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Atlanta Botanical Garden unveils $160 million Beltline expansion
The project gives the garden a direct connection to the Beltline by 2028, making it the first major cultural institution with seamless trail entry. It's designed to improve pedestrian and bicycle access for surrounding Midtown and Ansley Park.

Atlanta City Council approves $1.3 billion in airport bonds and a Mercedes-Benz Stadium refinancing
The bonds fund capital improvements at Hartsfield-Jackson, while a separate $200 million refinancing package lowers the city's annual debt payments on the stadium. Council also awarded Waste Management of Georgia a three-year, $57.2 million trash collection contract and approved a $99 million fund for small-scale street and transit repairs.

Fulton County moves toward a MARTA takeover of senior transportation
Commissioners voted to negotiate with MARTA to fully fund, and potentially operate, the county's Senior Transportation Program, with a report due back in 90 days. The board also backed bond financing for a new Behavioral Health Crisis Center serving indigent patients.

DeKalb commissioners weigh a $233.8 million overhaul of the Scott Candler Water Treatment Plant
The Committee of the Whole's agenda also included nearly $18.2 million more for ongoing water and sewer repairs countywide, a $3.2 million Flat Shoals Parkway sidewalk project, and a $4.1 million Michelle Obama Trail extension. Minutes aren't posted yet, so outcomes remain unconfirmed pending the Aug. 25 board vote.

Atlanta eyes new rules for data centers amid community concerns
Council members introduced legislation to impose stricter regulations and roll back tax incentives for new data centers, citing water and energy demand. A proposal to create a Data Center Task Force got sent back to committee on a 13-1 vote for more work.

James Laney, former Emory University president and ambassador to Korea, dies at 98
Laney served as Emory's president for sixteen years before his appointment as U.S. Ambassador to South Korea. He's widely credited with transforming Emory into a nationally prominent research institution.

MARTA raising long-term parking prices, cutting the free window
Starting September 14, daily long-term parking fees go up $2 and the free parking window shrinks from 24 hours to 14 hours at paid facilities, affecting stations including Lindbergh Center and Lenox.

Beltline sets September groundbreaking for trail segment under I-75
Northwest Trail Segment 3B breaks ground September 10, bridging under I-75 to connect future trail networks with existing paths near Bobby Jones Golf Course and Collier Hills.

NASA taps Georgia Tech for $10.5 million space workforce initiative
Tech will establish the Southeast Space Technology & Aerospace Readiness Skills (SE-STARS) Hub on its Midtown campus to address technical workforce shortages across the aerospace industry statewide.

Decatur Book Festival announces 2026 lineup with more than 80 authors
The 21st annual festival runs October 2-3 in downtown Decatur, spanning genres from literary fiction to graphic novels across multiple venues, including the new Decatur Square Stage.

Sargent, a French-American restaurant and bookstore, opens on the Eastside Beltline
The team behind Buckhead's Lucian Books and Wine opened Sargent in Old Fourth Ward, combining a restaurant with a curated bookstore.

Two new restaurants debut at Midtown's Spring Quarter
Chef Fuyuhiko Ito opened Japanese sushi spot Sozou on the ground floor of the Ten Twenty Spring tower, while chef Anish Nair opened tapas-style Indian restaurant Pataaka at the Sora residential tower.

Vince is relocating from Phipps Plaza to Buckhead Village
The luxury apparel retailer is moving its Buckhead storefront into the Buckhead Village shopping district.

Blaze Pizza permanently closes its West Midtown location
The 540 17th Street shop shut down after nearly eight years, having opened in September 2018.

Potbelly opens its first Georgia location in Chamblee
The Chicago sandwich chain launches at 5001 Peachtree Boulevard on September 1, part of a planned metro expansion of 15-plus stores.

Other openings and watch-list items: Big Al's Cigar Shop targets a late-September opening at 530 Flat Shoals Ave in East Atlanta Village, Illusion Sports Bar plans a fall debut in Buckhead, Eggscape brings a new breakfast concept to Brookhaven, and Ancestral Bottle Shop & Market opened in a converted West Midtown paper mill focused on additive-free agave spirits. La Grotta Ristorante Italiano brought on new executive chef Drew Van Leuvan. Decatur's Ale Yeah! kept its beer and wine license after an ownership transfer. On the permit side, watch a $6 million mixed-use building breaking ground at 750 Commerce St in downtown Decatur, a $1.3 million tenant buildout at 2050 Chamblee Tucker Rd, a coffee shop expansion on Elizabeth Street in O4W, the old Iron Hall Brewery space at 3535 Peachtree Rd NE being gutted for a new Asian restaurant, and a serious commercial buildout underway at 811 Peachtree St NE.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra returns to Piedmont Park for a free concert
The "City in the Forest" concert happens Wednesday, September 9, featuring works from Beethoven, Mozart, and Vivaldi.

Little 5 Points Halloween Festival & Parade returns in October with a new theme
The two-day festival features more than 100 art vendors, costume contests, and the Bat Cave Rave.

TOUR Championship takes over East Lake Golf Club all week
Daily rounds run Wednesday through Sunday, bringing traffic and crowds to the East Lake corridor.

Chamblee's 5th annual Chalk Walk & Artist Market returns September 12
The event transforms Broad Street sidewalks into temporary chalk art alongside artisan booths and family activities.

AU Room Show premieres at Pullman Yards
The immersive, multi-sensory production opens Thursday, August 27, and runs through October 11, exploring humanity's fascination with gold.

