VaHi / Morningside: Summerfest Is Back and Dickens Defends $5.5B Plan

Happy almost-Summerfest, VaHi and Morningside! Your neighborhood's favorite block party lands Saturday, and it’s worth clearing your calendar for. Beyond the festivities, there's real news to track this week: Mayor Dickens is fighting hard for a $5.5 billion neighborhood investment plan, but the school board isn't convinced, and the ripple effects could hit close to home for local families.

- News — Mayor Dickens defended his $5.5B, 20-year neighborhood plan through a seven-hour city hall session, but the Atlanta school board is pushing back hard on the tax extension that would fund it.
- Business — Southern Belle, the Michelin-recommended VaHi staple, is opening Belle Bar, a new outdoor patio concept with fresh oysters, cocktails, and daily live music.
- Events — VHCA's Summerfest takes over the neighborhood Saturday, and Cocktails in the Garden at the Botanical Garden on Thursday offers a quieter but equally compelling reason to get out this week.
- Government — The full city council meets Monday to vote on the FY2027 budget, a $7.8M forest land purchase, and a ban on new self-storage facilities in the BeltLine Overlay District — plus the school board takes up its own budget and a superintendent contract extension.
- Construction — SR-13 paving continues, a restaurant is coming to Cheshire Bridge Road, and the Monroe Drive/SR-13 roundabout conversion is officially in the pipeline.

Let's dive in.

Green Box Homes makes regenerative landscaping easy and accessible. They grow beautiful, abundant, and sustainable yards one charming home at a time.

Sustainable design - Eco-friendly practices and materials that create sustainable designs, enhancing the natural environment and promoting biodiversity.

Green installation - Ecological designs brought to life by carefully shaping land, soil, water, and plant communities into resilient, living systems that grow healthier and more abundant over time.

Stewardship - A stewardship package that ensures each project matures gracefully, stays healthy, and continues to improve ecologically over time.

Start your transformation today!

NEWS

Atlanta mayor defends $5.5B neighborhood plan at city hall
Mayor Andre Dickens went to the mat for his ambitious 20-year neighborhood reinvestment plan in a city hall session that stretched nearly seven hours — the kind of meeting that separates the committed from the merely curious. Dickens pulled no punches: "I'm Atlanta born, I'm Atlanta bred. And when I die, I'm going to be Atlanta dead." Whether you're a supporter or a skeptic, a $5.5 billion plan touching neighborhoods citywide is worth paying close attention to.

Atlanta school board members seem skeptical of mayor's tax extension plan
Mayor Dickens' neighborhood investment ambitions are running into resistance from an unexpected corner — the Atlanta Board of Education, whose members are raising pointed questions about his proposed tax extension. For VaHi and Morningside families already watching school funding closely, the tension between city hall and the school board over how tax dollars get allocated is a story that hits close to home.

Atlanta festivals, events and parties to check out during the FIFA World Cup
Atlanta is gearing up to be one of the loudest cities in the country this summer, with a full slate of street festivals, watch parties, and neighborhood events tied to the FIFA World Cup. Expect crowds, energy, and a level of pedestrian activity on local streets that will make even a typical Friday night feel quiet by comparison — plan accordingly.

Waymos back online in Atlanta after flooding, safety concerns
Atlanta's autonomous Waymo fleet is rolling again after a temporary pause triggered by flooding and follow-up safety reviews. If you've grown accustomed to spotting those self-driving cars gliding through the neighborhood, the brief absence is over — they're back, and apparently cleared for whatever Atlanta's summer storms throw at them next.

Popular Atlanta Dinner Series Brings Back Wine vs. Beer Showdown
The eternal debate gets a delicious arena this month as one of Atlanta's favorite dinner series at Tio Lucho’s pits wine against beer in a live pairing competition. If you've ever argued that a cold IPA beats a Burgundy with dinner — or vice versa — this is your chance to put your palate where your mouth is.

BUSINESS

Southern Belle - opening - The Michelin-recommended Virginia-Highland staple is expanding its footprint with "Belle Bar," a new outdoor patio concept serving fresh oysters, cocktails, and daily live music.

EVENTS

Summerfest is back, and Virginia Highland is about to earn its reputation as Atlanta's most spirited neighborhood. VHCA's annual block party brings the community together for a full day of music, food, and local flavor.

