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Hey, VaHi / Morningside! This week: a developer wants to put a 160-foot mixed-use tower right on Ponce de Leon Avenue, and city council is already teeing up the rezoning that would let it happen. Also on deck: Mayor Dickens orders a 30-day audit of those Flock license plate cameras, council refinances Mercedes-Benz Stadium's debt, and PopUp Bagels is rolling into the old Skate Escape spot across from Piedmont Park.

- News — A 160-foot tower proposal for Ponce de Leon Avenue leads a week that also brings a citywide Flock camera audit and a student-led push for a safe teen hangout.
- Business — PopUp Bagels is set to take over the former Skate Escape building right across from Piedmont Park.
- Events — From a jazz jam at Red Light Cafe to cocktails in the Botanical Garden, midweek we’re stacked with things to do through Sunday.
- Government — Council unanimously priced $1.3B in airport bonds, refinanced stadium debt, approved $99M for road work, and is already moving on the Ponce de Leon rezoning that could make way for that new tower.
- Construction — Cheshire Bridge picks up new tenants while GDOT crews upgrade lighting on I-85 and continue to repave SR 13 after over a decade.

Let's dive in.

NEWS

160-Foot Mixed-Use Tower Proposed for Ponce de Leon Ave in Virginia Highland
The proposed 160-foot tower would bring high-density residential units and retail space to the Ponce de Leon Avenue corridor in Virginia Highland.

'The Dirty Tea' Puts A Southern Spin On Afternoon Tea In Atlanta
Entrepreneur Rita Brittany Campos’ "The Dirty Tea," a VaHi concept that reimagines traditional afternoon tea with Southern flavors and culture, gets some love in this feature.

Atlanta reviews police use of Flock Safety cameras amid advocacy pushback
Mayor Andre Dickens has ordered a 30-day audit of the Atlanta Police Department's use of Flock Safety license plate readers, a review that covers surveillance practices across neighborhoods.

The front porch is Atlanta’s original social network
The feature explores how front porch architecture in intown Atlanta has long served as a hub for informal neighborly interaction. Any of you Porchfest-goers can certainly relate!

Atlanta students aim to reduce teen takeovers by creating safe place to hang out
Two Atlanta Public Schools students secured a $50,000 city grant to design a designated space where teens can safely gather.

BUSINESS

PopUp Bagels planning new Midtown location near Piedmont Park — PopUp Bagels is planning to open at 1086 Piedmont Avenue across from Piedmont Park, taking over the former Skate Escape building.

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EVENTS | Presented by

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Monday, August 17
- The Alter Egos Showcase | The Supermarket ATL
- Monster Show For Monsters - A Variety Show (18+ Event) | Red Light Cafe

Wednesday, August 19
- Hand Embroidery Workshop | Piedmont Park
- Collage Night - August | The Supermarket ATL
- Lavender Lens: Queer Animation Night | The Supermarket ATL
- In The Wild: Charleston Singles Cocktail Party | Park Tavern
- Jovi Greene | Smith's Olde Bar
- Wednesday Jazz Jam - Gordon Vernick Quartet | Red Light Cafe
- LOCALS ONLY | MJQ

Thursday, August 20
- Fudge | Smith's Olde Bar
- Resisting Narratives of Erasure Short Film Showcase | Tara Theatre
- Spike Hellis, Auragraph, Cold Choir, Blue Max | MJQ Concourse
- Cocktails in the Garden | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- An Orangerie Spice Exploration | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Figure Drawing | Piedmont Park

Friday, August 21
- Shows for Seedlings: Watermelon Wiggles with Alyssa Easterly Miller | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- "RANSOM" Album Release Show | Smith's Olde Bar
- AYYBO | District Atlanta
- SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY | MJQ

Saturday, August 22
- Green Market | Piedmont Park
- Introductory Bonsai Workshop | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Garden Chef Demos: Anïsa Lewis | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Modern Mischief | SweetWater Brewing Company
- Stop the Violence Community Unity Festival | Piedmont Park
- Nicholas Mallis, Ben Again, Your Ex's Pets, Mona Lisa Frank | MJQ Concourse
- Bearracuda Atlanta 17 Year Anniversary | The Heretic Atlanta
- FRANKIE'S BLUES MISSION | Blind Willie's

Sunday, August 23
- Fresh Produce Comedy - August | The Supermarket ATL

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 Public Schools Board of Education
The school board moved forward on construction plans for a new A.D. Williams Elementary School and approved a bundle of demolitions at several former or surplus district properties. Board members also passed a Tax Anticipation Note to keep cash flow steady and made budget adjustments for both the current and upcoming fiscal years. On the policy side, the board finalized rules governing how tax allocation district funds get reviewed and gave first-read approval to new policies on facility repurposing and student technology use, both of which will come back for final adoption later. Routine but important safety spending also got the green light, including new playground equipment, security software, and body-worn cameras for district vehicles.

