West Midtown / Collier Hills: F1 at Atlantic Station and 404 Day

Good morning, West Midtown! Whether you're navigating the new "choose your own adventure" lanes on 14th Street or just here for the new F1 racing experience, we've got the scoop on your neighborhood. This week, we're talking high-speed racing, a big "prenup" for the county, and the most Atlanta holiday of the year right around the corner.

- Big Stories — From 14th Street traffic debates to high-octane F1 racing at Atlantic Station, we're diving into everything making noise in the neighborhood this week.
- Local Business Updates — Get ready to suit up with a new British tailor on Howell Mill
- Upcoming Events — It's a massive weekend featuring Panda Fest, 404 Day at Stankonia, and more Georgia Tech sports than your calendar can handle.
- Local Government Discussion — We're breaking down the county's "prenup" with the city, a $1.1 billion airport overhaul, and a very important victory for the Ladybird brunch crowd.
- Development & Construction Nearby — Between seven mystery generators at Atlantic Station and a new roundabout at Moores Mill, the orange cones aren't going anywhere just yet.

Let's dive in.

BIG STORIES

Drivers, cyclists react to traffic changes along stretch of 14th Street in West Midtown Atlanta (March 25, 2026) West Midtown's 14th Street has basically become a giant social experiment in traffic flow, and everyone has an opinion. Whether you're navigating the new lanes on two wheels or four, the consensus seems to be a mix of "finally, safety!" and "wait, where did my lane go?"

Zooming Through the New F1 Arcade Experience in Atlanta (March 27, 2026) Atlantic Station just got a serious speed boost with the arrival of the F1 Arcade, which is essentially the high-octane playground we didn't know we needed. It's the perfect spot to live out your Lewis Hamilton fantasies without the risk of an actual 200mph crash—or the need for a professional pit crew.

Top 15 Matchup Sees No. 14 NC State Travel to Atlanta to Take on No. 3 Georgia Tech (March 27, 2026) The energy around Georgia Tech is electric this week as our #3 ranked Yellow Jackets host a massive Top 15 baseball showdown. If you hear a roar coming from the direction of Russ Chandler Stadium, it's just the home crowd watching the Jackets try to cement their status as the best in the nation.

7 Fun Ways To Celebrate 404 Day In Atlanta — It's Time To Get 'I'm So ATL' Up In The City (March 26, 2026) It's almost time for the most Atlanta holiday of the year, and West Midtown is at the heart of the action. Whether you're hitting up local block parties or snagging neighborhood-exclusive deals, it's the official day to remind everyone why the 404 is the superior area code.

Thousands gather for 'No Kings' protests in metro Atlanta on Saturday (March 28, 2026) It was a loud and busy Saturday as thousands of people descended on the State Capitol and surrounding areas for the "No Kings" rallies. With over 30 individual demonstrations popping up across the metro area, it's clear that political engagement in the city is hitting a fever pitch.

LOCAL BUSINESS UPDATES

SPO33 - opening - Looking for that "just stepped off Savile Row" vibe? You're in luck because this British-rooted tailoring house just set up shop on Howell Mill. They're all about making bespoke menswear feel easy and high-quality, which is perfect for when you finally need to trade your Westside-casual hoodies for something a bit more dapper. March 24, 2026

UPCOMING EVENTS

Get ready to clear your schedules because the neighborhood is absolutely buzzing this week! Between the massive return of Panda Fest at Atlantic Station and the city-wide 404 Day celebrations hitting local icons like Stankonia Studios, this is the weekend you've been waiting for to get out and explore West Midtown.

Monday, March 30
- Industry Night | Chattahoochee Food Works
- Mahjong Game Night at Your 3rd Spot | Your 3rd Spot

Tuesday, March 31
- Georgia Tech Baseball vs Auburn Baseball | Mac Nease Baseball Park at Russ Chandler Stadium
- Georgia's Largest Happy Hour TUESDAYS | Chattahoochee Food Works

Wednesday, April 01
- Ladies Night at Taste Wine Bar (Self Pour Wine Tasting Experience!) | Taste Wine Bar and Market
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Softball vs. Mercer Bears Softball | Shirley C. Mewborn Field
- Bryant Barnes | Terminal West
- Wellness Wednesday | Atlantic Green

Thursday, April 02
- Jordan Klepper Can't Dance Party | Terminal West
- Atlanta F.A.M. THURSDAYS- Fashion, Art & Music | Chattahoochee Food Works
- Taste Night: A Free Sampling Series at Taste Wine Bar! | Taste Wine Bar and Market
- Georgia Tech Men's Tennis vs SMU | Ken Byers Tennis Complex

