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Hey, West Midtown / Collier Hills! This week: Minhwa Spirits is planning an early-2027 move of its restaurant and bar into the former Aziza space at Westside Provisions District, and Fulton County's chair-elect Mo Ivory is promising "less reality show, more policy." We've also got a Fulton jail contract, a game show at The Interlock and plenty of weekend plans to sort through.

- News — Mo Ivory outlines her Fulton County priorities, JLL arranges financing for Upper West Market on Collier Road, and an Atlantic Station office tower goes up for sale.
- Business — Great Big Game Show opens its second venue at The Interlock, Minhwa Spirits plans its West Midtown move, and Cafe in the City opens its doors.
- Events — Skate the Station returns to Atlantic Station on Friday, with Georgia Tech hoops, Terminal West shows and a Chicheria tequila dinner also on the calendar.
- Government — Fulton commissioners approved a $45.5 million jail design contract and voted to abolish the Board of Ethics, while Atlanta's council extended its self-storage moratorium.
- Construction — Look for a storm-damaged duplex repair on Curran Street, new meter cabinets along Howell Mill and English Street, and signal-repair reports around Northside Drive.

Let's dive in.

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Atlantic Station office tower hits market as owner works to pay off debt
An office tower in Atlantic Station has been put up for sale as its owner works to resolve outstanding debt. The listing was reported by Atlanta Business Chronicle on November 5.

Fulton Chair-elect Mo Ivory calls for 'less reality show,' 'more policy' as she outlines priorities
Mo Ivory, who received 75 percent of the vote Tuesday, listed her priorities as improving the Fulton County Jail, increasing funding for county courts, continuing to protect elections and expanding access to healthcare. She also called for a forensic audit of the county budget and will take over from Robb Pitts in January for a four-year term.

JLL arranges financing for Upper West Market in Atlanta
JLL Capital Markets arranged a five-year, fixed-rate loan for Robles Partners and an institutional capital partner on the 87,616-square-foot adaptive reuse project at 1385 Collier Road, which was delivered in July 2026. The property includes an open-air marketplace with more than 30 vendor stalls, along with tenants such as Summerland and BODYROK, and sits adjacent to the Woodall Rail Trail.

Fulton County reentry program offers affordable housing for former inmates
Project Rebuild, launched by Keith Lewis, operates six homes across metro Atlanta that currently house fewer than 25 tenants, with units costing approximately $600 per month. Lewis hopes to expand to 50 to 100 units by seeking state funding and reimbursements, and participants primarily enter through accountability courts, diversion programs and mental health referrals.

BUSINESS

Great Big Game Show opens second immersive venue at The Interlock in West Midtown — The game show concept has opened its second location at The Interlock, where teams of up to 14 players per studio compete behind podiums in hour-long, TV game show-style trivia and skill competitions.

Minhwa Spirits relocating restaurant and bar to Westside Provisions District in West Midtown — The Doraville-based soju distillery's restaurant and bar side is set to move early next year into the former Aziza space, a roughly 4,000-square-foot venue with an open kitchen, lounge, patio and DJ corner.

Cafe in the City opens in West Midtown — From the team behind Cafe Social House in Mableton, Cafe in the City is now open at 935 Marietta St. NW, serving Southern-style comfort food: chicken and waffles and French toast in the morning, and burgers, wings, catfish, salmon and lamb chops later in the day.

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Monday, November 9
- Surprise Chef | Actor’s Express – King Plow Arts Center
- Ben Hackett | Terminal West

Tuesday, November 10
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Mens Basketball vs. Eastern Kentucky Colonels Mens Basketball | Georgia Tech – McCamish Pavilion
- Headache | Terminal West

Wednesday, November 11
- Bluegrass Open Jam | Ormsby's ATL
- Lespecial w/ Natalie Brooke | Actor’s Express – King Plow Arts Center
- Pulse Run Club | Atlantic Station

Thursday, November 12
- Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball vs Maryland | Georgia Tech – McCamish Pavilion
- GCAPP 2026 Empower Party and Empower After Party | The Foundry at Puritan Mill
- Chicheria x Casamigos Tequila Tasting & Taco Dinner | Chicheria Mexican Kitchen
- Slater Nalley | Terminal West

Friday, November 13
- Skate the Station Returns to Atlantic Station! ⛸️❄️ | Atlantic Station
- Amble | King Plow Arts Center

