abolishing its ethics board, while Atlanta committees take up zoning, the detention center sale, and property tax rates.
- Construction — A new restaurant is in the works at 337 Elizabeth St, EV chargers are planned on Wilmer St, and a Moreland Ave right-in/right-out project is on GDOT's list.

Let's dive in.

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Atlanta Police Unveil E-Bikes to Increase BeltLine Patrol Range
The new e-bikes for the APD Beltline Path Force have emergency lights and can travel up to 80 miles on a single charge. APD bought them from Pedego, students in the Bearings Bike Works after-school program helped assemble them, and Clutch Bike Shop will handle maintenance.

Isaias knocks out power to tens of thousands across metro Atlanta
As of 2 p.m. Saturday, about 50,000 Georgia households were without power, including 4,300 in DeKalb County and 2,000 in Fulton. A high wind warning and flood watch remain in effect for North and Central Georgia until Sunday morning, and a state of emergency is in effect through Oct. 15.

High Museum Installs Multi-Story Public Art Project at 725 Ponce
"Just Breathe" is a 100-foot project at 725 Ponce overlooking the Beltline's Eastside Trail, featuring four works from the High Museum's permanent collection, including pieces by Andy Warhol and El Anatsui. It will be on view from 7:30 to 10 p.m. on Oct. 9, 10, 22, 23, 24, and 30.

Atlanta City Council delays decision on jail sale to Fulton County
The council put the $68 million sale of the Atlanta City Detention Center on hold for two weeks, with Fulton County planning to convert it into an additional jail. Fulton County estimates about $75 million in upgrades are needed, and the city's CFO estimates the facility's roughly $30 million operating budget would drop to $10 to $12 million for the staff the city retains.

Early voting begins next week: Fulton provides 32 advance polling venues
Advance voting for the Nov. 3 general election, which includes the governor's race, runs from Tuesday, Oct. 13 through Friday, Oct. 30. Seven of the locations will accept absentee by-mail ballots through an on-site drop box during early voting dates and hours.

For highway-capping 'Stitch,' new visuals, construction outlook emerge
Phase One construction is set to start in 2027 and will initially include only street improvements on Ralph McGill Boulevard and Peachtree and Courtland streets. Cap construction will begin once funding allows, and officials say $50 million is secured to move the design phase forward.

BUSINESS

Rina closes Ford Factory Lofts location along the Beltline — Middle Eastern restaurant Rina closed its Ford Factory Lofts location at 699 Ponce de Leon Avenue effective October 8, according to a former employee and signage on the door, after opening there in January 2020.

Monks Meadery plots Stone Mountain expansion, adds programming in Poncey-Highland — Poncey-Highland meadery Monks Meadery plans to open a second location in Stone Mountain next year while expanding community events and pop-ups at its original North Highland Avenue tasting room.

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Monday, October 12
- Black Country, New Road | Variety Playhouse
- Evanora Unlimited | Aisle 5
- Atlanta Run Club: Monday Night Runs | Ponce City Market
- Empowered Movement with Clarity Fitness | Imman Quarter
- CPNO Board Meeting October | Candler Park
- Layzie Bone | City Winery Atlanta

Tuesday, October 13
- Community Jam | Dad's Garage
- Gaelic Storm | City Winery Atlanta
- Shelby Morgan & AZUL: Trust the Disco Tour w/ NAOMA, Joshua Mitchell | The Supermarket
- The Band Solstice | Aisle 5

Wednesday, October 14
- A Conversation with Dr. Kevin Gaines | Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum
- Exhibit Closing: Opening the Vault | Carter Presidential Library
- Sienna Spiro: My House Tour | Variety Playhouse
- Maestro | Dad's Garage
- Gallery Nights | Aisle 5
- WussyVision Presents 'The Craft' at Plaza Theatre! | Plaza Atlanta

Thursday, October 15
- Kyle Kinane | Variety Playhouse
- BlackGround | Dad's Garage
- Piff the Magic Dragon | City Winery Atlanta
- Atlanta Beltline Thursday Run Club | LikeMinds

