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Week in Review
Big citywide stories
Thousands pack Piedmont Park for final World Cup match
The celebration was on as Spain defeated Argentina in the World Cup final. It’s the end of what has been a very successful stretch for Atlanta as a host city.
Fulton County commissioners voted 4-1 to block Mayor Dickens' Tax Allocation District extension. TADs let the city redirect property tax revenue toward targeted development zones, and without Fulton's cooperation, the financing strategy behind a lot of the mayor's big infrastructure promises is now in serious question.
The proposed Edgewood Avenue liquor license moratorium is dead. The moratorium had been stuck in committee since February and faced heavy pushback from business owners and residents before the committee voted to kill it outright. New food and drink concepts can keep seeking licenses along the corridor.
DeKalb County School District owes a combined $12 million to City Schools of Decatur and Atlanta Public Schools following an accounting error. The dollar figure is now confirmed, but how and when DeKalb plans to repay the debt hasn't been detailed publicly. Worth watching as both districts head into the new school year.
Emory Healthcare is poised to expand at Northlake Mall after a $95 million acquisition of the property. We’ve known this for awhile, but now we have a dollar figure. This is one of the bigger land plays in the metro this year, and it signals a major shift in what that corridor becomes over the next decade.
A $15.8 million pedestrian bridge over I-85 is now a signed deal, connecting the Peachtree Creek Greenway to Emory's Executive Park. The 14-foot-wide bridge will give residents in Brookhaven, Druid Hills, and Chamblee a car-free crossing over the interstate. That's a big quality-of-life win for the northeast side of the city.
The City of Atlanta purchased a $7.8 million Buckhead estate to convert into a public nature preserve, expanding the city's green space inventory in one of its most tree-canopied corridors. The site will open to nearby residents and is intended to protect the local tree canopy and surrounding ecology.
A scaffolding collapse at the long-stalled Dewberry/Campanile renovation site on Peachtree Street has neighbors demanding action on a project that's been stripped to its concrete frame for years. The site has become a recurring frustration in the neighborhood, and the collapse is likely to accelerate pressure on the city to intervene.
Residents are calling for design changes after multiple vehicles have crashed into concrete bike lane barriers on South Boulevard in Grant Park, with some cars getting beached on the structures. The crashes have sparked a broader debate about how the neighborhood's Safe Street initiative was implemented, and whether the current design is working.
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Business openings, closings, and "watch this space" items
Nike Live has permanently closed its Ponce City Market location, ending the neighborhood-focused retail concept's run there after it debuted in late 2021.
MetroFresh has permanently closed its Midtown Promenade location after 21 years, following extensive fire damage earlier this year.
Victory Sandwich Bar in Decatur is closing to flip into a new concept, with Vic Brands citing a changed local customer base as the reason for the transition.
Joystick Gamebar has officially landed in East Atlanta Village, putting to rest the rumors that had swirled around a potential Little Five Points location.
L.L. Bean is opening its first Georgia store at the redeveloping former North DeKalb Mall site. The 114-year-old outdoor brand is a real anchor tenant, and its arrival adds momentum to what's been a slow-moving redevelopment.
Enzo Steakhouse & Bar is expanding from Fayetteville with a new Midtown location, slated to open this winter.
Bank OZK has taken control of 1050 Brickworks, the newly built but vacant West Midtown office development previously held by Sterling Bay and Asana.
Apt 4B Caribbean restaurant is relocating from its current Peachtree Road spot to a larger space, though the new address hasn't been announced yet.
Muse Paintbar is planning an Inman Park location, adding to the paint-and-sip chain's 26 existing outposts.
A five-concept food-and-beverage wave is headed to Avondale Estates' downtown as the area's newly densified district prepares for a summer of debuts.
Corso Atlanta luxury senior living is expanding to Druid Hills, adding a new location to its existing metro Atlanta footprint.
