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Happy voting day, VaHi / Morningside. If you haven’t cast your ballot yet, make sure to get that done today. This week: renovations are underway on the Atkins Park block of North Highland, with more than $3 million going into building and streetscape upgrades and all businesses staying open. Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint was set to open Monday, Nov. 2, in the old Taco Mac space, and the Virginia Row Fall Block Party runs Nov. 7–9.

- News — Third & Urban's Atkins Park Collection renovation kicks off, plus a $570K Walk to End Alzheimer's in Piedmont Park and a fire that briefly shut down I-85 near Cheshire Bridge.
- Business — Jack Brown's was set to open its first Atlanta spot at 1006 North Highland on Monday, Nov. 2, the first location to open since the chain's sale.
- Events — From the Virginia Row Fall Block Party (Nov. 7–9) to Jacuzzi Boys at MJQ, a literary open mic and Saturday's Green Market, the week is packed.
- Government — Council committees extended the self-storage moratorium, backed a $6.5M E911 upgrade and sent a Virginia-Highland rezoning back to committee, with the Fulton County commissioners meeting Nov. 4.
- Construction — Demolition is filed at the Amsterdam Walk site, a Take 5 Oil Change is planned on Piedmont, and LED lighting work continues along I-85.

Let's dive in.

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Retail overhaul along storied Virginia-Highland strip kicks off
Third & Urban is investing more than $3 million in building and streetscape upgrades across three blocks of North Highland Avenue in a 61,120-square-foot section it calls the "Atkins Park Collection." Renovations are expected to finish by spring 2027, and the Virginia Highland District says all businesses on the block will stay open during construction.

Hundreds gather at Piedmont Park for Walk to End Alzheimer's, raising over $570K
About 2,000 people took part in the Saturday morning walk, raising approximately $570,000 for the Alzheimer's Association. The article cites an estimated 188,000 people living with Alzheimer's in Georgia, supported by nearly 400,000 caregivers.

Fire shuts down I-85 in both directions near Cheshire Bridge Road in Atlanta
Atlanta Fire Rescue responded around 11:10 p.m. Thursday to a large outdoor fire beneath the interstate near the Buford Highway Connector and brought it under control around 11:40 p.m. Portions of Buford Highway were also closed, officials said Norfolk Southern was not involved, and the cause has not been released.

Fulton County officials show how they're preparing for election; Sec. of State says elections secure
The U.S. Department of Justice plans to have monitors in several Georgia counties, including Fulton, though county officials say they do not know how many will be present. Fulton elections director Nadine Williams said voting equipment is not connected to the internet, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said an Anthropic AI agent accessed only publicly available information on Georgia's Data Hub.

BUSINESS

Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint to open first Atlanta location in Virginia-Highland — The restaurant was set to open Monday, November 2, at 1006 North Highland Avenue, the former Taco Mac space, and will be the first location to open since Florida-based Green Shoot Brands acquired the 22-unit chain, according to an October 26 report.

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Tuesday, November 3
- Drawing the Fall Harvest (Nov. 3–Dec. 8) | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Weekly Walking Club | Green Market
- Jacuzzi Boys, Ultra Lights, The Sporrs | MJQ Concourse

Wednesday, November 4
- Figure Drawing ~ November | The Supermarket ATL
- Deconstruct and Reassemble ~ November Literary Open Mic | The Supermarket ATL
- Maggie Koerner | Smith's Olde Bar
- Wednesday Jazz Jam - Gordon Vernick Quartet (Nov. 4–5) | Red Light Cafe

Thursday, November 5
- Joe Jordan | Smith’s Olde Bar
- La Tavola’s Abbondanza Fall Harvest Celebration | La Tavola Trattoria
- Allen Thomas | The Drunken Unicorn

Friday, November 6
- Fall Drop-In Garden Tours | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Elijah Nolasco & Grupo RYE | Smith's Olde Bar
- FRANKY RIZARDO | District Atlanta
- Jeremy Short | Smith's Olde Bar

