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Week in Review
Big citywide stories
The Atlanta Beltline has its biggest budget ever at $265.8 million in FY27; here’s where the money is going The record fiscal year 2027 budget will accelerate construction and design across the full trail network, with direct effects on corridor neighborhoods from Reynoldstown to Ormewood Park. This is the clearest signal yet that the finish line is real.
An AJC investigation found that a city contractor received $420,000 a year while the city has almost no documentation of what he did for that money. Foris Webb III was paid more than the mayor's salary, and the city's records offer little accounting of actual work delivered. It's a must-read for anyone who cares about how Atlanta manages public funds.
Atlanta broke ground on the Monroe Drive Safe Streets project, a lane-reduction overhaul that's been years in the making. District 6 Councilmember Alex Wan joined city officials at the July 22 ceremony. The project targets chronic speeding along the corridor and will reshape the commute for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians in the surrounding neighborhoods.
A new Beltline mortgage assistance program will help teachers, firefighters, and healthcare workers buy homes in trail-adjacent neighborhoods. The program is a direct response to the displacement pressure the Beltline itself has helped create. Whether it moves the needle on affordability is the real question, but it's a concrete commitment worth tracking.
The Atlanta Dogwood Festival is officially returning to Piedmont Park on April 9–11, 2027, ending a period of real uncertainty about the event's future. The festival has been one of Midtown's signature spring traditions for decades, and its homecoming is good news for Piedmont Park and the businesses that surround it.
Chamblee passed a 180-day moratorium on new data center applications, and DeKalb County commissioners are calling for more research before lifting their own pause. Both governments cited concerns about power grid strain, noise, and zoning as the reason to pump the brakes. The county's moratorium is already in place; Chamblee's is now locked in while planners draft new guardrails.
New renderings show how a $588,000-funded pedestrian bridge will span I-85 and connect the Peachtree Creek Greenway between Brookhaven and Druid Hills. The Decide DeKalb Development Authority approved the funding, and the images give the clearest picture yet of how the structure will look and function as a key greenway link.
Refined renderings for the Memorial Drive Greenway now include a dedicated skatepark, as well as shade trees and recreational amenities in a meaningful step forward for a project that's been under discussion for 25 years.
A new residential development near the Beltline and Trestletree communities has been rejected by neighborhood-governing boards, with concerns centering on zoning, scale, and displacement of existing affordable housing. The proposal targeted communities on both sides of a newly completed Beltline trail segment.
DeKalb County School District announced multiple principal reassignments ahead of the new school year. If you have kids in the district, it’s worth seeing who the new head honchos are and if your school is affected.
A 5-acre park on Custer Avenue in Peoplestown designed to solve flooding problems is taking shape and is worth keeping an eye on.
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Business openings, closings, and "watch this space" items
L.L. Bean is opening its first-ever Georgia store at Lulah Hills, a 15,000-square-foot location that puts the outdoor retail brand on the map in metro Atlanta for the first time. Pair that with Refuge Coffee Co.'s new cafe at Lulah Hills, and the development’s retail footprint is coming into focus.
Schaf Shop has opened in Midtown as a combined coffee and skate shop, founded by an owner whose personal story, including a breast cancer diagnosis, shaped the concept.
The Juicy Crab is expanding into the Midtown space vacated by Taco Mac, filling a high-visibility corner that's been sitting empty since that abrupt closure last summer.
Beyond Juicery + Eatery opened its Brookhaven location on July 25, bringing fresh juices, smoothies, wraps, and salads to the area along with grand opening giveaways.
Y Bar e Ristorante, a new Italian concept, has opened in Buckhead Village, offering relaxed dining, Italian cocktails, and a 1960s Italy-inspired atmosphere.
Thyme Restaurant is now open on Piedmont Circle in Piedmont Heights for dinner, cocktails, and Sunday brunch
Bun and Bombay, an Indian street food restaurant, opened on East College Avenue on the border between Decatur and Avondale.
Summerland, a new restaurant concept, has opened in Upper West Market.
Ole & Steen, a Danish bakery chain, is making progress on a new Midtown location.
The Goodr Community Market in Edgewood marked its one-year anniversary of providing affordable food access to local families.
