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Hey, VaHi / Morningside! This week: the Atlanta City Council has approved the rezoning Selig Enterprises needed for its Ponce de Leon Avenue apartments-and-retail project, though no firm construction timeline has been set. Invest Atlanta also approved a $330 million lease-purchase bond for Amsterdam Walk, and there's a full week of pumpkins, queer film and jazz to plan around.

- News — Selig's Ponce project clears the council, Invest Atlanta backs Amsterdam Walk with a $330 million bond, and Piedmont Park plans a debut Holiday Lantern Parade for Nov. 22.
- Business — Dragon Denim, the online-first jacket brand, now has its first physical store at Ponce City Market on a short-term lease.
- Events — From the Great Pumpkin-Carving Festival at the Botanical Garden to the Supermarket's "Bump in the Night" opening, a Pariah screening, and the Oct. 24 North Highland clean-up, there's plenty to fill your week.
- Government — Council committees had a $68 million detention center sale, a new "family" definition for zoning, and data center water limits on their agendas, plus local items for Sidney Marcus Park, John Howell Park and 992 North Highland.
- Construction — A six-story storage facility is in the permit pipeline at 1907 Piedmont Rd, a new restaurant is headed to Greenwood Ave, and signal and pothole reports are piling up.

Let's dive in.

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Invest Atlanta approves $330 million lease-purchase bond for Amsterdam Walk
Invest Atlanta has approved a $330 million lease-purchase bond for Portman Holdings to advance its mixed-use redevelopment of Amsterdam Walk. The financing package will allow the developer to lease the Beltline-adjacent property during construction amid continuing debate over public subsidies.

Ponce project OK; Adult Swim billboard; new tenants for old CNN Center
The Atlanta City Council approved rezoning legislation needed for Selig Enterprises to move forward with a multi-use project on Ponce de Leon Avenue. The development is planned across a 1.75-acre parcel in Virginia-Highland and will incorporate apartments and retail space. The vote clears a key regulatory hurdle, though no construction timeline has been announced.

‘Strength in numbers:’ No Kings rallies urge voters to get to polls early
Demonstrators gathered on a street corner in Virginia-Highland on Saturday as part of a series of 'No Kings' rallies held across North Georgia. Participants carried signs and waved flags to urge residents to turn out for early voting ahead of the November midterm elections. Organizers reported dozens of similar civic mobilization gatherings across the metro area.

Piedmont Park debuts new holiday lantern parade during seasonal celebration
The Piedmont Park Conservancy announced that its annual Light Up the Season celebration on November 22 will debut a new Holiday Lantern Parade. Community members will be invited to participate in a glowing procession leading up to the ceremonial lighting of the Great Tree, Menorah, and Kinara. The seasonal event marks an expansion of the park's traditional year-end programming.

Fulton Commission Races Heat Up as Early Voting Launches Across Metro
Early voting is underway across Fulton County for elections that will determine five of the seven seats on the Board of Commissioners, including the commission chair. The results will reshape county governance and policy ahead of new terms beginning in January.

BUSINESS

Dragon Denim opens first brick-and-mortar store at Ponce City Market — The online-first brand opened its first physical store on September 26 on the second floor of the Central Food Hall, next to Rhen's Nest at Ponce City Market (675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE), under a short-term lease, and carries ready-to-wear and custom denim jackets.

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Monday, October 19
- Atlanta Running Meetup | 7pm - 9pm/Park Tavern
- The Alter Egos Showcase | The Supermarket
- Community Game Night | Piedmont Park
- Monster Show For Monsters - A Variety Show | Red Light Cafe

Tuesday, October 20
- Weekly Walking Club | Green Market
- Garden Playtime | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Moony & Desmond Myers | Smith's Olde Bar
- Crochet Workshop: 101 | Piedmont Park

Wednesday, October 21
- Storybook Time | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Billy Batts & The Made Men & The Effigies | Smith's Olde Bar
- Bump in the Night ~ Opening Reception | The Supermarket ATL
- Lavender Lens ~ October Queer Film Screening of "Pariah" | The Supermarket ATL
- Collage Night ~ October | The Supermarket ATL
- Wednesday Jazz Jam - Gordon Vernick Quartet (Oct. 21–22) | Red Light Cafe

Thursday, October 22
- A CHaRMing Evening + Yacht Rock Revue | The Stave Room
- Jackson Fine Art, Sam Taylor-Johnson She Was I | Jackson Fine Art
- Dent May | MJQ Concourse
- Great Pumpkin-Carving Festival | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Mandi Strachota | Atlanta Botanical Garden - Atlanta
- Writing the Weird: An Interactive Speculative Fiction Workshop | The Supermarket ATL
- Cemeterium: Halloween Terrarium Workshop | Piedmont Park
- Atlanta Beltline Thursday Run Club | Lewis BBQ

Friday, October 23
- Fall Ceramics Show (Oct. 23–25) | Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
- Pete Ayres Quartet: Jazz on the Lawn | Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
- letdown. & luchiano & Sikarus | Smith's Olde Bar
- Paint & Sip: Fall in the Park! | Green Market

Saturday, October 24
- Miles for Smiles 5K Walk/Run & 1 Mile Fun Run | Sweetwater Brewery
- Belly Laughs: A Comedy Night for Family Building | Red Light Cafe
- ✨ Community Clean-Up | 1017 N Highland Ave NE
- Plant. Eat. Repeat. Workshop: Container Gardening for Edible Plants | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Chinese Watercolor: Chrysanthemums | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Garden Chef Demo: Shobha Swamy | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Sunday, October 25
- Kids 'N Crafts ~ October | The Supermarket ATL
- Face the Music - Live Portrait Drawing Session to Music ~ Oct | The Supermarket ATL
- Powered up Halloween | The Supermarket ATL