Other permit-watch items: A restaurant conversion permit was filed at 820 Ralph McGill Blvd NE. A Pilates studio buildout is underway at 1610 Hosea L. Williams Dr NE. A 7-unit, 3-story townhome project has been filed at 2015 Memorial Dr SE. Two operating rooms and sterile storage are being built out at 1968 Peachtree Rd NW in Buckhead. A fitness center is under construction at 3065 Peachtree Rd NE. Interior alteration permits and buildout activity at 675 W Peachtree St NE suggest a larger tenant project already in progress. A nail shop is converting a shell space at Lulah Hills Retail.
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Upcoming events
Dad's Garage celebrates its 31st birthday with a full week of shows, culminating in the 31st Birthday Show on Saturday.
Buckhead Restaurant Week runs July 27 through August 1 with prix-fixe menus across participating restaurants.
Other notable events: Midtown Movie Night screens "Bend It Like Beckham" at 10th Street Park Wednesday, a nod to the World Cup atmosphere still buzzing around the city. SPAMALOT at the Fox Theatre A glow-in-the-dark pickleball tournament hits Decatur on Friday. Joe Gransden's Big Band plays Eddie's Attic Friday night. The Brookhaven Farmer's Market goes Christmas-in-July on Saturday. Atlanta Ballet hosts a free family dance open house Saturday at its West Midtown location.
Other Government updates
Atlanta City Council's Zoning Committee approved a special use permit for a nearly 60-acre truck terminal on Jonesboro Road over neighborhood objections. The committee also overrode city planning staff to greenlight two digital changing billboards. The full council gets these items next, so there's still time to weigh in if you care about either one.
The City Utilities Committee approved a $15.5 million upgrade for the Flint River Pump Station and cleared utility adjustment work along Roswell Road ahead of a state repaving project. Not glamorous, but very important if you like drinking water, functioning sewers, and avoiding infrastructure meltdowns.
Atlanta City Council's Finance/Executive Committee authorized the mayor to sign agreements needed to pursue the 2028 Democratic National Convention, contingent on Atlanta being selected as the host city. The committee also passed a $5.98 million cloud services extension with Deloitte, but held the FY2027 property tax rate and an updated firefighter pay plan for further review at the August 3 full council meeting.
DeKalb County commissioners approved a $25 million bond program through the Housing Authority of DeKalb County to fund affordable housing initiatives including down-payment assistance, multifamily acquisition, and transitional housing. The board also approved a $21 million multi-year contract for water and sewer repairs countywide, and denied a rezoning that would have allowed smaller, denser single-family lots in Districts 3 and 7.
DeKalb County commissioners approved design contracts totaling over $4 million for Phase VI of the South River Trail and the North Fork Peachtree Creek Trail, though the Michelle Obama Trail design extension was pushed to August 25. A proposed requirement that new data centers undergo a baseline health and environmental assessment before receiving permits was also deferred to August 25, giving the planning committee more time to weigh in.
The DeKalb County School Board approved a $15 million contract for updated K-12 social studies curriculum materials and adopted a new policy governing the use of artificial intelligence in classrooms. The board also set non-resident tuition for 2026-2027 at $9,443.66 and renewed nearly $2.7 million in school safety technology contracts, including wearable staff panic buttons.
The Transportation Committee had on its agenda a proposal to permanently close a stretch of Jesse Hill Jr. Drive near Grady Hospital and convert it into a pedestrian plaza, along with a $2.89 million contract to pave dirt roads in underserved neighborhoods.
Chamblee floated a data center moratorium at its July 16 work session, though no minutes are posted and no outcome is confirmed. The city council also discussed updates to its Comprehensive Plan and Unified Development Ordinance at a subsequent retreat.
A rezoning proposal for properties on Ponce de Leon Avenue (774, 784, 790, and 794 Ponce de Leon Ave NE and 790 Bonaventure Ave NE) would shift the 1.75-acre assemblage to MRC-3, allowing higher-density residential with ground-floor retail under the BeltLine overlay. The Zoning Committee forwarded it to full council for a first reading, so there are more votes ahead.
A rezoning request for two large industrial tracts along Logan Circle and Chattahoochee Avenue in West Midtown is scheduled before the Community Development Committee, proposing a shift from heavy Industrial to Industrial Flex zoning that would open the door to creative offices, light manufacturing, and retail. Minutes weren't posted for this committee, so the outcome is unconfirmed.
