Presented by Rally Built Homes

Hey, O4W / L5P / Candler Park! This week: a fire tore through the long-vacant Dairy Queen near Hotel Clermont, the city and MARTA finally settled their decade-long tax fight (freeing up $52 million for transit), and council approved a massive 37-acre rezoning on the Upper Westside. Also on deck: new sushi and ramen at Ponce City Market, a bittersweet closing in Little Five Points, and enough shows and street festivals this week to fill every night through Dragon Con.

- News — A historic Ponce corridor Dairy Queen goes up in flames, Atlanta and MARTA settle a decade-long tax standoff, and 80 new murals are coming to Cabbagetown for Forward Warrior.
- Business — Ponce City Market's food hall welcomes NoriFish and Okiboru, while Little Five Points says goodbye to sneaker institution Wish ATL after 22 years.
- Events — From punk shows at 7 Stages to a Beltline sunset tree tour and pre-Dragon Con improv, the calendar's packed before the O4W Hip Hop Day Festival closes out the weekend.
- Government — Council approved a 37-acre Upper Westside rezoning and $2M for Chastain stream work, while NPU-N and NPU-M weigh a citywide self-storage crackdown and big Invest Atlanta funding asks nearby.
- Construction — A new cafe is landing on Edgewood and a McLendon Avenue duplex is nearly move-in ready.

One more update: our new Downtown and Southwest Beltline editions are now live! As a reminder, you can always update your neighborhood selections here

Let's dive in.

NEWS

Atlanta and MARTA settle decade-long tax dispute, paving the way for transit upgrades
The City of Atlanta and MARTA have resolved a long-running dispute over sales tax revenue, releasing $52 million in funding that had been tied up. The settlement clears the way for several regional transit projects to move forward.

Atlanta leaders consider new 'parking bill of rights'
Atlanta City Council leaders are advancing legislation nicknamed the "parking bill of rights" that would regulate private parking lot operators and require clearer signage. The measure targets predatory booting practices and unclear payment terms in commercial districts.

Fire damages abandoned Dairy Queen in Old Fourth Ward near Hotel Clermont
Atlanta firefighters responded to a blaze at the vacant, historic Dairy Queen building on Ponce de Leon Avenue, which sustained heavy damage. Crews kept the fire from spreading to neighboring businesses along the busy corridor.

Fresh tsunami of public art bound for eastside ATL neighborhood
Forward Warrior, the long-running street art festival, will bring 80 new murals to Cabbagetown's Wylie Street corridor from September 18 to 20. This marks the 12th annual installation, building on last year's project with a fresh wave of public artwork.

BUSINESS

NoriFish and Okiboru open at Ponce City Market food hall — Hand roll sushi restaurant NoriFish and ramen and tsukemen spot Okiboru have officially opened inside the Central Food Hall at Ponce City Market.

Little 5 Points sneaker boutique Wish ATL closing after 22 years — Iconic streetwear and rare sneaker boutique Wish ATL is shutting down its Little 5 Points storefront after more than two decades in business at that location.

EVENTS | Presented by

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Monday, August 31
- Story Time | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Big D and the Kids Table | The Masquerade
- Monica Lisa Stevenson | City Winery Atlanta
- Atlanta Run Club: Monday Night Runs | Ponce City Market

Tuesday, September 1
- Ben Quad / Macseal @ 40 Watt | The Masquerade
- Zeruel & ASkySoBlack & Nocturne's Kiss | Aisle 5
- Sunset Tree Tour: Atlanta Beltline Arboretum Eastside Trail | Inman Perk Coffee
- Melvin Miller | City Winery Atlanta

Wednesday, September 2
- The Tight Acquaintances - Pre-Dragon Con Campaign! With a Special Secret Guest Dungeon Master | Dad's Garage
- Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times | The Carter Center
- Carter Library September Book Club | Carter Presidential Library
- JUTES - Smile You're on Tour | The Masquerade
- Zoning Committee Meeting September | Candler Park
- Hamilton (Touring) | Fox Theatre - Atlanta
- Shaun Milli | City Winery Atlanta
- Tyler Neal Band: Tyler Neal @ Little 5 Pub | Little 5 Pub

Thursday, September 3
- Dino Talk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- The Glass Cannon Network Presents "Call Of Cthulhu Live!" | 18+ | The Masquerade
- Who's Bad: The Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience | City Winery Atlanta
- Slow Magic: Emotion Engine Tour - Atlanta, GA @ Aisle 5 | Aisle 5