Monday, June 1
- Light Bites & Garden Insights: Fire in the Andes | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Enchanted Creative Garden Summer Camp | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Tuesday, June 2
- Piedmont Heights Monthly Neighborhood Meeting | Piedmont Heights Civic Association
- Weekly Walking Club | Piedmont Park
- Yoga in the Park | Piedmont Park
- Garden Playtime | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Musical Road Trip | The Supermarket

Wednesday, June 3
- Drop-In Kids Gardening Activity | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Sensory Friendly Afternoon | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Thursday, June 4
- Cocktails in the Garden | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Garden Grooves | Atlanta Botanical Garden

Friday, June 5
- Shows for Seedlings: Jumpin' Jam with Gail Burnett | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Winterteeth with Uniqo and Ten High | Smith's Olde Bar
- Jackie Hollander & Pedroz | District Atlanta

Saturday, June 6
- ☀️VHCA's Summerfest | Virginia Highland District Association
- Green Market | Piedmont Park
- Frog Feeding | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- The Charlie Berry Project with Special Guest Sons-N-Britches | Smith's Olde Bar
- Barnhouse and Midknighters | Smith's Olde Bar
- J.V.O | District Atlanta
- The Match House | The Carlyle Venue

Sunday, June 7
- PAY ATTENTION VIP MOVIE SCREENING | Tara Atlanta
- QUATRE: Tyrone Jackson + Chris Burroughs + Joel Powell + Joe Gransden | Red Light Cafe
- Tattoo Logic with Chelekis + The Brower Sisters Band | Smith's Olde Bar

Markets move. Headlines catastrophize. Inside the noise is the story that matters — the opportunity, not the fear. The Daily Upside: global business and finance, reported without the alarm.

Read for Free Now

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 Committees

Atlanta's city council committees were busy across multiple sessions this week, with confirmed outcomes from several meetings and a packed agenda of proposals still awaiting votes. On the public safety front, the Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee approved a new compensation plan to bring more competitive pay to Atlanta Fire Rescue, greenlit a temporary open-container exemption for the FIFA World Cup festivities Downtown (June 11–July 19), and passed a resolution requiring the Atlanta Police Department to back up field drug tests with lab confirmation before making arrests — a significant reform to how drug-related arrests are processed; meanwhile, a proposed 180-day freeze on new alcohol licenses in the Edgewood Corridor and a youth violence funding transfer were both held at sponsor request, so no new rules are in effect yet. The Community Development/Human Services Committee unanimously approved a $1.05 million renewal for BeltLine park maintenance, $735,000 in federal HOME funds redirected to affordable housing at the Sweet Auburn Grande development, and forwarded a nearly $7.9 million land acquisition for forest preservation near Randall Mill Road — while deferring a sweeping neighborhood reinvestment framework and dozens of rezoning and land-use changes, including short-term rental regulations, for further review. The Transportation Committee (minutes posted) considered over $15 million in trail funding — including an $8 million PATH Westside Connector agreement and a $7.74 million expansion of the PATH 400 trail — alongside a $6 million GDOT resurfacing grant, a $3.6 million Peachtree Street safety project, and a resolution requesting dedicated bike and vehicle lanes on the Atlanta BeltLine to separate them from pedestrian traffic. Committees without posted minutes — covering Zoning, Finance/Executive, Public Safety (May 27 session), and City Utilities — had full agendas scheduled but these items are not yet confirmed as acted upon: highlights include a proposed citywide ban on new self-storage facilities within the BeltLine Overlay District, property tax rate-setting for FY2027, a FIFA "Activation Zone" lifting event permit restrictions Downtown, potential solid waste fee adjustments, $20 million for sanitary sewer repairs, and new rules defining when property owners must connect to the public sewer system. Any of those agenda items may have been tabled, deferred, or withdrawn during the meeting.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta Public Schools — Board of Education Meeting — Monday, June 1, APS Center for Learning and Leadership Auditorium. The board is scheduled to take a final vote on the FY 2027 district budget and consider a contract extension for the Superintendent. Also on the agenda: Construction Management at Risk contracts for building improvements at Midtown High School and Maynard Jackson High School, a proposal to purchase Yondr cell-phone pouches for students, and authorization to buy 22 new school buses.
- Atlanta City Council — Committee on Council — Monday, June 1 at 11:30 AM, Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Avenue. The committee is scheduled to review proposed changes to how residents sign up and speak during public comment periods, alongside a held resolution requesting certified law enforcement officers be stationed at recreation center polling locations during elections. Citizen appointments to the BeltLine Affordable Housing Advisory Board and the BeltLine TAD Advisory Committee are also up for confirmation.
- Atlanta City Council — Monday, June 1 at 1:00 PM, Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Avenue. The full council is scheduled to formally take up the proposed FY 2027 city budget and new property tax rates. Also on the agenda: a proposed $7.8 million purchase of nearly 30 acres of forest along Randall Mill Road NW, a $3.5 million police counter-drone technology contract with Axon Enterprise, a proposed ordinance banning new self-storage facilities within the BeltLine Overlay District, and temporary event restrictions to be lifted for the FIFA World Cup.
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners — Regular Meeting — Wednesday, June 3 at 10:00 AM, Assembly Hall. Commissioners are scheduled to consider a proposed $15.6 million, eight-year contract with Motorola Solutions for countywide emergency radio system upgrades, a grant to convert 66 market-rate Downtown Atlanta apartments into affordable housing units, and a $12.6 million contract renewal with Grady Health System to operate the Fulton County Behavioral Health Crisis Center through June 2027.