A New Orleans firm paid $101 million for The Porter Brookhaven, one of the bigger apartment deals to close in the market this year and a signal of continued investor demand for Brookhaven and Chamblee residential properties.
Regent Partners is in talks to acquire Tower Place 100, Buckhead's first skyscraper, after its previous owner defaulted on a loan. A completed deal could trigger a major redevelopment of the building.
A new residential development is planned along Garson Drive in Buckhead, adjacent to Peachtree Creek and an upcoming Beltline trail extension, with a scheduled 2028 completion.
A Sweet Auburn ground-up residential development on Hilliard Street will include 10 affordable units specifically earmarked for Atlanta first responders and workforce tenants. The project pairs with the new Beltline mortgage assistance program as a concrete effort to keep public servants in city neighborhoods.
The Affordable Midtown apartment community Crest on Peachtree has changed hands following a foreclosure, raising real questions about what happens to its affordability commitments under new ownership.
Other permit-watch items: A new café is being built into the front of Purple Door Salon on Edgewood Avenue, a new restaurant permit is under review at 1397 N Highland Ave in VaHi, and a 1,600-square-foot duplex has been permitted on Hampton Street in West Midtown. In Buckhead, Corso Atlanta Phase II filed a tenant improvement permit covering dining and retail space. A $600,000 commercial project on Apple Valley Road in Chamblee is in early review, which is worth watching as details emerge. A Pilates studio is moving into a commercial strip on Hosea L. Williams Drive in the Memorial Drive corridor.
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Red Bull Showrun Atlanta brings an F1 car to Hank Aaron Drive on Saturday, August 1, free to watch but expect major crowds and road closures around the route.
Bob Dylan plays the Synovus Bank Amphitheater at Chastain Park on Friday, July 31, with O.A.R.'s Three Decades Tour following on Saturday at the same venue. Two nights at Chastain worth putting on the calendar.
Passion Pit plays The Eastern on Saturday, August 1, a solid anchor for a weekend that already has a lot going on across the southside.
The 19th annual Jerry Day Atlanta lands at Avon Theater on Saturday, August 1, one of the more reliably fun annual traditions in the Decatur area.
Buckhead Restaurant Week runs through Saturday, giving you the full week to work through the neighborhood's best menus.
Other notable events: Back to Black, an Amy Winehouse tribute, plays City Winery on Tuesday, July 28. Tio Lucho's celebrates Peruvian Independence Day the same night. Oliver Tree plays The Eastern on Wednesday. Tamar Braxton is at City Winery Thursday. Russell Dickerson hits the Buckhead Theatre on Wednesday. The Smithsonian, a Smiths tribute, plays Variety Playhouse on Saturday. Food and Street Art Tours run on the Beltline Thursday through Saturday from 99 Krog St. Back-to-school events and supply giveaways are scheduled across Atlanta, DeKalb, and Decatur school districts.
Government updates
Decatur's City Commission passed a $47.5 million General Fund budget for FY 2026-2027 and locked in the millage rate at 12.97 mills, both votes going 4-1 with Commissioner Arnold dissenting. The city is drawing $3.4 million from reserves to balance the books, and commercial property growth drove most of the expanded tax digest. The commission also approved a $1.25 million legal settlement in a federal bankruptcy case and voted to preserve existing resident-only street parking regulations near downtown.
Avondale Estates is weighing a formal civility pledge following a confrontation at a recent public meeting, and the board was also scheduled to review a stormwater infrastructure agreement for Center Street and a mid-year budget amendment. No minutes have been posted yet, so outcomes aren't confirmed.
NPU-N's July 23 agenda included a $21.9 million funding request from Gorman & Company to Invest Atlanta for a Memorial Drive project, as well as a high-density rezoning proposal at 774 Ponce de Leon Ave that would open the door to a large mixed-use building under the Beltline Overlay. The agenda also covered a citywide solid waste fee restructuring ordinance and a proposed Special Use Permit requirement for medical cannabis dispensaries.
NPU-O meets Monday, July 28 with an agenda that includes a Fayetteville Road and Second Avenue annexation and rezoning (Z-26-42), the citywide medical cannabis dispensary SUP rules, a Drew Charter School APS renewal presentation, and an ownership transfer hearing for Jolene Jolene on Hosea Williams Drive.
