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Hey, O4W / L5P / Candler Park! This week: Rina has closed its Eastside Beltline doors after six years, with a promise to reopen somewhere new, and the City Council has approved Selig's Ponce redevelopment rezoning. Plus, there's a Saturday full of fall fun, from the Emory Village festival to Dinosaur Trick-or-Treat, so grab your calendar and keep scrolling.

- News — Council approved Selig's Ponce rezoning, while Zoning 2.0 and Beltline rail both took heat and Invest Atlanta signed off on a $330 million bond for Amsterdam Walk.
- Business — Rina closes across from Ponce City Market with a relocation promised, while Dragon Denim opens its first store inside the market.
- Events — Saturday is loaded with Dinosaur Trick-or-Treat, the Emory Village Fall Festival and Amy Rigby at Criminal Records, plus Mya, a world-premiere play at Horizon and a Superior Donuts run at 7 Stages.
- Government — The council takes up the $68 million sale of the city detention center to Fulton County on Monday, alongside data center limits and zoning rewrite discussions.
- Construction — New EV chargers on Wilmer Street and a fire alarm permit on Edgewood.

Let's dive in.

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Atlanta City Council approves Selig's Ponce redevelopment
The Atlanta City Council approved rezoning for Selig Enterprises' planned mixed-use redevelopment along Ponce de Leon Avenue. The project includes new residential and commercial space along the corridor.

Atlanta's Zoning 2.0 plan faces criticism over complexity and housing goals
At an October 15 work session, Sara C. Bronin, a law professor and founder of the National Zoning Atlas, presented her critique of the 981-page ATL Zoning 2.0 draft, calling it too long and complex. She recommended a shorter code with fewer districts, allowing accessory dwelling units, multifamily housing on and around the Beltline and MARTA stations, and no parking mandates. The zoning committee voted in September to hold the proposed code while revisions are made.

Entrepreneur slams ATL Beltline rail proposal as unfeasibly expensive
Bahman Irvani, who founded the transit software company Routematch, wrote in an AJC editorial that capital costs for the $3.5 billion Beltline rail project would work out to about $86 per ride. He estimates operating costs at another $35 per ride, for $121 total, compared with about $11 per ride on an electric bus. His figures draw on the Beltline Transit Study unveiled Sept. 3 and MARTA's federal filings.

Invest Atlanta approves $330 million lease-purchase bond for Amsterdam Walk
Under the arrangement, Portman Holdings will lease the 11-acre Monroe Drive site from Invest Atlanta during development, and the authority will hold title until the debt is paid. The multiphase project currently includes 1,100 rental units, 1,435 parking spaces and 150,000 square feet of commercial space, and Portman received $15 million in Beltline Tax Allocation District funding in September.

Atlanta City Council to Vote on Selling City Detention Center to Fulton County
Mayor Andre Dickens offered to sell the jail to the county for $68 million, and Fulton County Chair Robb Pitts accepted, though the council wanted to weigh in first. The sale is intended to help with overcrowding at the county jail on Rice Street, and Fulton County already leases some beds at the city facility.

BUSINESS

Rina closes Eastside Beltline restaurant ahead of planned relocation — The Middle Eastern street food restaurant closed last week after six years at the Ford Factory Lofts across from Ponce City Market, and a representative for Oliva Restaurant Group said Rina will eventually reopen in a new location, though no site or timing has been provided and its catering business remains operational.

Dragon Denim opens first brick-and-mortar store at Ponce City Market — The online-first apparel brand opened its first physical store on September 26 on the second floor of the Central Food Hall, next to Rhen's Nest, under a short-term lease, and it carries ready-to-wear and custom denim jackets.