Friday, September 4
- F.PUNK JUNKIES | 7 Stages Theatre
- HEALTH | The Masquerade
- Meltt | The Masquerade
- Tony Roberts | City Winery Atlanta

Saturday, September 5
- Atlanta Hip Hop Day Festival | Old Fourth Ward Park
- Pups on the Patio | 550 Somerset Ter NE
- Meet a Ranger | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Icon for Hire: SCRIPTED 15 YEAR ALBUM ANNIVERSARY TOUR | The Masquerade
- Dragon Con Night | Georgia Aquarium

Sunday, September 6
- Barks & Bites: Beltline Doggie Crawl | Krog Street Market
- Family Nature Walk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Cheekface w/ special guest Catbite | The Masquerade
- Dua Saleh | The Masquerade

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 kept busy this week, though minutes weren't yet posted for the Transportation Committee's agenda items. The Zoning Committee approved a massive 37-acre rezoning on the Upper Westside for Selig Enterprises to convert industrial land into mixed-use development, but voted to shelve the proposed Peachtree Circle Historic District designation. The Community Development/Human Services Committee took up land-use changes that would allow denser development along Ponce de Leon Avenue and Decatur Street, and moved forward on condemning five blighted Westside properties. The City Utilities Committee approved $2 million for Chastain Park stream restoration and a GDOT agreement to relocate water lines for the I-285 Top End project at no cost to the city, while holding a data center water restriction proposal for further review. The Finance/Executive Committee considered cutting off tax incentives to delinquent developers and data centers, along with setting next year's property tax rates. The Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee approved $815,000 in police lawsuit settlements and forwarded a $40 million Axon body camera contract to the full council. The Transportation Committee took up $7 million in grants for the BeltLine Southside Trail and school safety upgrades near Sarah Smith Elementary.

Atlanta NPU-N

NPU-N's agenda centered on a citywide proposal that would require special use permits for any new self-storage facility in Atlanta, giving neighborhoods more say before one opens nearby. Residents also weighed in on property variance requests that would let homeowners build oversized accessory structures and shrink yard setbacks well below standard limits. The group reviewed new alcohol licenses for several local restaurants and bakeries, plus permits for two popular annual festivals, Chomp & Stomp and the Spring Festival on Ponce. Since only the agenda is available, none of these outcomes are final yet.

Atlanta NPU-M

NPU-M's agenda featured $42 million in Invest Atlanta funding requests for two major developments, one on Highland Avenue and one downtown on Marietta Street. The group also took up a rezoning and land-use change on Decatur Street that would clear the way for a mixed-use apartment building with ground-floor retail. The same citywide self-storage permit requirement on NPU-N's agenda appeared here too. Members also reviewed a new nightclub liquor license downtown and heard from Trees Atlanta about an upcoming tree-planting push in the Old Fourth Ward.

Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education

The Student Advisory Council met for an orientation session that stayed mostly internal, covering committee assignments and the year's meeting calendar. The group also got a first look at a draft district Artificial Intelligence policy, though no final rules or timelines came out of the discussion. Staff gave an update on district strategy goals for the 2026-2027 school year. Nothing here involved a formal vote or binding decision, so families should expect more detail as the AI policy develops.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners

DeKalb commissioners took up a $233.8 million contract to overhaul the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant, a major investment in the county's drinking water system. They also considered requiring an independent health and environmental study before the county could lift its data center moratorium, plus new sidewalk and trail extensions including the Michelle Obama Trail. Other proposals on the table included a ban on retail pet sales of dogs, cats and rabbits, tighter noise regulations, and a crackdown on car "drifting" and unauthorized camping. As with the NPU agendas, these items reflect what commissioners planned to discuss rather than confirmed outcomes.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Atlanta NPU
- Likeminds ATL (112 Krog St NE) — Likeminds ATL is seeking an alcohol license transfer following a change of ownership.
- Little Tart Bakeshop (1643 McLendon Ave NE) — Little Tart Bakeshop is applying for a new restaurant alcohol license.
- Some Luck (655 N Highland Ave NE) — Some Luck is seeking a new restaurant alcohol license.
- Okiboru and Norifish (675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE) — Okiboru and Norifish is seeking a new open-air café alcohol license.
- 444 Highland Ave NE — Tapestry Development Group is requesting $20 million in Invest Atlanta funding for a proposed project.
- 460 Decatur St SE — A developer is seeking to rezone the property from light industrial to mixed-use commercial and residential to construct an apartment building.
- 478 Decatur St SE — A Comprehensive Development Plan amendment is proposed to redesignate the property for high-density mixed-use development.
- Umai Sushi and Noodles (701 Highland Ave NE) — Umai Sushi and Noodles is requesting a change of ownership on its alcohol license.

