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Hey, West Midtown / Collier Hills! This week: MOCA GA cut the ribbon on its striking new Goat Farm home while Pie Bar quietly closed up shop at Westside Market after just a few months. Add in a Blandtown pathway project that's about to cause some construction headaches, a heated City Hall fight over selling the detention center, and a packed weekend of Oktoberfests, art shows and live music — there's a lot to catch up on.

- News — MOCA GA's new $2M gallery space, a fresh Blandtown construction push, and a contentious detention center sale dominate this week's headlines.
- Business — After a short run, Pie Bar is packing up its Westside Market shop for good this month.
- Events — From Rebecca Black at King Plow to Ed Sheeran at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, plus Oktoberfests, farmers markets, and Scarecrows in the Garden, the calendar's stacked.
- Government — NPU-D is weighing a cluster of Collier Road alcohol licenses while Council quietly advances Felicia Moore to the Ethics Board amid a heated detention center debate.
- Construction — New duplex and multifamily permits are landing near Howell Mill and Huber Street, alongside heavy electrical buildout hinting at bigger industrial plans.

Let's dive in.

NEWS

Blandtown container village: Bring on multi-use pathway, headaches
ATLDOT's 10-foot-wide multi-use pathway will run along the southern side of Chattahoochee Avenue, cutting directly in front of the 24-unit shipping-container hub at 1130 Chattahoochee Ave. starting in December, with construction expected to last up to 15 months and eventually connect The Works district to the Woodall Rail Trail and Silver Comet network.

Atlantic Station survey seeks your 2 cents for 'next chapter'
Fort Worth-based Trademark Property Company, hired this summer to manage Atlantic Station's 585,590-square-foot retail portion, is running a roughly 10-minute survey through Monday, Sept. 28 covering safety, parking, dining, and entertainment at the 138-acre district. New general manager Sean McIntosh, who previously ran the property from 2006 to 2013, says the feedback will help shape priorities following recent closures of Banana Republic, DSW, and Publix.

Georgia Tech unveils new Midtown towers where business, engineering students can learn together
The new multi-tower complex places engineering and business students in shared learning spaces as part of Georgia Tech's expanding Midtown campus footprint.

New Home for MOCA GA Opens in West Midtown
Mayor Andre Dickens joined MOCA GA leaders on Sept. 14 to cut the ribbon on the roughly 26,000-square-foot museum at 1260 Foster Street NW on the Goat Farm Arts Center campus, featuring five galleries and space for education and archives. The $2 million City of Atlanta-backed facility now houses the museum's permanent collection of more than 1,600 works, up from about 250 pieces when MOCA GA was founded over 25 years ago.

FRANK to launch outdoor LGBTQ+ art exhibition in West Midtown
"Taking Space" opened Sept. 24 at LOOP, an arts and event venue powered by the Goat Farm, displaying 36-by-24-inch works by FRANK's 13 members, including new additions Lynsey Weatherspoon and Ike Chinukwue. The pieces are intentionally left exposed to sun and weather so they develop a natural patina over time, and the opening reception featured music by DJ Brian Rojas.

Atlanta restaurant leaders team up to promote West Midtown dining scene
Neighborhood hospitality operators organized a collaborative restaurant week that ran last week, featuring curated menus and promotional offerings across West Midtown dining spots.

Atlanta detention center sale sparks heated debate
A Sept. 23 work session over the city's plan to sell the 1,300-capacity Atlanta City Detention Center to Fulton County for $68 million (against a $144 million appraisal) ended in a shouting match, with Southern Center for Human Rights policy director Tiffany Roberts and NAACP legal fellow Ashley Conyers questioning the county's staffing levels at Rice Street jail, which Sheriff Patrick Labat said grew by 141 hires in 2026. Councilmember Michael Julian Bond opposed the sale outright, proposing instead a joint city-county authority similar to their water and sewer partnership.

BUSINESS

Pie Bar closing shop inside Atlanta's Westside Market — The Georgia-based bakery and coffee concept, located at 1530 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd NW, will shut down its Westside Market shop at the end of September after a short run, though its Marietta Square and Woodstock locations will remain open.

