VaHi / Morningside: Asana Partners Moves Into VaHi and Messi in the Park

Hey, VaHi and Morningside! It's a big week. The firm behind Krog Street Market just dropped $17.3 million on properties in the neighborhood, and if you care about what Virginia-Highland looks and feels like five years from now, that's a story worth reading closely. Meanwhile, Piedmont Park is entering full World Cup mode: a 20-foot Messi statue is already on the ground, and a massive finals watch party is confirmed, so start adjusting your summer plans accordingly.

- News — Asana Partners makes a major bet on Virginia-Highland, Piedmont Park becomes Atlanta's World Cup hub, and Sidney Marcus Park gets its moment in the spotlight.
- Events — Peach Party 15 runs all weekend along Cheshire Bridge, with speed dating at Park Tavern, blues at Fat Matt's, and a full week of options at the Botanical Garden and Smith's Olde Bar.
- Government — Atlanta City Council committees are packed this week, with votes looming on a World Cup open-container exemption, a BeltLine self-storage ban, FY2027 tax rates, and an Ansley Golf Club special use permit.
- Construction — A restaurant gut-renovation is underway at 1886 Cheshire Bridge, Piedmont Road is finally getting its first repave since 2012, and the BeltLine's Northeast Trail from Lindbergh to I-85 is now funded and in the pipeline.

Let's dive in.

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Krog Street Market owner targets Virginia-Highland with $17.3M acquisition
Asana Partners — the Charlotte-based firm that transformed Krog Street Market into one of Atlanta's most visited destinations — has dropped $17.3 million on a major property portfolio in Virginia-Highland. For a neighborhood that has long prized its independent, small-business character, institutional money of this scale is worth watching closely.

Latest Atlanta World Cup updates: A Piedmont Park finals watch party
Piedmont Park is set to become Atlanta's official epicenter for the 2026 World Cup finals, with a massive public watch party now confirmed for the city's most beloved green space. If you live anywhere near the park, start thinking about your summer logistics now — this is going to be big.

Sidney Marcus Park unites Morningside neighborhood
Tucked between Morningside and Lenox Park, Sidney Marcus Park has quietly become one of the neighborhood's most important civic assets — a place where residents actually know each other's names. A new feature makes the case for why green spaces like this one aren't just amenities, they're the connective tissue of a community.

20-foot Messi statue arrives in Piedmont Park ahead of World Cup
A 20-foot inflatable Lionel Messi has taken up residence in Piedmont Park, and if you had any doubt that World Cup fever had officially arrived in Atlanta, that should settle it. Consider this the opening act — the fan activations, crowds, and general organized chaos are only going to build from here.

Atlanta Jazz Festival brings hundreds of thousands to Piedmont Park
The 49th annual Atlanta Jazz Festival wrapped up this Memorial Day weekend, drawing more than 300,000 people to Piedmont Park over the course of the event — a reminder of just how much this neighborhood absorbs when the city wants to celebrate something. The music spotlighted a rising generation of artists, though neighbors noted a notably heavier police presence than in years past.

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Tuesday, May 26
- Weekly Walking Club | Piedmont Park
- Yoga in the Park | Piedmont Park
- From the Garden Cocktail Class | Nakato
- Garden Playtime | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Sister Sleep, Kyle Lewis is A Boring Name, Soul Meets Body, K3YP4RTY | Smith's Olde Bar

Wednesday, May 27
- Atlanta In The Wild Dating: Speed Dating 27+ | Park Tavern
- Storybook & Sensory Bin Time | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Drop-In Kids Gardening Activity | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Larry Griffith Band: Solo at World Famous Fat Matt's Rib Shack, 7-9:30! | Fat Matt's Rib Shack
- Jackson Slater and the Revelators | Smith's Olde Bar

Thursday, May 28
- Cocktails in the Garden | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Garden Mixology | Piedmont Park
- Barry's x In The Wild Dating | Park Tavern
- Garden Grooves | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Sync or Swym | Smith's Olde Bar
- Acting Under the Influence - I Could Have Drank All Night | Red Light Cafe

Friday, May 29
- Peach Party 15 Friday Kickoff Party | 2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
- MASON FINE ART ANNOUNCES A GROUP SHOW MAY 29TH | Mason Fine Art
- La Ciénaga Entre el Mar y la Tierra | Tara Atlanta
- Shows for Seedlings: Music of Latin America with Havana Son | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Mandi Strachota | Fat Matt's Rib Shack
- The P.B.R. Trio Live at Red Light Cafe | Red Light Cafe
- Nargiz | Smith's Olde Bar
- Taiki Nulight | District Atlanta

Saturday, May 30
- Green Market | Piedmont Park
- Peach Party 15 Saturday Tea Dance | 2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
- Watercolor 101 | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Free Hat | SweetWater Brewing Company
- Mutual Melodies: A Musical Mutual Aid Fundraiser | Red Light Cafe
- Actus Reus Single Release Party with Bible Belt Massacre, Kaiju, and Glass Edge | Smith's Olde Bar
- ROZ (21 and Over) | District Atlanta