Friday, April 03
- Panda Fest Returns to ATL for Round 3 This Spring! | Pinnacle Lot
- Georgia Tech YellowJackets v. Boston College Eagles (Softball) | Shirley Clements Mewborn Field
- Live Jazz Friday's Spring Sessions: Wine & Live Music | Taste Wine Bar and Market
- SWEAT Dance Party | Terminal West

Saturday, April 04
- 404 Day: Old Atlanta vs. New Atlanta | Stankonia Studios
- LOVB Atlanta vs LOVB Houston: Forever I LOVB ATL | Georgia Tech – McCamish Pavilion
- Swing By Flight Club Atlanta for a 404 Day Toast | Flight Club Atlanta
- 404 Day at Your 3rd Spot | Your 3rd Spot
- Georgia Tech Men's Tennis vs Boston College | Ken Byers Tennis Complex
- Easter Pastel Party! | Chattahoochee Food Works
- Bubbles & Boards at Taste Wine Bar (Self Pour Wine & Mimosa Carafes!) | Taste Wine Bar and Market
- Rjd2 | Terminal West

Sunday, April 05
- Easter Brunch in Piedmont Park: Skyline Views, Buffet, & Egg Hunts! | Park Tavern
- Farmer's Market SUNDAYS | Chattahoochee Food Works
- Easter Jazz Brunch! | Chattahoochee Food Works
- Hoppy Hour Easter Wine Tasting | Taste Wine Bar and Market
- Celebrate Easter at Your 3rd Spot | Your 3rd Spot
- Easter Snack and Scribble! | Chattahoochee Food Works
- Create Custom Candles With Instructor Jocelyn - Candle Making Class by Classpop! | Taste Wine Bar and Market
- Spring Break Takes Aim at Flight Club Atlanta | Flight Club Atlanta
- Uncle Sugar – Sunday Night | Northside Tavern

LOCAL GOVERNMENT DISCUSSION

Fulton County Board of Commissioners

Discussion from the Past Week

Last Friday, the Board took a break from their usual routine for a "Special Called Meeting" to tackle the high-level strategy that dictates where your tax dollars actually go. The session focused on the two biggest levers the county can pull: transportation taxes (TSPLOST) and the Service Delivery Strategy (SDS). Think of the SDS as a giant, legally required prenup between Fulton County and its cities; it defines who is responsible for—and who pays for—services like 911 dispatch, libraries, and parks. The goal is to ensure you aren't being double-charged for the same service by both the city and the county.

While the SDS handles the "who," the TSPLOST discussion handles the "how." Commissioners began hashing out the framework for the next round of sales tax funding for "tier one" infrastructure projects. This is the starting point for deciding which major corridors get road widenings, which intersections get upgraded, and where new sidewalks actually get poured. While no specific West Midtown projects were greenlit this week, the outcome of these sessions ultimately determines how much of that sales tax you pay at the register ends up back on your local commute.

Meanwhile, this high-level talk about infrastructure funding set the stage for more immediate spending. While the Board spent Friday looking at the long-term roadmap, they are already pivoting to the nuts and bolts of road maintenance and public safety staffing for the coming month.

Meetings in the Next Week
- Board of Commissioners April 01, 2026 at 10:00 AM: The Board will vote on a $600,000 boost for pothole patching and road paving through 2026, alongside a $975,000 funding package for domestic violence survivors. They are also expected to set the special election to fill the vacant District 4 seat and renew the lease for the Bethlehem Neighborhood Senior Center at 215 Lakewood Way SW.

Atlanta City Council

Discussion from the Past Week

Atlanta is officially entering its "big spender" era. This past week, various committees laid the groundwork for the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, which means the city is currently deciding exactly how to slice the tax pie. While the bureaucratic gears are turning on property tax rates and education levies, the real money is flying toward Hartsfield-Jackson. Between the Finance and Transportation committees, the city greenlit over $1.1 billion in airport upgrades, including a massive billion-dollar widening of Concourse D. If you've ever felt like a sardine in a tin while waiting for a flight, help is (eventually) on the way.

The city is also getting serious about "future-proofing." We saw a 20-year commitment to solar energy and a $4.8 million upgrade to the E911 system to ensure emergency calls actually get where they need to go. Meanwhile, the Public Safety committee is leaning into the "cool but slightly dystopian" category by accepting $7.6 million for drone defense systems ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Speaking of the World Cup: get your designated drivers ready. Council approved a temporary "Public Entertainment District" downtown for the tournament (June 11 – July 19, 2026), where outdoor drinking on the streets and sidewalks will be perfectly legal.