Atlanta City Council
- Historic Fourth Ward Skatepark — The committee approved an agreement with Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. to install and maintain two publicly accessible electric vehicle charging stations.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta Public Schools — Board of Education | Sep-01 | key topics: surplus school property redevelopment into affordable housing, parks joint use agreement, facility repurposing standards
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Planning Commission | Sep-01, 6:00 PM | key topics: townhome rezoning on Old Briarcliff Road, commercial-to-residential conversion on Memorial Drive, Embry Hills placemaking strategy
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners — Board of Commissioners | Sep-02, 10:00 AM | key topics: affordable housing grants in Vine City and English Avenue, water infrastructure agreements, jail elevator modernization

CONSTRUCTION | Presented by

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Permits
- 1784 N Decatur Rd NE — Emory's North Decatur Building is getting fire sprinkler renovations on floors 4 and 5. Expect some building access disruptions but nothing that hits the street.
- 83 Fort St NE — Crews are installing electrical for new EV charging stations. Another sign the area keeps adding charging infrastructure.
- 245 N Highland Ave NE — Two permits here. One combines two condos into one unit with new interior walls, the other adds a new exit door and exterior stair to a tenant space. Worth watching if you're near this building, there's construction activity on multiple fronts.
- 414 Arnold St NE — New duplex construction wrapping up, this permit covers the certificate of occupancy for Unit B. Covered front and rear porches included.
- 428 Edgewood Ave NE — Gas line work for an existing commercial space, already issued and moving forward.
- 1165 McLendon Ave NE — Electrical work going in, outlets, switches, lighting and egress lighting. Standard commercial buildout, already issued.
- 112 Blvd NE — Sidewalk replacement at a building entry, about 200 square feet. Likely fixing a trip hazard or drainage issue at the entrance.
- 321 Edgewood Ave SE — A new cafe is coming to the front of the existing Purple Door Salon space. Keep an eye out if you're in that stretch of Edgewood, it's a small but notable addition to the retail mix.
- 725 Ponce De Leon Ave NE — Tenant renovations underway with new partitions, ceilings, lighting and power. Minimal demolition involved, but expect some noise as the space gets reconfigured for its next tenant.

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. A new median will block left turns and through movements at that intersection.
- SR 154 @ 7 Locations in DeKalb & 1 in Fulton - VRU — This project adds a mid-block pedestrian crossing, a right-in/right-out, and a restricted crossing U-turn along SR 154 / Memorial Drive between Hill Street and Pearl Street. It spans both DeKalb and Fulton counties.
- I-20 from Capitol Ave to Flat Shoals Road, Lighting — Crews are swapping out old HPS lighting for energy-efficient LED fixtures along this stretch of I-20, with possible pole, conduit, and wiring replacement. The work covers both DeKalb and Fulton counties.
- I-75 @ Ralph McGill Blvd & Baker Street, Tunnel Lighting — GDOT is upgrading tunnel lighting at these two I-75 crossings from HPS to LED, along with related conduit and wiring work.

Service Requests
- Visibility/Overgrowth Complaints — 8 reports on Goldsboro Rd NE, E Ave NE, N Ave & Linwood Ave, Jackson St & Gartrell St, Irwin St & Jackson St, and three other spots. Crews have already closed out or solved four of them.
- Litter Removal Requests — 8 reports around Austin Ave NE & Sinclair Ave (two separate calls), Howell St NE, Bell St & Auburn Pointe Dr, Alaska Ave & Kendall St, N Ave NE, and two more locations. Most are already marked solved.
- Traffic Signal Repairs — 5 non-emergency fixes needed at DeKalb Ave & Oakdale Rd, N Ave & Highland Ave, Clifton Rd NE & DeKalb Ave NE, Edgewood Ave & Randolph St, and Oakdale Rd at Fairview Rd. On top of that, 3 emergency-level repairs got called in for Ponce de Leon Ave & Clifton Rd, and all three are already fixed.
- Potholes — Reported on Auburn Ave and at Lullwater Rd NE & 802 Lullwater Rd NE. The Auburn Ave one's still in progress.
- Graffiti Removal — Crews are working on two right-of-way cleanups at DeKalb Ave & Whitefoord Ave and N Ave NE.
- Sign Repair — A repair or replacement request is in progress on Inman Village Pkwy.

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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.