Friday, October 16
- Waylon Wyatt – Dustpiles World Tour | Variety Playhouse
- The Bottle Tree | Dad's Garage
- Seoul Social Club | Ponce City Market
- HURTBOX | Wish Atlanta

Saturday, October 17
- 2026 Little 5 Points Halloween Festival & Parade | Little 5 Points Community Center
- Felt Street | Dad's Garage
- Aurora Halal | Aisle 5
- King of Pops Yoga | Historic Fourth Ward Park - Greenspace D
- Food & Street Art Tour on the Atlanta Beltline | 99 Krog St NE
- TRIBUTE - a celebration of The Allman Brothers Band! | Variety Playhouse
- Fall for New Realm | New Realm Brewing

Sunday, October 18
- Halloween Spooktacular 2026 | Dad's Garage
- Bob Schneider Music | City Winery
- Family Nature Walk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History

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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 set the 2026 millage rates, with the general fund rate landing at 8.87 mills, after a push by Commissioner Bridget Thorne for a lower 8.22 rollback rate died for lack of a second. That rate shapes the county portion of your property tax bill. The board also voted 4-1 to start abolishing the Fulton County Board of Ethics and replace it with independent hearing officers for complaints. Commissioners approved about $14 million in standby wastewater construction contracts and a $3.76 million increase for maintenance and upgrades at the Camp Creek facility. They held a $9.58 million contract extension with Transdev for senior and behavioral health transportation, so that service funding stays unresolved for now. Commissioners also directed the county manager to write policies for how the county uses artificial intelligence, while a proposal to limit public comment to agenda items failed for lack of a second.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners
The Committee of the Whole moved dozens of items toward final board votes. They included an $11.1 million construction management contract for upgrades at the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant and nearly $15 million in road, manhole and concrete maintenance work. The committee also advanced $4.63 million in federal HUD grants for park and facility renovations, plus $4.42 million for roof replacements at county public safety buildings. Another item would transfer 30 vacant county-owned properties to the DeKalb Regional Land Bank Authority. A data center moratorium study requirement, new data center zoning rules and two rezoning requests along Briarcliff Road remain pending for a later decision.

Atlanta City Council
Minutes aren't yet published for either Atlanta meeting, so this recap reflects what was on the agendas. At the full council meeting, items up for a vote included a citywide requirement for special use permits on new self-storage facilities, $2.34 million to buy 12.6 acres for a new southwest Atlanta park, and an end to admission fees at city pools during open swim hours. Several industrial sites were also up for rezoning into dense mixed-use development, and the council took up street abandonment hearings. As covered in today's news section, the sale of the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County was put on hold for two weeks. The Committee on Council had on its agenda a resolution to station certified police officers at recreation centers used as polling places, a measure to make speakers at council meetings go in sign-up order, and a push for an independent investigation into the city's contracts with Foris Webb III. It also had a proposed charter amendment requiring a councilmember to sponsor legislation, along with appointments to boards like Invest Atlanta and the Water and Sewer Appeals Board.

Atlanta Public Schools
The Board of Education took up the final adoption of the tax levy request for the FY2027 General Fund budget, which sets the school portion of your property tax bill. Board members approved construction management contracts for renovations at Booker T. Washington High School and the Medical Magnet Academy, and for building upgrades at Mary Lin Elementary. A third bundled contract covers HVAC and building systems work at Parkside Elementary, Heritage Academy and Hollis Innovation Academy. The board also approved leasing the former Towns Elementary property to the Atlanta Volunteer Lawyer Foundation and Compudopt, which puts a vacant school building back to community use. Updates to the student screen time policy and an E-SPLOST VI sales tax reconciliation with DeKalb County schools were also on the consent list.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee | Oct-12, 11:00 AM | key topics: comprehensive citywide zoning code rewrite, redefining family occupancy limits, BeltLine corridor mixed-use rezonings
- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee | Oct-12, 1:00 PM | key topics: restrictions on weaponized robotics, alcohol licensing procedures, legal claim settlements
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Board of Commissioners | Oct-13, 9:00 AM | key topics: Briarcliff Road residential rezonings, data center regulations, HUD-funded park improvement grants
- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee | Oct-13, 10:00 AM | key topics: drinking water cooling restrictions for data centers, commercial septic tank ban, water bill spike relief
- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee | Oct-13, 1:30 PM | key topics: Memorial Drive Greenway land acquisition, federal HUD entitlement grants, public housing feasibility study
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole | Oct-13, 5:30 PM
- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee | Oct-14, 10:00 AM | key topics: Centennial Yards Complete Streets grant, public road abandonments, South River Gardens traffic study
- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee | Oct-14, 1:30 PM | key topics: Atlanta City Detention Center sale, FY 2027 property tax rates, data center tax incentive verification