Saturday, November 14
- Monday Night Brewing 15th – Anniversary Affaire | Monday Night Brewing
- Mario the Maker Magician | Ferst Center for the Arts at Georgia Tech
- Creator’s Market | Atlantic Station
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Mens Basketball vs. UNC Asheville Bulldogs Mens Basketball | Georgia Tech – McCamish Pavilion
- Tokyo Machine w/ Dodge & Fuski | Actor’s Express – King Plow Arts Center
- Savasana & Chill Men's Health & Wellness Market | Fetch Park @ The Works
- TRUTH - THE DAY EXPERIENCE (STUDIO 54 EDITION) | Rock Steady

Sunday, November 15
- Georgia Tech Women’s Basketball vs Georgia State | Georgia Tech – McCamish Pavilion
- Katie Pruitt | Actor’s Express – King Plow Arts Center
- The Premier Wedding Expo by Altar & Aisle Co. | The Westside Warehouse
- Contemporary Kids | Atlanta Contemporary Art Center
- Uncle Sugar | Northside Tavern

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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

Fulton County Board of Commissioners
Commissioners approved a $45.5 million, five-year contract to design a new 1,800-bed county jail, and they renewed the jail's medical services contract for nearly $47 million. They also voted 5-1 to abolish the county Board of Ethics, so independent hearing officers will now screen and decide ethics complaints. The board adopted the 2026 school millage rate, which sets the school portion of your property tax bill. Commissioner Dana Barrett's proposals to end the 5% departmental budget caps and to push lawmakers to curb private equity takeovers of medical practices were both filed, which kills them. Commissioners also approved grant money for a 200-unit affordable housing development in Vine City.

Atlanta City Council
At its full meeting, the council adopted the Fiscal Year 2027 property tax rates, including the levies for the BeltLine and Stitch special service districts. It extended the moratorium on new self-storage facilities in Office-Institutional zones by 60 days, and it approved more than $63 million in water infrastructure spending, including $25 million for citywide water line replacements. Council members also voted to send a contract extension for water distribution repairs back to committee, with Dustin Hillis casting the lone vote against that move. Over at the Committee on Council, members advanced Dr. Annette Hall's appointment to the Atlanta Human Relations Commission and held several proposals, including changes to public comment and proclamation rules, a charter amendment requiring a council sponsor on legislation, and a request for police officers at recreation center polling sites. Minutes are posted for both meetings, so the outcomes here are final for now.

Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education
The board held first readings on four sets of attendance zone changes that would take effect in Fall 2027. They cover schools in northwest, west and south Atlanta, including a boundary shift between Beecher Hills and West Manor elementaries. Because these were first readings, no final vote happened, and you'll get a chance to review the maps and weigh in before the board decides. The board also took up temporary construction easements with the City of Atlanta, bus and equipment purchases, and propane fuel contracts. And it presented a first draft of its 2027 legislative priorities, which previews what the district will ask state lawmakers for.

Neighborhood Planning Unit C
NPU-C's virtual meeting agenda included three residential variance requests headed to the Board of Zoning Adjustment, among them a 17-foot retaining wall and two requests to shrink side-yard setbacks. The group was also set to hear from attorneys about an alcohol distance exemption for a Peachtree Road business and from a Georgia Power representative. Members also had a citywide proposal on the agenda that would write a new legal definition of "family" into the zoning code, with a Zoning Review Board hearing expected in January 2027. The agenda also listed 2027 officer elections. Minutes aren't published yet, so the outcomes of these votes aren't known.

Neighborhood Planning Unit E
NPU-E's agenda covered recommendation votes on three big 2027 Piedmont Park events, the Atlanta Persian Festival, the Dogwood Festival and the Piedmont Park Arts Festival. The group also took up a rear-yard setback variance on 14th Street and six alcohol license applications involving agent changes, including permits for a Howell Mill Road restaurant and a hotel in Midtown. Like NPU-C, it had the citywide "family" zoning definition up for review and comment. If you're a neighborhood leader, the agenda also noted a mandatory December 3 information session on the city's 2027 Community Impact Grant Program.

Meetings This Week
- Atlanta City Council — Transportation Committee | Nov-09, 10:00 AM | key topics: Moores Mill Road Bridge feasibility study, Wieuca Road traffic calming, Roswell Road sidewalk expansion, and citywide traffic signal modernization
- Atlanta City Council — Zoning Committee | Nov-09, 11:00 AM | key topics: comprehensive zoning ordinance rewrite, event center regulations, Monroe Drive mixed-use rezoning, and redefining family in the zoning code
- Atlanta City Council — Public Safety & Legal Administration Committee | Nov-09, 1:00 PM | key topics: legal settlement payouts totaling $775,000, alcohol distance exemptions, housing code protections for seniors, and rehiring retired police personnel
- Atlanta City Council — City Utilities Committee | Nov-10, 10:00 AM | key topics: data center water use restrictions, commercial septic tank bans, North Fork Peachtree Creek wastewater storage funding, and Hemphill Pump Station upgrades
- Atlanta City Council — Community Development/Human Services Committee | Nov-10, 1:30 PM | key topics: $4M greenspace forest acquisition on Fourth Avenue NW, $10M Southside Park improvements, and corridor land use redesignations
- Atlanta City Council — Finance/Executive Committee | Nov-10, 1:30 PM | key topics: $10M construction contract for Fire Station 31, $204M affordable housing bond authorization, and delinquent utility lien interest rules