Yacht Rock Revue plays Chastain Park Saturday
The show appeared on multiple neighborhood calendars this week, from Buckhead to Brookhaven to Druid Hills.

Other notable events: Midtown's Midtown Bubbles & Bites Brunch Crawl hits its 5th year Saturday, the Botanical Garden hosts Cocktails in the Garden Thursday, Krog Street Market throws a Beltline Doggie Crawl Sunday, Dad's Garage runs a full slate of improv shows all week, Oakland Cemetery offers guided tours Thursday through Saturday, and Chattahoochee Food Works brings back its Sunday farmers market.

Council sends data center regulation task force back to committee
The 13-1 vote means proposed rules on potable water use for cooling and tax incentive rollbacks still need more work before final passage.

Fulton commissioners fold two court technology funds into the general fund
The 4-1 vote centralizes how the county pays for court tech upgrades. Commissioners also reappointed the county manager, county attorney, auditor, and clerk to new contracts.

Fulton approves emergency stabilization funding for historic St. Mark AME Church
The grant, passed 4-0, helps preserve the English Avenue/Vine City landmark facing structural decline.

Council adjusts solid waste fees and backyard collection rules
The 12-1 vote changed collection exemption rules alongside the new $57.2 million Waste Management contract, which could show up on residents' bills and pickup schedules.

Committee on Council keeps reform proposals parked
A charter change requiring a named lead sponsor on legislation, a push for an independent investigation into city contracts tied to Foris Webb III, and a proposed council civility pledge all remain on hold, though two mayoral board appointments advanced.

Brookhaven's District 2 special election draws a single candidate
Conor Sen, who was appointed to the seat after the prior councilwoman's resignation, will be the only name on the ballot this fall.

City of Decatur closes FY2025-26 in a favorable financial position
Rising insurance and IT costs pushed Administrative Services spending higher than the prior year. Decatur also earned an international ESRI Special Achievement in GIS award, one of just 18 local governments honored worldwide this year.

O4W / Little Five Points / Candler Park: A coffee shop expansion at 331 Elizabeth St NE adds lighting and outlets, while 245 N Highland Ave NE sees two permits combining condos and adding an exit door and exterior stair. A sidewalk fix at 112 Blvd NE will remove and replace about 200 square feet to eliminate a trip hazard. GDOT is converting the SR 42/Moreland Avenue intersection at Arkwright Place to right-in/right-out and installing pedestrian crossing beacons on SR 260 in DeKalb.

Memorial Drive Corridor / East Atlanta: Townhome plumbing permits keep stacking up, with new installs at 2015 Memorial Dr SE and a 3.5-bathroom townhouse at 193 Gibson St SE. GDOT continues LED lighting upgrades on I-20 and resurfacing between Hill Street/Fulton and Columbia Drive/DeKalb.

Midtown: Peachtree Street buildouts surge, with a major plumbing and electrical fitout at 811 Peachtree St NE and a second-generation whitebox suite starting demolition at 999 Peachtree St NE. Asbestos abatement is planned for about 6,700 square feet at 675 W Peachtree St NE's concourse level. GDOT is resurfacing SR 8 in Fulton County and upgrading tunnel lighting at multiple I-75 locations.

Buckhead: The old Iron Hall Brewery space at 3535 Peachtree Rd NE is being gutted for a new Asian restaurant, and 3500 Lenox Rd NE is combining multiple office suites into one full-floor tenant space. LED lighting upgrades continue on I-75 from Musket Ridge Drive to I-85, and SR 400's Justin C. Martin Building tunnel is getting bridge rehab work including spall repair and fire system upgrades.

VaHi / Morningside: A mystery 200-amp electrical hookup at 1345 Piedmont Ave NE off an existing padmount signals a bigger project coming to that lot. Otherwise it's a quiet week of HVAC swaps on Cheshire Bridge and Monroe Drive. I-85 is getting LED lighting upgrades between I-75 and north of Lenox Road.

West Midtown / Collier Hills: New apartments are permitted at 1026 Collier Rd NW, and Atlantic Station is getting a major tech buildout with 132 Cat6 outlets installed at 1380 Atlantic Dr NW. Full tenant fitouts are underway at 1968 Marietta Rd NW and 950 W Marietta St NW. GDOT continues work on the SR 3/US 41 intersection cluster at Tech Parkway, 14th Street, and Hemphill Avenue.

Decatur / Avondale Estates: A $6 million mixed-use building is permitted at 750 Commerce St downtown. Kensington MARTA Station transit access and mobility improvements continue, alongside I-285 resurfacing between Snapfinger Road and SR 8.

Brookhaven / Chamblee: A $1.3 million interior buildout is filed for 2050 Chamblee Tucker Rd, and a new free-standing bank branch is approved for a Brixmor development site pending a lot split. Crews are widening the Ashford-Dunwoody Road eastbound ramp at I-285 to add a third lane, and DeKalb County began replacing the Winters Chapel Road water main on August 10.

Druid Hills / North Decatur: A construction trailer has landed at 1405 Clifton Rd NE near Emory ahead of a demolition project. A $500,000 renovation is underway at the Milscott Drive medical office covering AC and duct work. GDOT is extending the left turn lane on LaVista Road at Clairmont Road and upgrading the signal at LaVista and Shepherds Lane.

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Until next week,
Busybody ATL

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