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 337 Elizabeth St NE: A new restaurant is coming to the first floor of a 2-story building. The permit covers an interior build-out with no kitchen, so you're likely looking at a bar, café, or counter-service concept. It's still waiting on additional materials.
- 619 Edgewood Ave SE: A commercial renovation of second-generation office space is ready to issue. The work reworks the layout for a new tenant, so expect some contractor traffic along the corridor.
- 1784 N Decatur Rd NE: Plumbing and HVAC permits are pending approval for a commercial project. The work includes new plumbing fixtures, duct alterations, and new air distribution. It points to a full interior overhaul.
- 477 Wilmer St NE: Four Level 2 EV charging stations are in the works. The permit adds two new breakers to an existing outdoor panel and needs more materials before it moves forward. Your electric car will have another place to plug in.
- 632 Kennesaw Ave NE: An interior renovation covers 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, an office, and the living, dining, and kitchen spaces. Exterior improvements are part of the plan too. It's routed for review.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 42/Us 23 @ SR 154 & @ Arkwright Place — Crews are building a median to turn Moreland Avenue at Arkwright Place into a right-in/right-out intersection and adding a signalized pedestrian crossing.
- SR 8 & SR 8 We from SR 3 to SR 42 — Resurfacing of SR 8 to improve the road's low pavement condition score.
- SR 154 @ 7 Locs in Dekalb & 1 Loc in Fulton - Vru — The project adds mid-block pedestrian crossings, right-in/right-out restrictions and restricted crossing U-turns at several spots along Memorial Drive between Moreland Avenue and Candler Road, plus between Hill Street and Pearl Street.
- I-20 from Capitol Ave to Flat Shoals Road - Lighting — Crews are swapping the old high-pressure sodium lights along this stretch for energy-efficient LEDs, and may also replace poles, conduit and wiring.
- I-75 @ Ralph Mcgill Blvd & @ Baker Street - Tunnel Lighting — The tunnels' old high-pressure sodium lights are being replaced with energy-efficient LEDs, with conduit and wiring replaced where needed.

Service Requests
- Litter Removal — Eight reports along John Lewis Freedom Pkwy (2), Central Park Pl NE (2), N Ave NE, N Highland Ave NE at John Lewis Freedom Pkwy, John Wesley Dobbs Ave NE, and one more nearby spot. Crews are working on all of them.
- Potholes — Seven reports at Pkwy Dr and Ralph McGill Blvd (2), Central Park Pl and Ralph McGill Blvd (2), Howard Cir NE, Euclid Ave and N Ave, and Pkwy Dr NE (4). Four of the Pkwy Dr NE reports are duplicates, so that stretch likely has one bad patch that you've plenty of company in hating.
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Four reports at Edgewood Ave and Randolph St, Lake Ave and Elizabeth St (filed twice), and Pkwy Dr and Ponce de Leon Ave. If you drive through any of these, expect a signal that's acting up.
- Overgrowth and Visibility Issues — Four reports on Ponce de Leon Ave NE, DeKalb Ave NE, Angier Ave NE, and McLendon Ave NE. Three are already fixed.
- Emergency Traffic Signal Repair — Three reports at Piedmont Ave and N Ave, all filed on 10/09. Two were canceled as duplicates and one is closed, so that intersection should be back to normal.
- Downed Trees — Two reports on Seminole Ave NE and Irwin St NE. Both are cleared.

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Until next week,
O4W / L5P / Candler Park Busybody

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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.