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Hey, VaHi / Morningside! This week: the ASO is bringing a free 90-minute concert to Piedmont Park despite recent headlines there, and Shaky Knees is about to take over the park for a whole different kind of soundtrack. Meanwhile, city council made some big moves on the jail sale, a major Logan Circle rezoning, and Beltline rail; all worth catching up on.

- News — The ASO's free Piedmont Park concert goes on as planned, Midtown Green opens its temporary lawn, and Atlanta moves ahead on selling the city jail to Fulton County for $68 million.
- Events — Shaky Knees rolls into Piedmont Park this weekend while Renegade Theatre debuts Sondheim's “Company,” plus mahjong, bingo, and Cocktails in the Garden fill out a packed calendar.
- Government — Council approved a huge 36-acre Logan Circle rezoning and new park-for-hire rules, but narrowly killed the Peachtree Circle Historic District.
- Construction — A 119-unit apartment project is rising on La Vista Road, Publix is getting a Cheshire Bridge refresh, and crews are tackling a full roof teardown on Faulkner Road.

Let's dive in.

NEWS

ASO putting on free concert in Piedmont Park Wednesday night
The concert starts at 7:30pm on Oak Hill and features the music of Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart and Vivaldi, lasting about 90 minutes with food trucks on site. It proceeds as planned despite the recent shooting at the park.

Midtown Green opens as temporary lawn ahead of larger park plans
The new temporary greenspace has opened along 14th Street, giving Midtown residents and office workers an open lawn in the neighborhood's core while community leaders finalize funding and a long-term vision for a permanent park.

City of Atlanta accepts Fulton County's offer to purchase Atlanta City Detention Center
Mayor Andre Dickens has told the Fulton County Board of Commissioners that the city will accept the county's $68 million offer for the Atlanta City Detention Center. Dickens said the agreement is expected to deliver over $600 million in net present value to Fulton County taxpayers by leveraging existing detention capacity and avoiding greater future capital costs.

Council members urge Dickens administration to revisit Beltline rail
District 2 Councilmember Kelsea Bond has introduced a resolution urging Mayor Dickens to reconsider light rail on the Atlanta Beltline. Co-sponsored by nine colleagues, it asks the city, MARTA, and Atlanta Beltline Inc. to present an actionable construction timeline and plan by January 2027.

ATL e-bike rebates are back; Midtown lease; South Downtown; more!
The City of Atlanta has reopened its e-bike rebate portal after City Council approved $1 million in fresh funding. Residents looking to offset the cost of an electric bike for local commuting have until September 22 to apply.

EVENTS | Presented by

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Monday, September 14
- Atlanta Running Meetup | 7pm - 9pm/Park Tavern
- PRIDE Kickball League – Coed Adult Social Kickball | Piedmont Park
- Skyline Picnic | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Meg Smith | Smith's Olde Bar

Tuesday, September 15
- Weekly Walking Club | Dockside
- Garden Playtime | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Queran & Brotha Josh & Tattoo Logic | Smith's Olde Bar

Wednesday, September 16
- Storybook Time | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Brown Horse | Smith's Olde Bar
- Missouri Executive Order 44 | MJQ Concourse
- LOCALS ONLY | MJQ

Thursday, September 17
- Pins & Pungs – Mahjong Open Play @Midtown Bowl | Midtown Bowl
- Hot Pepper Improv | The Supermarket ATL
- Garden Grooves | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- “Company”, Sondheim's hit musical comedy | Virginia Highland Church
- Atlanta Space Quartet, Street Racer, Annie Leeth | MJQ Concourse
- Cocktails in the Garden | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Young Ho's ChipIn: Bingo Night | The Supermarket ATL
- New South Chef Collective: A Garden Dinner Series II | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Clark D: Dream For A Dollar Live In Atlanta With Cam The Artisan, Mmw, And Kei at Smith's Olde Bar | Smith's Olde Bar
- In The Wild: Nashville Singles Speed Dating 30+ | Park Tavern

Friday, September 18
- Shaky Knees Music Festival | Piedmont Park Magnolia Hall
- CRIMEWAVE – ATLANTA (21+) | The Drunken Unicorn
- In The Wild Dating Atlanta: Pickle After Dark | Painted Pickle
- Monsterwatch | MJQ Concourse
- Omar | District Atlanta
- Secret Aisle: A Magic and Comedy Show | The Supermarket ATL

Saturday, September 19
- THE 90S DAY PARTY PART 2 | Knock Music House
- BABY FAT: A 2000s Slow Jams Party Hosted by Plewto Smith Starring Lavi, Whipp Appeal, A13mondo | MJQ Concourse
- RANDY: Ball and Chain with DJ Tony Moran | 2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE

Sunday, September 20
- ATLANTA Film Screening of “In Times Such as These” | Tara Atlanta
- Kids N' Crafts - September | The Supermarket ATL
- Songbird Showcase | The Supermarket
- Live Portrait Drawing Session to Music - September | The Supermarket ATL