The city's trash situation is currently on a "month-to-month" basis. Council approved a $1.7 million stopgap extension with Republic Services while they figure out a long-term plan for our solid waste. On the neighborhood policy front, a 180-day moratorium was slapped on new alcohol licenses for the Edgewood Corridor to give the city time to study the nightlife's impact on the area. Lastly, if you were hoping to get a check for that pothole that ate your tire, the news isn't great—the Public Safety committee denied 28 private claims this week, ranging from slip-and-falls to crater-sized road hazards.

Most notable to your neighborhood:

Upcoming Meetings

Atlanta Public Schools

Discussion from the Past Week

While you were likely distracted by the spring pollen, the APS Student Advisory Council was busy diving into the heavy-duty mechanics of district policy. In a classic "the dog ate my homework" moment for the bureaucracy, no official minutes were recorded for the March 25 meeting, but the agenda tells a story of a student body deeply involved in the district's biggest headaches: attendance and money.

The council tackled the ongoing crisis of chronic absenteeism with a presentation from Dr. C. Windom. It's no secret that getting kids back into desks has been a struggle lately, and the district is clearly looking for student-led solutions to make school a place people actually show up to.

Those students are also keeping a very close eye on your wallet. Dr. A. Danser briefed the group on SPLOST (the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax). This is the "penny tax" that funds everything from new HVAC systems to tech upgrades and school renovations. By bringing the students into the loop, the district is essentially prepping the next generation of taxpayers to understand why those pennies matter for infrastructure.

The council also reviewed the Comprehensive Literacy Instructional Plan (CLIP) survey. Literacy remains the "North Star" for APS right now, and this survey is part of the broader push to ensure students are actually reading at grade level. Expect the feedback from these students to play a major role in how the Board of Education fine-tunes its academic goals in the coming month.

Meetings in the Next Week
- Atlanta Board of Education, April 06, 2026. Following the student-level discussions last week, the full Board is expected to continue deliberations on capital project funding and district-wide attendance strategies.

Atlanta NPU

Discussion from the Past Week

If you've ever circled the block for twenty minutes looking for a parking spot, the latest news from NPU-D might make your eye twitch. The big talk of the week centered on a massive parking reduction request that could set a new precedent for how tight things are getting in West Midtown. A developer is looking to slash their required onsite parking by a staggering 85%, dropping from 135 spaces down to just 20. While "less asphalt" sounds great in theory, the reality for neighbors is often a sudden influx of cars lining residential side streets.

On the public safety front, the neighborhood got a deep dive into how the city handles "nuisance" crimes. Muhammad Hafeez presented on the Policing Alternatives and Diversion (PAD) Initiative, which is essentially the city's way of saying "let's try something other than jail." The program focuses on redirecting people struggling with mental health or extreme poverty toward community services instead of the precinct. It's a key part of the local strategy to keep the neighborhood safe without over-relying on the revolving door of the legal system.

Meanwhile, your local pit stop is under new management—at least on paper. The Race Trac on Bolton Road is going through a routine administrative shuffle for its alcohol license. It's a "Change of Licensee" situation, which is basically the bureaucratic version of swapping a business card. No construction or changes to the beer cave are expected, so your snack runs should remain undisturbed.

Most notable to your neighborhood:

DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION NEARBY

Permits
- 232 19th St NW — The multi-family building in Atlantic Station is getting a total reroof. If you hear some thumping overhead, they're swapping out that old membrane for some fresh PVC.
- 241 20th St NW — Someone is terrified of a blackout! They just pulled a permit for seven different temporary generators. That's a massive amount of backup juice for one spot in Atlantic Station.
- 857 Collier Rd NW — We've got a new neighbor coming to the 1,200-square-foot space on Collier. It's listed as a "tenant up-fit" for a new business—no word yet on who's moving in, but the build-out is officially in motion.
- 1082 Huff Rd NW — Huff Road is getting even more cozy. They are carving up "Suite B" to create an entirely new, additional suite. More room for more shops or offices in the heart of Blandtown.
- 2160 Hills Ave NW — Expect some digging near the cell tower site. They're running 60 feet of underground conduit to beef up the electrical service. Hopefully, this means fewer dropped calls for the rest of us!
- 1235 Chattahoochee Ave NW — New walls and dedicated outlets are being installed here. It looks like a standard office or retail partition, but it's a sure sign that a new layout (and likely a new tenant) is taking shape.