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Monday, September 28
- Rebecca Black | Actor's Express – King Plow Arts Center

Tuesday, September 29
- Oktoberfest | Bold Monk Brewing Co.
- Trap Yoga Tuesday | The Interlock
- Nathalie Rose | Northside Tavern

Wednesday, September 30
- Bluegrass Open Jam | Ormsby's ATL
- Wellness Wednesdays: HIIT Like a Pro | The Interlock
- Kacey Musgraves – Middle of Nowhere | State Farm Arena
- Wellness Wednesday | Atlantic Station
- Pulse Run Club | Atlantic Station

Thursday, October 1
- Grove Park Heroes | The Foundry at Puritan Mill
- Scarecrows in the Garden | Atlanta Botanical Garden
- Atlanta F.A.M. – Fashion, Art & Music | Chattahoochee Food Works
- Josh Conway | Terminal West
- HOMESHAKE | Terminal West

Friday, October 2
- Oktoberfest at Round Trip – West Midtown | Round Trip Brewing
- Desert Dwellers | Actor's Express – King Plow Arts Center
- TLC & Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue – IT'S ICONIC | Chastain Park
- Rahaan | Barrel Proof Atlanta

Saturday, October 3
- Join Us for Making Strides of Atlanta 2026 | Atlantic Station
- Creator's Market | Atlantic Station
- Nether Hour w/ Jed Harrelson | Actor's Express – King Plow Arts Center
- Ed Sheeran: LOOP Tour | Mercedes-Benz Stadium
- Smokey Robinson | Fox Theatre
- Saturday Night Sets | Chattahoochee Food Works

Sunday, October 4
- Grace Enger – The Satisfied Girl Tour | Terminal West
- Sunday Famers Market | Chattahoochee Food Works
- Paint and Sip: Paint Night Done Right - Atlanta | Taste Wine Bar and Market
- Ripe | Terminal West

GOVERNMENT | Presented by

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Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.

Past Week Roundup

The NPU-D meeting took up several alcohol license requests and a special use permit for an event space, all clustered along a stretch of Collier Road that could turn into a mini entertainment and retail hub if approved. Neighbors also weighed in on an alcohol license expansion for a nightclub and a new restaurant license for a tamale shop along the Chattahoochee corridor, plus a wholesale wine license for a distribution business nearby. Since only the agenda has posted so far and minutes aren't out yet, we don't know how those votes landed. Voting members also considered bylaw changes requiring agendas to post at least seven days before each monthly meeting, with a narrow exception for city delays, a move meant to stop last-minute item additions and give residents more time to review proposals. Police, code enforcement, BeltLine, and public works representatives also gave their usual district updates.

The full Atlanta City Council meeting on Sept. 21 included zoning matters on its agenda, but the outcomes of those votes aren't public yet. Over at the Committee on Council that same day, members advanced several board appointments, including a 5-0 vote recommending former council president Felicia Moore for a seat on the city's Ethics Board. The committee also unanimously backed two reappointments to the Atlanta Commission on Women and approved a new appointee to the Special Event Technical Advisory Group tied to Piedmont Park security coordination. Several bigger policy items stayed stuck in committee, including a proposal to lock in strict public comment speaking order at council meetings, a charter amendment requiring a primary sponsor on every piece of legislation, and a push for an independent investigation into city contracts tied to Foris Webb III. None of those changes are moving forward yet, but expect them to resurface as council works through its backlog in the coming weeks.

Notable Neighborhood Mentions

Atlanta NPU
- WestHouse & Hop City (1385 Collier Rd NW) — A special use permit for an event space alongside new alcohol licenses for a convention center and a retail package store are on the agenda.
- Vivide Atlanta (1271 Marietta Blvd NW) — An alcohol license for an additional facility to expand the nightclub is being proposed.
- La Mixteca Tamale House (1465 Chattahoochee Ave NW) — A new restaurant alcohol license is on the agenda for the proposed dining establishment.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee | Sep-28, 11:00 AM | key topics: 8.5-acre mixed-use rezoning on Ellsworth Industrial Boulevard, citywide self-storage special use permit rules, Glenn Street industrial-to-mixed-use conversion
- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee | Sep-28, 1:00 PM | key topics: Atlanta City Detention Center sale and lease proposals, vehicle booting fee adjustments, municipal surveillance technology oversight safeguards
- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee | Sep-29, 10:00 AM | key topics: water billing spike protections, wastewater storage funding, matching funds for Atlanta Memorial Park improvements
- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee | Sep-29, 1:30 PM | key topics: park land acquisitions on Hamilton E. Holmes Drive and Memorial Drive, tree protection ordinance updates, federal lead hazard grant
- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee | Sep-30, 10:00 AM | key topics: Centennial Yards complete streets design funding, property acquisition for traffic signal enhancements, Pelham Street right-of-way abandonment
- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee | Sep-30, 1:30 PM | key topics: Atlanta City Detention Center transfer agreement, Glynn Drive annexations, park improvement funding in Morningside and Virginia-Highland
- Fulton County Board of Commissioners | Sep-30, 6:00 PM | key topics: FY 2026 General Fund millage rate public hearing, 2027 county employee healthcare contracts and premium rates