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Monday, October 19
- Staff Pick: Girlfriends | The Plaza Theater
- Atlanta Run Club: Monday Night Runs | Ponce City Market
- Empowered Movement with Clarity Fitness (Dance & Conditioning) | Imman Quarter
- CPNO Monthly Meeting October | Candler Park

Tuesday, October 20
- Community Jam | Dad's Garage
- Mya | City Winery Atlanta

Wednesday, October 21
- Indaco x Oak Steakhouse Harvest Wine Dinner | Atlanta Beltline
- Story Time | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Beat the Canvas | The Supermarket, 638 N Highland Ave NE

Thursday, October 22
- Benjamin Tod | Variety Playhouse
- Book Launch & Author Talk with Allison Hill: "Your Job Won’t Love You Back" | The Lola
- 2026 Service of Prayer for Peace and Civility | The Carter Center
- Authenticity Theater SUPERIOR DONUTS | 7 Stages Theatre
- World Premiere Play: Other Paths to God by Kelundra Smith | Horizon Theatre Company

Friday, October 23
- The Bottle Tree | Dad's Garage
- Teen Night: Hallow-Teen | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Evening Hikes | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Alice Smith | City Winery Atlanta

Saturday, October 24
- Inman Park Wine Stroll | Inman Park
- Where the Weird Things Are | Historic Fourth Ward Park
- Dinosaur Trick-or-Treat | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Felt Street | Dad's Garage
- Sip & Carve: DIY Pumpkin Carving | City Winery Atlanta
- Birds Georgia Forest Walk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- King of Pops Yoga | Historic Fourth Ward Park - Greenspace D
- Benefit for the Lake Claire Community Landtrust | Lake Claire Community Land Trust
- Fall Festival in Emory Village | Druid Hills Civic Association Events
- Amy Rigby in conversation with Chad Radford - Girl to Country | Criminal Records
- Greyboy Allstars | Variety Playhouse

Sunday, October 25
- Robby Hoffman | Variety Playhouse
- WRFG's Community Sessions Concert (Singer/Songwriter in-the-round) | WRFG Studios
- Adam Deitch & John Scofield & Larry Goldings & Oteil Burbridge | City Winery Atlanta
- Fall for New Realm | New Realm Brewing

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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

Atlanta City Council
Minutes aren't published yet for any of this week's council meetings, so what follows is what sat on the agendas. At the Finance/Executive Committee, members took up the $68 million sale of the city detention center to Fulton County, as covered in today's news section, along with the FY 2027 property tax rates and a resolution to bar tax-delinquent developers, data centers in particular, from city incentives. The Zoning Committee had a full docket that included the proposed rewrite of the citywide zoning code, a new legal definition of "family," and a batch of rezonings that would turn industrial BeltLine parcels into mixed-use districts. The City Utilities Committee considered more than $60 million in water and sewer work, a ban on using drinking water to cool data centers, and legislation to give you relief when your water bill suddenly spikes. The Transportation Committee had a $2 million federal grant for Centennial Yards street design, several street abandonments, and a held resolution that would add 3-way stops at two intersections in the area. The Community Development/Human Services Committee weighed $24 million in federal housing grants, $21.85 million for park construction and repair contracts, and a $1.59 million land purchase to expand the Memorial Drive Greenway. The Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee looked at a ban on weapon-equipped police robots and a $350,000 lawsuit settlement tied to a police incident.