NPU-D meets Monday, July 28 to vote on a resolution opposing a tax abatement at 1425 Ellsworth Industrial Drive and to weigh in on the citywide cannabis dispensary zoning change. Alcohol license reviews for Fetch and Publix Moores Mill are also on the agenda.
Chamblee's City Council voted on a 180-day data center moratorium at its July 21 meeting, with additional agenda items including a roadway resurfacing contract award, park namings, a trail planning item for the Century Center area, and budget amendments. The Chamblee Downtown Development Authority meets Monday, July 28 to vote on a loan resolution and an amendment tied to a Greystar development deal.
Permits, construction, and road work
Piedmont Park / VaHi: Other than Monroe Drive Safe Streets: on the permit side, 1467 Monroe Drive has a new commercial 400-amp breaker box upgrade filed, suggesting a tenant with significant power needs is incoming. A new restaurant permit is under review at 1397 N Highland Ave, and a commercial renovation is in progress across three connected buildings at 778–784 N Highland. A 21-by-75-foot competition pool with an attached spa was permitted at 1585 S Ponce de Leon Ave.
O4W, L5P, and Edgewood: A new café is permitted at 321 Edgewood Ave. A commercial interior renovation at 299 N Highland Ave NE is converting an existing restaurant space into a new tenant concept. At 438 Edgewood Ave NE, demolition of an existing walkway and a new retaining wall are underway. A retroactive permit was filed at 684 John Wesley Dobbs Ave to legalize an existing addition that went up without approval. At 696 Cleburne Ter NE, a commercial tenant suite is being demised, which typically means new tenants are on the way.
Memorial Drive and the Southside: Permits for a 3-story townhome buildings at 2015 Memorial Drive total 19 units. Roof deck replacement work is active at 791 Wylie St SE, and Crim High School's gymnasium has a roof replacement in review. The I-20 concrete rehab between Hill Street and Columbia Drive continues, and SR 260 pedestrian crossing improvements with Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons are active at multiple DeKalb County intersections. Seven pothole reports came in across Estoria St, Glenwood Ave, and Hill St this week.
Midtown: Interior buildout activity is steady at 999 Peachtree St NE (new plumbing) and 1230 Peachtree St NE (vacant office suite alterations). Fire sprinkler work is continuing through floors 10 to 60 at 1072 W Peachtree St NE. SR 13 is still getting its first repave since 2012. Thirteen traffic signal repair requests were filed across the neighborhood in three days, and nine pothole reports concentrated on 8th St NE.
West Midtown and Collier Hills: Shipping containers are coming to 665 Marietta St NW with electrical service for power tools. A new 3-story duplex is permitted at 1053 Hampton St NW, and interior finish work is active across multiple filings at 981 Huff Rd NW.
Buckhead: Atlanta Watershed has a lane closure active on Northside Drive NW between 3111 and 3131 for storm drainage repairs and paving. Corso Atlanta Phase II filed a tenant improvement permit at 3200 Howell Mill Rd covering dining and retail space. A new tenant is building out the 14th floor at 3560 Lenox Rd NE, and interior construction at 3424 Peachtree Rd is moving again after a permit expiration stalled work. I-75 is getting a full LED lighting overhaul between Musket Ridge Drive and I-85, and SR 400 tunnel rehabilitation is underway at the Justin C. Martin Building. Ten traffic signal repair requests were filed, including emergency-level calls at several major intersections.
Brookhaven and Chamblee: SR-13 paving is underway from the Fulton County line to Chamblee Tucker Road, a corridor that was well past due for attention. Signal timing optimization is active along Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. A third lane is being added to the Ashford-Dunwoody Road eastbound ramp at I-285, targeting a known congestion point. A $600,000 commercial project at 2614 Apple Valley Road filed for watershed review, an early-stage signal worth watching.
Druid Hills and North Decatur: The $725,000 detached ADU electrical permit on Lullwater Road and the $900,000 electrical T-pole permit on Burnt Leaf Lane are the biggest signals of new construction activity in the area this week. A new 20-foot ground sign is permitted at 1845 Lawrenceville Hwy. The Winters Chapel water main replacement noted above applies here as well.
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Disclaimer: We use advanced data retrieval and analysis techniques across hundreds of sources, and may be prone to occasional error. Independently verify information with a secondary source, and please let us know if we got anything wrong via the feedback form.