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Permits
- 1205 Atlantic Dr NW — Permit filed for a new three-story duplex on the existing lot, two dwelling units total. Expect construction noise and equipment on this block for a while as the foundation work gets underway.
- 1593 Huber St NW — A new multifamily building is moving through review, complete with a parking deck, streetscape upgrades, and stormwater work. This is a sizable project that will reshape the block once it breaks ground.
- 1968 Marietta Rd NW — Heavy electrical work is planned, including underground wiring from a utility substation feeding four massive 4000A switchgears. This kind of infrastructure upgrade usually signals bigger industrial or commercial buildout in the works nearby.
- 1016 Howell Mill Rd NW — Two permits here: one to rework ductwork and another for electrical rough-in on new light layouts in a leasing office. Sounds like an apartment or retail space is getting a refresh.
- 1021 Huff Rd NW — Three separate plumbing permits issued for new single-family interior plumbing installs. Expect some interior work trucks parked on this street soon.
- 1260 Foster St NW — Low voltage permit issued to install 52 Cat6 data cables and build out a new data room. Sounds like office or tech space upgrades.
- 260 18th St NW — Fire alarm modifications issued. Routine safety compliance work, nothing disruptive expected.

Road Work

Under Construction
- SR 3/Us 41 from Cs 1704/Tech Pkwy to Cs 696/Hemphill Ave — The project proposes improvements at the intersection cluster of State Route 3 (Northside Drive), 14th Street, and Hemphill Avenue which will be simplified to provide additional flexibility for signal timing. GDOT lists Fulton as affected county.
- I-75 from Musket Ridge Drive to I-85 - Lighting — The purpose of this project is to upgrade the existing lighting systems, along this corridor, from HPS to energy-efficient LED fixtures. GDOT lists Fulton as affected county.
- SR 9 Fm SR 3 to N of Paces Ferry Rd &Sr 9 So Fm SR 9 to SR 9 — This project, selected by the District Maintenance Office, is the resurfacing of SR 9 to improve the roadways current low OCI score. GDOT lists Fulton as affected county.

Utility Work

Atlanta Watershed:
- Traffic Advisory: Construction Set to Begin on Whestone Wetland Greenspace Project — Construction is set to begin on the Whetstone Wetland Greenspace Project at 2399 Bolton Road NW between Barnett Drive and Marietta Road. Drivers should expect traffic impacts in the area during the work.

Service Requests
- Potholes — Reported on 10th St & State St, Belvedere Dr NW, Antone St & Forrest Way, Howell Mill Rd NW, Chattahoochee Ave NW, and one more location. Most are in progress, one's routed to the sewer division, and crews already fixed one.
- Downed Trees — Crews got calls on Northside Dr & Peters St (two reports), Tumlin St NW, Sumter St NW, and La Dawn Ln NW. Two are in progress, one's closed, and two turned out to be duplicates.
- Right of Way Overgrowth/Visibility Issues — Reported at La Dawn Ln & Sumter St, Maid Ln & Sumter St, Bohler Rd NW, and the intersection of Morris St NW and Old Chattahoochee Ave NW. Three are still in progress, and one's been resolved.
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Non-emergency fixes needed at SR 3 Northside Dr & Marietta St, Marietta St & Ivan Allen Jr Blvd, and Ferst Dr & Fowler St. Two are closed out, one's still in progress.
- Sign Repair — A non-emergency sign repair or replacement request is in progress on Walthall Dr NW.

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Until next week,
West Midtown / Collier Hills Busybody

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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.