Atlanta City Council
The council and its committees spent the week on airport financing, infrastructure funding, and a wide slate of land-use decisions. The full council unanimously approved the pricing terms for $Series 2026 airport revenue bonds tied to Hartsfield-Jackson, and the Finance/Executive Committee followed up by refinancing Mercedes-Benz Stadium's public debt to lower annual payments and approving a land swap with Atlanta Public Schools. The Transportation Committee approved a $99 million fund for road and street construction citywide plus a $4.5 million safety upgrade for Peachtree Street in Midtown, while the City Utilities Committee signed off on a $57.2 million solid waste contract, a $25 million drinking water renewal project, and a new task force to study data center regulation. The Community Development/Human Services Committee advanced over $3 million in workforce training grants and forwarded several land-use redesignations across the city, including one covering the corridor discussed in today's news section on the proposed Ponce de Leon Avenue tower. The Zoning Committee took up major mixed-use rezonings along Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur Street, and Glenn Street, along with citywide rules that would require special permits for self-storage facilities and medical cannabis dispensaries, though minutes for that meeting were not yet available at publication. The Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee took up a plan to expand community policing officers to every zone and reviewed two lawsuit settlements totaling $470,000, also without published outcomes yet.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Atlanta City Council
- 573 Amsterdam Ave NE — A Comprehensive Development Plan amendment to redesignate 573 Amsterdam Avenue NE from Medium Lot Single Family to Low Density Residential was forwarded to the full City Council.
- 774-794 Ponce De Leon Ave NE — A rezoning proposal to transition 1.76 acres at 774–794 Ponce De Leon Avenue NE to high-density mixed-use for residential and retail development was considered by the committee.
- 790 Bonaventure Ave NE — A proposal to rezone 790 Bonaventure Avenue NE to mixed residential-commercial to support multi-family and retail development was considered by the committee.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Committee on Council | Aug-17, 11:30 AM | key topics: law enforcement at recreation center polling locations, public comment procedure updates, city councilmember civility pledge, charter amendment requiring legislative sponsors
- Atlanta City Council | Aug-17, 1:00 PM | key topics: $1.3B airport revenue bonds, Mercedes-Benz Stadium debt refinancing, solid waste services contract, Peachtree Street Midtown safety engineering, Data Center Task Force creation
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners | Aug-19, 10:00 AM | key topics: new Behavioral Health Crisis Center bond issuance, historic St. Mark AME Church grant, court technology funds restructuring, residential sewer and utility easements
- Atlanta NPU — NPU-F | Aug-19, 7:00 PM | key topics: 573 Amsterdam Ave NE rezoning, citywide self-storage special permit ordinance, 901 Los Angeles Ave NE setback and driveway variances, Virginia Row Fall Block Party permit

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 1858 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE — Vacant space converting to salon suites, with all new plumbing and mechanical systems going in. Another empty storefront on Cheshire Bridge is about to fill up.
- 812 Lambert Dr NE — Interior renovation underway for Urban Body Fitness's new location. The building's getting a full workout space makeover.
- 1345 Piedmont Ave NE — ABG is expanding with a new office trailer on site. Expect some added activity around the property.
- 1155 La Vista Rd NE — Commercial permit filed for an in-ground concrete pool with decking. This one's still under review, so it hasn't broken ground yet.
- 1180 University Dr NE — Electrical work permitted for an interior renovation covering the courtyard and kitchen. Sounds like a bigger overhaul is in progress.
- 1402 N Highland Ave NE — Plumbing and gas line alterations both moving through permitting for the same address. Worth watching if you're nearby and don't want surprise digging.
- 442 Plaster Ave NE — Electrical buildout approved for an existing building, adding lights, switches, and outlets ahead of a new tenant moving in.
- 2124 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE — Heat pump and air handler replacement approved for Unit #1010. Routine HVAC swap, nothing to worry about.
- 400 Park Dr NE — Temporary electrical tap permitted for generators. Likely short-term power support for an event or ongoing project.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-85 from I-75 to N of Lenox Road, Lighting Upgrade — Crews are swapping out old HPS lighting fixtures for energy-efficient LED lights along this stretch of I-85. The work may also include new poles, conduit, and wiring where needed.
- SR 13 from SR 9 to North Fork Peachtree Creek Resurfacing — GDOT is repaving this section of SR 13 to fix its declining road condition score. The route hasn't been resurfaced since 2012.
- Buford Spring Connector at I-85, Tunnel Lighting — This project upgrades the tunnel's lighting where the Buford Spring Connector meets I-85, replacing old HPS fixtures with LED. Crews will also address any missing or damaged conduit and wiring as part of the work.

Service Requests
- Visibility/Overgrowth Issues — Reported at Ponce de Leon Ave & Highland Ave, N Highland Ave NE, Ogilvie Dr & Lenox Rd, and Ponce de Leon Ave NE, four reports total
- Downed Trees — Two reports on Noble Dr NE
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Non-emergency fix at N Highland Ave NE & Virginia Ave, plus an emergency repair already resolved at Lenox Rd & Cheshire Bridge Rd
- Litter Removal — Wimbledon Rd NE
- Potholes — Virginia Cir NE
- Sign Repair — Lambert Dr & Manchester St

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Until next week,
VaHi / Morningside 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.