Permits, construction, and road work
Eastside Beltline / Old Fourth Ward / Reynoldstown: A multi-story self-storage facility near the Eastside Trail in Reynoldstown is nearing completion just as the city's new temporary ban on Beltline-adjacent self-storage takes hold. A large commercial inground gunite pool (21 by 75 feet) plus a spa was permitted at 1585 S Ponce de Leon Ave NE, sized for a residential complex or private club. A restaurant conversion permit was filed at 820 Ralph McGill Blvd NE. Two permits at 675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE covering interior alterations and a fire sprinkler update suggest a larger buildout underway. Parking lot sinkhole remediation is filed at 570 Ralph McGill Blvd NE.
Memorial Drive Corridor: A 7-unit, 3-story townhome project with attached garages and balconies was filed at 2015 Memorial Dr SE. A Pilates studio conversion is underway at 1610 Hosea L. Williams Dr NE. A new ADA ramp and accessible sidewalk are planned at 1631 La France St NE. Intersection work is active on SR 42/Moreland Ave at Arkwright Place. SR 154/DeKalb Ave is also seeing active pedestrian improvements between Hill and Pearl streets, adding a mid-block crossing and a restricted crossing U-turn.
Midtown / VaHi: Five permits at 675 W Peachtree St NE covering electrical, plumbing, and HVAC point to an active tenant buildout already underway. A 120.64 kW rooftop solar system is under review at 597 Cooledge Ave NE, one of the larger installations to hit the area recently. SR 13 is getting its first resurfacing since 2012, between SR 9 and North Fork Peachtree Creek. The Northside Drive/14th Street/Hemphill Avenue intersection cluster is also being reworked by GDOT, with lane shifts expected. Pothole crews are working reports on 13th St NE, 9th St NE, and along West Peachtree.
Buckhead: Medical suites and sterile storage are being built out at 1968 Peachtree Rd NW. A fitness center buildout spans the plaza level and second floor at 3065 Peachtree Rd NE. Interior demolition is underway at 3715 Northside Pkwy NW ahead of a tenant buildout. A 4300 Powers Ferry Rd NW rules waiver passed 6-0, allowing expansion of a nonconforming single-family home. SR 9 is being resurfaced from SR 3 north to Paces Ferry Road. Sixteen pothole reports came in across the neighborhood last week. Three emergency-level traffic signal repairs were flagged along Northside Pkwy.
West Midtown / Home Park: Intersection improvements underway at the Northside Drive, 14th Street, and Hemphill Avenue cluster. A rooftop solar installation is filed at 1450 Howell Mill Rd NW. Tenant buildout and plumbing work are moving at 1385 Collier Rd NW's Market Building. The Lumberyard Lofts rezoning at 1425 and 1475 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd NW was held 6-0 until August 3, keeping the 8.54-acre heavy industrial site's future in limbo for now.
Brookhaven / Chamblee: A $223K office buildout closed at 2600 Century Pkwy. A commercial tenant buildout is under review at 3630 Peachtree Rd NE. SR-13 is being resurfaced from the Fulton County line to Chamblee Tucker Road. A third lane is being added to the Ashford Dunwoody Road eastbound ramp at I-285 to ease recurring congestion. Signal optimization work is underway along Peachtree Industrial Boulevard.
Druid Hills / North Decatur: A $1.07 million new single-family home is under construction on Abby Lane. The Lavista Rd. eastbound left turn lane at Clairmont Rd. is being extended. A new pedestrian hybrid crosswalk beacon and school-zone flashing beacons were approved for North Decatur Road at Ridgewood Drive.
Countywide / Multi-corridor: I-20 lighting is being upgraded from Capitol Ave to Flat Shoals Road, swapping HPS fixtures for LED across both DeKalb and Fulton counties. I-75 tunnel lighting at Ralph McGill Blvd and Baker Street is also getting LED upgrades. A multi-county bridge preservation project covering co-polymer overlay, steel beam painting, and joint replacement is active at seven locations across Cobb, DeKalb, and Fulton. The Buford Spring Connector tunnel lighting near I-85 is being converted to LED. Kensington MARTA Station transit access improvements are underway.
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Busybody ATL
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.