GOVERNMENT | Presented by

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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 full council approved rezoning more than 36 acres along Logan Circle and Chattahoochee Avenue, swapping heavy industrial zoning for mixed-use apartments and retail, one of the biggest land use shifts the city's seen in a while. Council members also passed new rules cracking down on private “park-for-hire” lots, requiring clear pricing, easier payment options, and a real dispute process before you get booted or ticketed. In a tighter 11-4 vote, the council killed the proposed Peachtree Circle Historic District, leaving those homes without the added protections some members wanted. Big money moved too: council approved $17.8 million to finance new police vehicles and equipment, plus $2 million more for stream restoration work at Chastain Park. Separately, as covered in today's news section, the council introduced legislation to sell the Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County for up to $68 million. Meanwhile, the Committee on Council unanimously advanced a new “Civility Pledge” for councilmembers and approved appointments to the Civil Service Board and the Downtown Atlanta CID, while holding back reforms that would let residents speak at meetings in the order they signed up.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee | Sep-14, 11:00 AM | key topics: proposed citywide zoning code rewrite, District 8 subdivision moratorium, Ellsworth Industrial mixed-use rezoning
- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee | Sep-14, 1:00 PM | key topics: proposed city detention center sale, police camera expansion, abandoned-property cleanup contract
- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee | Sep-15, 10:00 AM | key topics: proposed restrictions on data center drinking-water use, data center task force, street resurfacing funding
- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee | Sep-15, 1:30 PM | key topics: BeltLine light rail transit support, tree recompense fee waivers for affordable housing, short-term rental regulations, and Comprehensive Development Plan amendments
- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee | Sep-16, 10:00 AM | key topics: BeltLine Southside Trail funding, full-loop BeltLine light rail support, airport Plane Train expansion
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners | Sep-16, 10:00 AM | key topics: proposed property tax millage rates, English Avenue affordable housing funding, public comment rules
- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee | Sep-16, 1:30 PM | key topics: proposed detention center sale and leaseback, property tax millage rates, BeltLine refinancing bonds
- Atlanta NPU — NPU-F | Sep-16, 7:00 PM | key topics: rezoning at 573 Amsterdam Avenue NE, height and buffer variance at 1199 North Highland Avenue NE, neighborhood setback variances, and Midtown High School renovation updates

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 2325 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE — Publix is remodeling, with new lighting and refrigeration cases going in. Expect some construction activity but the store stays open. A separate interior renovation permit is moving through the pipeline for the same address, so more work is coming here beyond the Publix update.
- 1155 La Vista Rd NE — Foundation electrical work is underway for a new multifamily project, with conduits and underslab work signaling a big build taking shape. Two more HVAC permits confirm the scale here: one covers 92 units, the other 119. That's a large apartment development heading to the area, and you'll likely notice the construction traffic for a while.
- 2239 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE — Electrical work for updated canopy letters and a price sign points to a business refreshing its storefront.
- 2157 Lenox Rd NE — A commercial building is replacing 27 windows in kind. No structural changes, so this one's mostly cosmetic.
- 1320 Monroe Dr NE — A generator installation got the green light. Routine, but worth noting if you're nearby and hear equipment running.
- 1413 Lanier Pl NE — A new residential permit replaces two earlier voided applications for a multifamily project. Worth watching if you live close by, since this one's had a bumpy path to approval.
- 2121 Faulkner Rd NE — A full roof replacement is planned, tearing off the existing system down to the deck before installing new insulation and cover board. Expect noise and crews on site for this one.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-85 from I-75 to N of Lenox Road, Lighting — Crews are swapping out old HPS lighting for energy-efficient LED fixtures along this stretch of I-85. The work may also include new poles, conduit, and wiring.
- Buford Spring Connector @ I-85, Tunnel Lighting — This project is upgrading the tunnel's lighting from HPS to LED at the I-85 connector. Expect conduit replacement and wiring work as part of the job.
- SR 236 / LaVista Rd & Shepherds Ln Signal Upgrade — Crews are upgrading the traffic signal at SR 236 / LaVista Rd and Shepherds Ln in DeKalb County.

Service Requests
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Five reports total this week. Non-emergency issues hit Ponce de Leon Ave & Highland Ave, Ponce de Leon Ave, and Cheshire Bridge Rd & Sheridan Rd, and emergency-level repairs got called in twice more at Sheridan Rd & Cheshire Bridge Rd. That intersection cluster around Cheshire Bridge and Sheridan is clearly giving the signals trouble.
- Downed Trees — Reported on E Pelham Rd NE and San Antonio Dr NE.
- Visibility/Overgrowth Issues — Both reports came from Ogilvie Dr & Lenox Rd, and the city already marked both as solved.
- Litter Removal — Crews are working a request at Amsterdam Ave NE & N Highland Ave.
- Sign Repair/Replacement — A request is in progress at Orme Cir & Elkmont Dr.
- Potholes — Closed out on Johnson Rd NE.

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Until next week,
VaHi / Morningside Busybody

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