Road Work

Under Construction
- Northside Drive at 14th & Hemphill (Fulton County) — This messy intersection cluster near Georgia Tech is finally getting a makeover to simplify the signal flow. Expect some lane shifts and construction equipment while they reconfigure how these three streets meet up—it'll be worth it for a smoother commute later!
- I-75 Lighting Upgrade (Fulton County) — They're swapping out those old, dim orange bulbs for energy-efficient LEDs from Musket Ridge Drive down to the I-85 merge. Keep an eye out for crews working on poles and wiring along the corridor; it's going to be a lot brighter through here soon.
- SR 9/Peachtree Road Resurfacing (Fulton County) — The stretch from the Northside Drive split up toward Paces Ferry is getting smoothed out to fix its low "quality score." Be prepared for some temporary bumps and lane closures while they lay down the fresh asphalt.
- Multi-County Bridge Preservation (Cobb, DeKalb & Fulton Counties) — This project spans three counties and includes seven different bridges, including work near the US 41/SR 280 interchange. They're painting steel beams and replacing joints, so heads up for maintenance crews if you're heading toward the Cobb line.
- Buford Spring Connector Tunnel Lighting (Fulton County) — Crews are upgrading the tunnel lighting where the Connector meets I-85. They're replacing old wiring and installing new LEDs, so don't be surprised if the lighting looks a bit different during your evening drive through the tunnel.

Construction Work Program
- Marietta Blvd from Coronet Way to DL Hollowell Pkwy — GDOT is gearing up for a major refresh here. This two-part project involves a scoping study for full reconstruction and resurfacing, plus the addition of a brand-new shared-use path. It's going to be a win for cyclists, but expect some orange-cone fatigue on this Blandtown bypass soon.
- Marietta Road Bridge (Fulton County) — The aging bridge over the former CSX Tilford Yard is slated for a total replacement. The new structure will come with fresh pavement and—blessedly—continuous 5-foot sidewalks on both sides. It'll make the trek between Hills Park and West Midtown a whole lot safer for those on foot.
- SR 3/Northside Drive at the I-75 Overpass — Big changes are coming to the overpass near Collier Hills. The plan is to slim down the roadway to a single northbound lane and two southbound lanes. It's an "enhancement" designed to manage flow, but you'll want to keep an eye on your morning commute times once the striping crews arrive.
- SR 9 & 14th St from Howell Mill Rd to W Peachtree St — The heart of West Midtown is prepped for a "road transformation." Details are lean on the specific lane shifts, but given the stretch, this realignment will likely mean big changes for everyone grabbing dinner at The Interlock or heading toward Midtown.
- I-75 NB Ramps at Moores Mill Road — The Moores Mill exit is getting the roundabout treatment. The design includes a two-lane section for eastbound traffic to keep things moving. It should help the bottleneck near the Westover Plantation area, provided everyone remembers how to yield.
- SR 3/Northside Drive from Marietta Street to 8th Street — GDOT is planning to construct a "new" Northside Drive to realign this messy stretch. We're looking at four lanes of travel and improved intersections that should (hopefully) make the commute past Georgia Tech a little less chaotic.
- SR 9/US 19 (Peachtree Road) at the CSX Bridge — The bridge over the railroad tracks near the Brookwood split is officially on the list for a replacement. They'll be maintaining five lanes of traffic during the project, but expect some tight squeezes while the new structure goes up.
- SR 8/DL Hollowell Pkwy from Proctor Creek to the Beltline — More trail connectivity is on the way! This project focuses on bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, making it easier to hop between the Proctor Creek Greenway and the Westside Beltline.

Service Requests
- Potholes — Spotted at the intersection of Huff & Howell Mill, Marietta Blvd NW, Sunbury Pl NW, Chattahoochee Ave NW, and Bishop St NW. Your suspension is sending out an SOS.
- Traffic Signal Repairs — Glitches reported at Defoor & Collier, Howell Mill Rd, Huff & Marietta Blvd, and Marietta & Coronet. The corner of Howell Mill and Collier Rd has been flagged for emergency repairs twice this week, so maybe give that one a little extra space.
- Litter Removal — Crews have been called to tidy up Northside Dr (from I-75 to Collier Rd), Northside & 16th St, and the Bolton Dr and Marietta Blvd junction. Let's keep our neck of the woods looking sharp, neighbors!
- Overgrowth & Visibility Issues — Spotted on Interlock Ave NW and 17th St NW. We love our urban forest, but not when it's playing peek-a-boo with oncoming traffic.
- Graffiti Removal — Some "unauthorized art" was reported near 17th St & Market St in Atlantic Station and is currently on the list for a scrub-down.