CONSTRUCTION

Permits
- 1736 Defoor Ave NW: Commercial plumbing permit filed for all new plumbing, drains, and water fixtures. That's a full replacement, so expect real work inside.
- 441 16th St NW: Commercial rooftop solar permit filed, with inverters, wiring, and disconnects. It's still pending review.
- 889 Howell Mill Rd NW: Interior buildout of a vacant suite to create a speculative suite. It's routed for review. Landlords build these when they want a space ready for the next tenant.
- 1360 Seaboard Industrial Blvd NW: Electrical alteration adding new circuits, wiring devices, and cord reels to feed refrigeration equipment. The city wants more materials before it moves forward.
- 1251 Marietta Blvd NW: Interior renovation of Suite 100, an office space for HVH Mechanical. The scope includes a new ceiling and new flooring. The city has asked for additional materials.
- 1396 Howell Mill Rd NW: Commercial electrical permit issued to install a new meter cabinet at Howell Mill and Trabert Ave. Utility service is being set up for something new at that corner.
- 1347 English St NW: Permit issued for a new meter cabinet and electrical wiring to bring in utility service. It's another sign of building activity on the west side.
- 1016 Howell Mill Rd NW: Fire sprinkler permit filed to add and relocate sprinklers for a new wall layout. Someone is reworking an interior space, and the permit is pending review.
- Curran St NW: Storm damage repair permit for a two-story duplex hit by a fallen tree. The work includes roof framing, wall framing, and a full re-roof. You may hear some construction noise nearby.

Road Work

Phase Advances (Past 7 Days)
- Bridge repairs on I-85 and I-285 — Now Under Construction. Crews will rehab the decks, replace edge beams and joints, repaint steel beams, patch damaged concrete, seal cracks and fix erosion at three I-85 and I-285 bridges in Fulton County.

New to Pipeline (Past 7 Days)
- Howell Wye rail improvements — GDOT added year two of rail improvements at the Norfolk Southern Howell Wye junction to its construction work program on Nov. 8. No other details have been released.

Under Construction
- Northside Drive at 14th Street and Hemphill Avenue — Crews are simplifying the tangle of intersections where Northside Drive meets 14th Street and Hemphill Avenue, which will make the signals easier to time.
- I-75 lighting, Musket Ridge Drive to I-85 — Crews are swapping the old sodium highway lights for LEDs along this stretch of I-75, and some poles and wiring may be replaced along the way.
- Peachtree Road resurfacing — Crews are repaving Peachtree Road from Northside Drive to just north of Paces Ferry Road.
- Bridge maintenance at seven metro bridges — Crews are resurfacing bridge decks, repainting steel beams and replacing bridge joints at seven bridges across Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton counties.

Utility Work

Atlanta Watershed:
- Traffic Advisory: Temporary Lane Closure on Techwood Dr NW for CCTV and Cleaning of stormwater Drain — The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management announced a temporary lane closure near 1644 Techwood Drive NW for CCTV inspection and cleaning of a stormwater drain.

Service Requests
- Traffic Signal Repair — Six non-emergency reports came in at Northside Dr SW and Marietta St SW, Northside Dr and 14th St, Marietta Blvd and Chattahoochee Ave, Howell Mill Rd NW and White St NW, 17th St NW and Market St, and one more spot. Northside Dr and 14th St also drew two emergency Level 1 reports, and Northside Dr and 10th St got one. If you drive Northside, expect some signal trouble through that stretch.
- Litter Removal — Reported at Fowler St and 16th St, and along 10th St NW.
- Potholes — Reported on Ellsworth Dr NW and at Collier Rd and Walthall Dr.
- Graffiti Removal — Reported at Kennesaw Dr and Marietta Blvd.
- Downed Tree — Reported at Norfleet Rd and Northside Dr.
- Sign Repair, Replacement, or Installation — Reported at 16th St and Fowler St.

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Until next week,
West Midtown / Collier Hills Busybody

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