CONSTRUCTION

Permits

- 650 Montgomery Ferry Rd NE — Fire alarm installation for a new two-story arts and humanities building. A cultural facility is taking shape in the neighborhood.
- 1886 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE — Full interior renovation of a commercial space to become a restaurant, with minor exterior work included. Another dining option may be coming to Cheshire Bridge.
- 609 Virginia Ave NE — Demolition permit accepted to take down two accessory warehouse and storage buildings on an existing apartment property. Expect some noise; worth watching to see what, if anything, replaces them.
- 1824 & 1700 Piedmont Ave NE — A pair of commercial electrical permits issued for new lighting, controls, and branch circuitry upgrades at what appear to be institutional buildings along Piedmont.
- 1856 Piedmont Ave NE — Addition of 32 IP cameras to an existing commercial property. A significant surveillance expansion.
- 1816 Meadowdale Ave NE — Replacement windows being installed at a multifamily property; a renewed permit after the previous one lapsed.
- 1925 Monroe Dr NE — Minor electrical work underway at a commercial space along Monroe.

Elsewhere in the residential mix: 21 arborist permits were filed this week — dead, dying, or hazardous tree removals — alongside a handful of home additions, electrical upgrades, and HVAC replacements scattered across the area.

Road Work

Under Construction
- I-85 Lighting Upgrade (Fulton County) — LED lighting is being installed along I-85 between I-75 and north of Lenox Road, replacing outdated high-pressure sodium fixtures. Expect some nighttime lane activity along this stretch; the long-term payoff is better-lit highway conditions.
- SR-13 Resurfacing — Crews are resurfacing SR-13 from SR-9 up to North Fork Peachtree Creek. The road hasn't been touched since 2012, so this one's overdue — but plan for intermittent lane closures while work is active.
- Buford Spring Connector Tunnel Lighting — The tunnel where the Buford Spring Connector meets I-85 is getting its lighting upgraded from HPS to LED. Work may involve conduit and wiring replacement inside the tunnel, so expect occasional disruptions near that interchange.
- SR-9 Resurfacing (Fulton County) — SR-9 is being resurfaced between SR-3 and north of Paces Ferry Road. If Peachtree Road is part of your regular route heading toward Buckhead, build in extra time and watch for lane shifts.

Pre-Construction

- SR 13 / Monroe Drive Intersection Overhaul (Fulton County) — This one hits close to home. GDOT plans to convert the SR 13 and Monroe Drive intersection into a multilane/hybrid roundabout configuration. If you navigate this notoriously tricky intersection regularly, changes are coming — though timing is still TBD while the project works through pre-construction.
- SR 237 Bridge Replacements & Rehabilitation (Fulton County) — Multiple bridge projects are queued up along SR 237 (Peachtree Road/Piedmont Road corridor): a full replacement over Peachtree Creek, a separate rehabilitation of that same crossing, and a bridge replacement at the CSX railroad crossing. Expect that stretch to see disruption in phases once work begins.
- SR 237 at Lambert Drive — Flush Curb Installation (Fulton County) — A smaller but notable accessibility and streetscape improvement at the SR 237 / Lambert Drive junction near the Lindbergh area.
- SR 237 at Lindbergh Drive — New Signal & Pedestrian Facilities (Fulton County) — A new traffic signal and pedestrian infrastructure are planned at this intersection, a welcome improvement for anyone walking or biking through that corridor.
- BeltLine NE Trail: Lindbergh Center to I-85 (Fulton County) — The long-awaited northeastern BeltLine trail segment is funded and in pre-construction. The plan calls for a 14-foot-wide concrete shared-use path spanning roughly 2.7 miles, plus about 2.1 miles of 12-foot spur trails branching off the mainline. This is a big one for the neighborhood.
- I-85 Resurfacing: I-75 Brookwood Interchange to North of SR 155 (DeKalb & Fulton Counties) — A lengthy resurfacing project spanning from the Brookwood split up through DeKalb. When it launches, expect lane disruptions along that I-85 stretch — relevant if you're heading north out of the neighborhood.
- I-85 / SR 237 & I-285 / SR 13 Tunnel Lighting Upgrades (DeKalb & Fulton Counties) — Lighting improvements are planned inside tunnels at two major interchange points. Low-drama work, but worth knowing if you pass through those underpasses regularly.

Service Requests

Residents filed a flurry of infrastructure requests across the neighborhood's busiest corridors this week. Potholes drew the most reports, flagged at four intersections: Ponce de Leon & N. Highland, Piedmont Ave & Cheshire Bridge Rd, Virginia Ave & Park Dr, and Monroe Dr & Amsterdam Ave. Litter in the right of way was reported multiple times along Virginia Ave NE and Monroe Dr NE. Traffic signal issues came in at Virginia Ave NE and Monroe Dr & Piedmont Ave, with a separate emergency signal repair logged at Highland Ave & Ponce de Leon — a busy crossing that doesn't have much patience for outages. Graffiti removal was requested at Virginia Ave & Maryland Ave. A downed tree was reported on Noble Dr NE, and an overgrowth issue on Monroe Dr NE has already been marked resolved.