Saturday, November 7
- 🍁 Virginia Row Fall Block Party (Nov. 7–9) | Virginia Highland District Association
- Brew Your Cask Off | Sweetwater Brewery
- Trees Atlanta Tree Tour: Virginia Highland | Murphy’s Restaurant
- HGF's 14th Annual 5K Run & Walk for Kids' Growth - Atlanta | 1322 Monroe Dr NE
- Green Market | Green Market
- Plant. Eat. Repeat. Workshop: Container Gardening for Edible Plants | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Frog Feeding | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- 44 Live Jazz Festival | Piedmont Park
- Jacob Hackworth & Zach John King | Smith's Olde Bar
- Atlanta Bad and Bourgeoisie Fae Ball | The Creatorspace
- Therapeutic Art Party 2026: Make It (We)ird | 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
The Zoning Committee voted 6-0 to extend the self-storage moratorium by 60 days for Office-Institutional districts, kept the citywide zoning rewrite on hold, and sent a rezoning request for a Virginia-Highland commercial property back to committee. It also filed a two-family rezoning request in the neighborhood, which effectively ends that application. The Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee approved a three-year, $6.5 million AT&T contract to upgrade the city's E911 network, accepted a $582,102 federal policing grant, and held a proposal to curb harassment through anonymous housing code complaints. The City Utilities Committee recommended more than $64 million in water and infrastructure spending, including $25 million for water pipe rehabilitation, and held a ban on septic tanks for new commercial development. The Transportation Committee advanced $36.84 million for fire safety upgrades on an airport concourse but held a $2.88 million street resurfacing contract and a six-month extension for the city's parking enforcement operator. The Finance/Executive Committee unanimously backed the FY 2027 property tax rates, and it held a $3.33 million Trees Atlanta contract for more information. The Community Development/Human Services Committee took up more than $24 million in federal housing grants and a plan to reserve half of BeltLine tax allocation funds for one corridor, though minutes aren't yet published for that meeting, so outcomes aren't confirmed. On Monday, Nov. 2, the Committee on Council approved Dr. Annette Hall's appointment to the Human Relations Commission and held both a rewrite of the council's public comment and proclamation rules and a charter change that would require a councilmember sponsor on all legislation. The full council met that afternoon with the FY 2027 property tax rates, the self-storage moratorium extension and the water and sewer spending on its agenda, but results haven't been posted yet.

Atlanta Public Schools
The Student Advisory Council held a general body meeting on October 28 at the Center for Learning and Leadership. The agenda covered student support efforts, using data to guide financial investments, and planning for the council's standing committees. No minutes were recorded for the session, and no votes or policy decisions came out of it. Because this was an advisory student group, nothing that affects school budgets, contracts, or property changed. You can look to the full Board of Education meetings for decisions that touch your school. The Board of Education met Monday, Nov. 2, with first reads of proposed fall 2027 attendance zones for more than a dozen west and southwest Atlanta schools, including Douglass and Washington high schools, along with the board's draft 2027 legislative priorities. Its consent agenda included temporary construction easements for the city and a school bus purchase. Minutes aren't posted yet.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Atlanta City Council
- Amsterdam Avenue NE — The committee voted to file and effectively terminate an application to rezone the 0.229-acre lot from single-family to two-family residential under the BeltLine Overlay.
- 992 North Highland Avenue NE — An application to rezone the 0.115-acre parcel to the Virginia Highland Neighborhood Commercial District was referred back to committee for future hearings.

Meetings This Week
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners | Nov-04, 10:00 AM | key topics: $45.5 million jail detention facility design contract, Fulton County School Board millage rate adoption, Vine City affordable housing funding, Board of Ethics overhaul

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 1916 Piedmont Rd NE: A new Take 5 Oil Change building is in the works. The permit modifies the existing parking lot to make room for it, so expect some site work and construction noise along Piedmont Road.
- 1425 Piedmont Ave NE: The Atlanta Botanical Garden is planning an extension with a new one-story building plus a basement. The permit is routed for review.
- 501 Amsterdam Ave: Demolition is filed for the existing structures at the Amsterdam Walk site. The permit still needs additional materials, but it signals big changes for the property.
- 500 Amsterdam Ave: A multifamily land development permit covers grading, stormwater, sewer, and water work to prepare the property for construction. You'll likely see heavy equipment once it clears review.
- 1290 Evelyn St NE: Offsite roadway improvements will expand Evelyn Street at the Atlanta Watershed site. If you drive through the area, watch for lane changes and construction traffic down the line.
- 1510 Piedmont Ave NE: A commercial permit tied to the city's sewer consent decree work is ready to issue. It's part of Atlanta's ongoing effort to meet federal requirements, so crews could show up soon.
- 1637 Lenox Rd NE: A commercial land development permit was filed on 10/30. The filing doesn't say what's planned, but land development usually means grading and site prep.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-85 lighting from I-75 to north of Lenox Rd — Crews are finishing the switch to LED highway lighting on I-85 between the Downtown Connector and Lenox Road. GDOT lists the work as about 96% complete.
- Peachtree Rd (SR 9) resurfacing — Crews are repaving Peachtree Road from Northside Drive to just north of Paces Ferry Road. GDOT lists the work as about 42% complete.

Service Requests
- Potholes — You'll find them at Wellbourne Dr and Wildwood Rd, on Lenox Rd NE, and on Armour Dr NE.
- Emergency Traffic Signal Repair — Signals at Monroe Dr and Worchester Dr and at Evelyn St NE and Monroe Dr NE needed urgent attention. If you drive Monroe, expect some signal trouble.
- Non-Emergency Traffic Signal Repair — Reports came in on Piedmont Ave and at Cheshire Bridge Rd and Sheridan Dr.
- Downed Trees — Two trees came down on E. Rock Springs Rd.
- Right of Way Overgrowth — Visibility problems were reported on Virginia Ave NE and Monroe Dr NE.
- Right of Way Litter Removal — Litter piled up on Cheshire Bridge Rd NE and at Park Dr and Elmwood Dr.

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Until next week,
VaHi / Morningside Busybody

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