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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

Council committees met all week, though minutes aren't published yet, so what follows is what sat on the agendas. The Zoning Committee took up a full rewrite of the city's zoning ordinance and map, plus a new legal definition of "family" that could change household occupancy rules in residential zones. The Finance/Executive Committee had a $68 million sale of the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County on its docket, along with the FY 2027 property tax rates and a resolution urging that developers delinquent on taxes, data centers in particular, be barred from city incentives. At the City Utilities Committee, members reviewed a ban on using drinking water for routine data center cooling, a ban on septic tanks for new commercial buildings, and proposals to ease sudden water bill spikes, along with $25 million for water distribution upgrades and a $20 million loan application for lead service line replacement. The Community Development/Human Services Committee considered $24 million in federal housing and community grants and a feasibility study on expanding public housing. The Transportation Committee weighed a $2 million federal grant for downtown street redesign and several traffic safety studies, while the Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee looked at limits on weapon-equipped robots and more than $500,000 in proposed legal settlements. As covered in today's news section, the council also approved the rezoning for Selig Enterprises' Ponce de Leon Avenue project.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Atlanta City Council
- John Howell Park — Legislation is on the agenda proposing carry-forward funding to Virginia-Highland Security Patrol to support erecting a memorial statue honoring neighborhood advocate John Wolfinger.
- Sidney Marcus Park — Legislation is on the agenda to allocate carry-forward funds to the Morningside Community Foundation to finance planned park improvements.
- Intersection of Cumberland Road NE & McCoy Street NE — A resolution is on the agenda to install stop signs converting the intersection into a three-way stop.
- Intersection of Yorkshire Road NE & McCoy Street NE — A resolution is on the agenda to convert the intersection into a three-way stop with new stop signs.
- 573 Amsterdam Avenue NE — A Comprehensive Development Plan amendment is on the agenda to reclassify the property from Medium Lot Single Family to Low Density Residential.
- 573 Amsterdam Avenue NE — A rezoning request is on the agenda to reclassify the property from single-family residential to two-family duplex zoning near Piedmont Park.
- 992 North Highland Avenue NE — A rezoning request is on the agenda to rezone the parcel from residential limited commercial to Virginia-Highland neighborhood commercial to allow retail and restaurant uses.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Committee on Council | Oct-19, 11:30 AM | key topics: police presence at recreation center polling sites, public comment procedure reforms, legislative sponsorship transparency
- Atlanta City Council | Oct-19, 1:00 PM | key topics: $68 million sale of the city detention center, data center cooling water restrictions, Memorial Drive Greenway expansion
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners | Oct-21, 10:00 AM | key topics: North Point Mall Tax Allocation District, senior transportation contract extensions, departmental budget caps
- Atlanta NPU — NPU-F | Oct-21, 7:00 PM | key topics: restaurant rezoning and parking reduction at 992 North Highland Avenue, Ponce de Leon Place variances, Winterfest 2026 permit

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Permits
- 1907 Piedmont Rd NE — A new six-story mixed-use storage facility with a basement is planned. A demolition permit for the existing buildings has been accepted, and two land development permits (one for the building, one for site prep and utilities) are still pending, with the city waiting on additional materials for the first.
- 1043 Greenwood Ave NE — An interior remodel of a free-standing, one-story building is under review. A new restaurant is headed to the space.
- 1510 Piedmont Ave NE — A commercial permit tied to the City of Atlanta's work under the Second Amended Consent Decree is routed for review. It's part of the city's ongoing push on its water and sewer requirements.
- 1545 N Morningside Dr NE — Crews will remove and haul away pre-existing concrete, then prep the site for new concrete. Expect some construction noise nearby.
- 181 Armour Dr NE — A fire sprinkler permit was issued to add and relocate sprinklers for tenant improvements.
- 340 Armour Dr NE — An electrical permit was issued to replace an 800 amp service.
- 1579 Monroe Dr NE — An HVAC rough-in permit was issued for a commercial space. Build-out is underway.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-85 lighting, I-75 to north of Lenox Road — Older sodium streetlights along I-85 from I-75 to north of Lenox Road are being swapped for energy-efficient LEDs. GDOT lists it as about 96% complete.
- Buford Spring Connector tunnel lighting at I-85 — The tunnel lights where the Buford Spring Connector meets I-85 are being upgraded to energy-efficient LEDs. GDOT lists the work as essentially complete.
- SR 9 resurfacing to north of Paces Ferry Road — SR 9 is being repaved from SR 3 to just north of Paces Ferry Road. GDOT lists it as about 39% complete.
- Bridge preservation at six metro sites — Crews are resurfacing, painting and replacing joints on six bridges, including Moreland Avenue over the Norfolk Southern tracks and Deering Road over the I-75/I-85 ramp. GDOT lists it as about 46% complete.

Service Requests
- Traffic Signal Repairs: Eight reports came in, including Memorial Dr SE and the Beltline Eastside Trail, 10th St NE and the Beltline Eastside Trail, Piedmont Ave and 15th St NE, and Amsterdam Ave NE at N Highland Ave. Three more locations are also on the list. If you cross the Beltline at one of these spots, give the signal a second look before you step out.
- Sign Repair, Replacement, or Installation: Virginia Cir NE, Park Dr NE, and Highland Ave at Rock Springs Rd all need sign work.
- Potholes: You'll find them on Armour Dr NE and at the intersection of E Pelham Rd NE and Piedmont Rd NE.
- Right of Way Overgrowth: Someone reported blocked sightlines at Virginia Ave NE and the Beltline Eastside Trail.
- Litter Removal: Maiden Ln and Bonaventure Ave need a cleanup.
- Downed Tree: A report came in for Homestead Ave NE.

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Until next week,
VaHi / Morningside Busybody

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