DeKalb County Board of Commissioners
DeKalb's commissioners had a long agenda on October 13, and it was posted without outcomes. Two rezoning requests near Briarcliff Road were up, one for new townhomes and one for commercial salon suites. Commissioners also considered two data center measures, one setting definitions for county oversight and one requiring an independent health and environmental study before the county lifts its moratorium. Other ordinances on the agenda targeted street drifting and unauthorized camping, and tightened rules on animal restraint and pet shop sales. On the spending side, the board took up more than $4.6 million in federal grants for park upgrades, an $11.12 million water plant contract, and a $3.33 million countywide road-striping contract.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Atlanta City Council
- 460 Decatur St SE — A rezoning from light industrial to mixed residential and commercial is being proposed to allow vertical mixed-use development.
- 478 Decatur St SE — A rezoning from light industrial to mixed residential and commercial is being proposed to facilitate vertical mixed-use development.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Committee on Council | Oct-19, 11:30 AM | key topics: police presence at recreation center voting precincts, public comment procedure updates, independent contracting investigation, sponsor requirements for legislation
- Atlanta City Council | Oct-19, 1:00 PM | key topics: sale of Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County, Memorial Drive Greenway land acquisition, restrictions on data center water use, commercial septic tank prohibition
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Committee of the Whole | Oct-20, 9:00 AM | key topics: townhome and mixed residential rezonings on Old Briarcliff and Gresham roads, park improvement grant allocations, right-of-way acquisitions for Constitution Road corridor
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners | Oct-21, 10:00 AM | key topics: North Point Mall Tax Allocation District participation, utility easement dedications for residential developments, senior transportation service extensions, departmental budget cap repeal
- Atlanta NPU — NPU-N | Oct-22, 7:00 PM | key topics: outdoor dining special use permit on Austin Avenue, comedy club alcohol license on Bernina Avenue, residential lot split and setback variances

CONSTRUCTION | Presented by

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Permits
- 619 Edgewood Ave SE, commercial alteration issued. A second-generation office space is getting a new layout, so expect some interior construction activity at this address.
- 400 Village Pkwy NE, commercial permit awaiting additional materials. The plan calls for restoring the exterior and roofing on the southwest corner of the building at Freedom Lofts. Roof work usually means noise, but this one can't start until the paperwork is complete.
- 1784 N Decatur Rd NE, plumbing and HVAC permits issued. Crews will install new plumbing fixtures, alter ductwork, and add terminal units and air distribution. That's a full interior mechanical overhaul.
- 428 Edgewood Ave NE, new fire alarm system permitted. It's a low-voltage install.
- 477 Wilmer St NE, EV charging install accepted. The plan adds two new breakers to an existing outdoor panel to power four Level 2 chargers. More places to plug in are coming to the area.

Road Work

Under Construction
- Moreland Ave at Arkwright Place — GDOT is turning the Moreland Avenue (SR 42) and Arkwright Place intersection into a right-in/right-out with a new median and a signalized pedestrian crossing. GDOT lists it as about 36% complete.
- SR 8 resurfacing, SR 3 to SR 42 — SR 8 is being repaved between SR 3 (Northside Drive) and SR 42 (Moreland Avenue). GDOT lists it as about 86% complete.
- Memorial Drive pedestrian safety upgrades — GDOT plans mid-block pedestrian crossings, right-in/right-out turns and restricted U-turns along Memorial Drive (SR 154), between Hill and Pearl streets and from Moreland Avenue east to Candler Road. Work has only just started.
- I-20 lighting, Capitol Avenue to Flat Shoals Road — Older sodium streetlights along I-20 from Capitol Avenue to Flat Shoals Road are being swapped for energy-efficient LEDs. GDOT lists it as about 58% complete.
- I-75 tunnel lighting at Ralph McGill Blvd and Baker Street — The I-75 tunnel lights at Ralph McGill Boulevard and Baker Street are being replaced with energy-efficient LEDs. GDOT lists the work as essentially complete.

Service Requests
- Potholes reported on Parkway Dr NE between Ralph McGill Blvd NE and N Ave NE (two reports), Ralph McGill Blvd NE, Glen Iris Dr at Angier Ave, and Ponce de Leon at N Ave. If you drive the Parkway Dr stretch, you've got company in the complaint department.
- Litter Removal along the John Lewis Freedom Pkwy eastbound entrance ramp, Central Park Pl NE between Angier Ave NE and Ralph McGill Blvd NE (three reports), and Airline St at Ezzard St.
- Downed Trees on Seminole Ave NE (two reports) and E Ave NE.
- Traffic Signal Repairs at Fort St NE and Irwin St NE near the I-75/85 northbound ramp, and at Highland Ave NE and Glen Iris Dr NE near Randolph St NE. A Level 1 emergency signal repair also came in at John Wesley Dobbs Ave and Fort St.
- Overgrowth blocking visibility on Alta Ave NE.

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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.