Sunday, May 31
- Peach Party 15 Sunday Closing w/ Isis Muretech | 1789 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
- Life Like Water | Red Light Cafe
- Madeleine Kelson with support from Megan Eileen | Smith's Olde Bar

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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 City Council

The Atlanta City Council moved forward this week by officially approving a feasibility study to explore privatizing security at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport and greenlighting a street abandonment to support Georgia State University’s campus expansion. While the Full Council passed measures to waive summer camp fees for low-income families and rezone property for affordable housing, they opted to defer critical decisions regarding 2027 property tax rates and the city’s billion-dollar budget. In committee meetings, members advanced plans to dissolve inactive city boards but chose to hold a resolution that would have mandated law enforcement presence at all recreation centers used as polling places. On the horizon, the Community Development committee is considering a significant shift to allow high-density mixed-use developments in traditionally industrial corridors and the creation of dedicated bike lanes on the Beltline. These actions are significant because they determine the pace of urban density, the safety of city transit, and the future of how your property tax dollars are allocated. Because some of these items were only heard in committee without final minutes yet available, they remain subject to further debate before becoming law.

Fulton County Board of Commissioners

Note: Only an agenda is available for this meeting — outcomes below reflect what was scheduled, and items may have been tabled, deferred, or withdrawn. The Board's May 20 agenda was headlined by a proposed $5.36 million in grants to nonprofits through the 2026 Community Services Program, which funds social services across the county and directly affects residents who rely on those organizations. Commissioners were also set to vote on a resolution asking the Fulton County Sheriff to stop accepting bookings for certain misdemeanor offenses — a policy shift aimed at easing jail overcrowding and prioritizing space for those accused of more serious crimes. On the legal front, the Board had on its agenda a resolution challenging the constitutionality of HB 369, a new state law that would require nonpartisan elections for county officers and district attorneys in Fulton and several other metro counties starting in 2028 — a significant change to how local races are run. Rounding out the agenda were smaller but notable items: a resolution to help independent small businesses in South Downtown capitalize on the 2026 World Cup's economic activity, a $160,000 contract for alcohol and drug testing services for the Police Department and Sheriff's Office, and contract amendments adding $90,000 for senior center services in Alpharetta and College Park.

NPU-F

Note: No documents are available for this meeting, so the agenda and any outcomes are unknown — the summary below reflects only that the meeting was scheduled. NPU-F, the Neighborhood Planning Unit covering Virginia-Highland, Morningside, and surrounding areas, was scheduled to meet virtually on the evening of May 20. NPUs are Atlanta's formal channel for community input on zoning cases, variance requests, and land use changes before they reach the City Council, making these monthly meetings one of the most direct ways residents can shape what gets built — or blocked — in their neighborhood. Because no agenda or minutes have been posted, it is not known what specific cases or proposals were on the table this month. Residents with questions about what was discussed should check the NPU-F mailing list or contact their NPU representative directly.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee — Tuesday, May 26 at 10:00 AM
The committee is scheduled to consider adjustments to solid waste service fees, a $20 million transfer for sanitary sewer repairs, and new rules defining when properties must connect to the public sewer system. A $8.5 million road resurfacing funding transfer and an $822,567 contract amendment for Greensferry Stream restoration are also on the agenda.

- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee — Tuesday, May 26 at 11:00 AM
No agenda is available at this time.

- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee — Tuesday, May 26 at 1:00 PM
The committee will take up a temporary open-container exemption for the FIFA World Cup (June 11–July 19), an updated Atlanta Fire Rescue compensation plan, and a resolution to restrict the Atlanta Police Department's use of field drug tests as a basis for arrest. A proposed 180-day moratorium on new alcohol licenses in the Edgewood Corridor remains held in committee.

- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee — Tuesday, May 26 at 1:30 PM
A sweeping "Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative" ordinance is on the agenda, along with a $7.8 million proposal to acquire nearly 30 acres of forest on Randall Mill Road and a $4.5 million gymnasium funding correction for Chastain Park. Final votes are also scheduled for high-density mixed-use rezonings along Logan Circle and Chattahoochee Avenue in West Midtown.

- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee — Tuesday, May 26 at 3:00 PM
The committee is set to consider a $3.5 million APD body camera and counter-drone contract, a lease for a new Zone 6 Police Precinct at 2025 Hosea Williams Drive SE, and a $5 million equipment agreement with Motorola. A proposed 180-day freeze on new alcohol licenses in the Edgewood Corridor is also scheduled for discussion.

- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee — Wednesday, May 27 at 10:00 AM
The committee is scheduled to consider a $6 million GDOT street resurfacing grant, $8 million for the PATH Westside Connector, and a $3.6 million Peachtree Street improvement project from North Avenue to West Peachtree Street. Also on the agenda: residential parking restrictions for Lakeview Avenue NE, a traffic signal reinstatement at Mayson Turner Road and Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard, and a resolution requesting dedicated bike and vehicle lanes along the Atlanta BeltLine.

- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee — Wednesday, May 27 at 11:00 AM
A citywide ban on new self-storage facilities within the BeltLine Overlay District is scheduled to be heard, along with a major rezoning of the Logan Circle and Chattahoochee Avenue industrial corridor from Heavy Industrial to Mixed-Use. Several Northwest Atlanta properties are up for duplex rezoning, and a Special Use Permit request for the Ansley Golf Club at 196 Montgomery Ferry Drive NE is on the agenda.

- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee — Wednesday, May 27 at 1:30 PM
The committee is set to consider the FY2027 property tax rates, ratification of an executive order creating a FIFA World Cup "activation zone" in Downtown Atlanta (June 11–July 19), and a utility easement at Fire Station 26 on Howell Mill Road to advance a Complete Street project. Annexations for properties on Woodland Avenue NE and the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam are also on the agenda.

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Permits

- 1886 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE — A full interior gut renovation is underway to convert an existing commercial space into a restaurant. Status is accepted, so it's early days — but a new dining option on Cheshire Bridge is worth watching.
- 1860 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE — A smoke shop build-out is in review, with scope including paint, epoxy flooring, and interior prep for move-in. Two Cheshire Bridge commercial projects in the same week signals continued retail churn on that corridor.
- 609 Virginia Ave NE — Demolition permitted for two accessory warehouse/storage buildings on an existing apartment property. Clearing structures on a multifamily lot often precedes expansion — worth keeping an eye on what comes next.
- 1824 & 1700 Piedmont Ave NE — A pair of commercial electrical permits filed on the same day, covering new panels, lighting controls, and branch circuitry. Likely coordinated work on the same property or campus.
- 400 Park Dr NE — A 56kW backup generator permitted for a commercial property near Piedmont Park. Routine infrastructure, but a sizable unit.
- 736 Ponce de Leon Ave NE — Repair work to fix an unpermitted wall removal between two suites by a former tenant. Someone's cleaning up a past tenant's mess before the next one moves in.

Beyond the commercial activity, there are 47 residential permits across the area — heavy on plumbing, HVAC, additions, and arborist work, which tracks with the season.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-85 Lighting Upgrade (Fulton County) — LED lighting fixtures are being swapped in along I-85 between I-75 and just north of Lenox Road, replacing aging high-pressure sodium systems. Expect intermittent nighttime lane activity along this 1.1-mile stretch — not a major disruption, but worth knowing if you're on I-85 after dark.
- SR 13 Resurfacing — SR 13 is getting a long-overdue repave between SR 9 and North Fork Peachtree Creek. The road hasn't been resurfaced since 2012, so this one's welcome news — just budget extra time if Piedmont is in your daily rotation while crews are active.
- Buford Spring Connector Tunnel Lighting Upgrade — The tunnel at the Buford Spring Connector/I-85 interchange is getting its lighting upgraded to LED. Work may involve conduit and wiring replacements inside the tunnel, which could mean periodic lane squeezes near the interchange. Worth a heads-up if you use this connector regularly.
- SR 9 Resurfacing (Fulton County) — SR 9 (Peachtree Road) is being resurfaced between SR 3 and north of Paces Ferry Road. This is the farthest-out project at about 1.9 miles from the neighborhood core, but if Peachtree is your route north, expect occasional delays through the work zone.

Pre-Construction

- SR 13 / Monroe Drive Intersection Overhaul — GDOT plans to convert the SR 13 and Monroe Drive intersection into a multilane/hybrid roundabout configuration. If you navigate this notoriously awkward crossing regularly, changes are coming — just not yet.
- SR 237 / Peachtree Creek Bridge Work — Two separate projects are queued up for the SR 237 corridor over Peachtree Creek: a full bridge replacement and a rehabilitation project. Expect this stretch of Peachtree Road to be a headache when either moves into construction.
- SR 237 @ CSX Railroad Crossing — A bridge replacement is planned where SR 237 crosses the CSX rail line in Atlanta. Worth keeping an eye on as it moves toward construction.
- SR 237 / Lindbergh Drive Signal & Pedestrian Upgrades — New traffic signal and pedestrian facilities are planned at the SR 237 and Lindbergh Drive intersection, along with flush curb installation nearby at the Lambert Drive junction.
- I-85 Tunnel Lighting (Fulton & DeKalb) — Lighting upgrades are planned for tunnels at the I-85/SR 237 and I-285/SR 13 interchanges. A multi-county project that touches the edges of the area.
- Atlanta BeltLine NE Trail (Lindbergh to I-85) — A 14-foot-wide concrete shared-use path stretching roughly 2.7 miles, plus about 2.1 miles of spur trails, is funded and in the works. This one's a big deal for cyclists and pedestrians once it breaks ground.

Service Requests

Potholes popped up at three spots this week: Sheridan Rd NE at Executive Pkwy Dr NE, Cumberland Rd NE, and Kings Ct NE — all currently being addressed.

A pair of downed trees were reported on Montgomery Ferry Rd and Drewry St NE.

Overgrowth and visibility issues in the right of way were flagged at Clemont Dr NE and at Morningside Dr at Highland Ave.

A traffic signal at the busy Highland Ave and Ponce de Leon Ave intersection needed emergency repair — that one's been resolved. A signal issue at Monroe Dr and Worchester Dr was investigated and no problem was found. A sign repair or replacement is in the works at Lindbergh Dr and Lindridge Dr.