Atlanta News

From the Atlanta Daily World:

Anteel Tequila, a trailblazing brand in the agave industry, is thrilled to announce its exciting rebrand that captures its innovative spirit and remarkable growth. Since its inception, Anteel Tequila has been dedicated to creating unique, high-quality tequilas that resonate with enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike. The Rebrand Highlights: ● A Fresh Visual Identity: The new logo … Continued

The post Anteel Tequila Announces Exciting Rebrand to Reflect Innovation and Growth appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the Atlanta Daily World:

High School Students From Nine Cities Across The Country Convene in New York City True Colors Theatre Company today announced the 2025 Next Narrative® National Monologue Competition (NNMC) National Finals. The top two finalists from nine regional competitions will participate in the national finals on Monday, May 5, 2025, at the Apollo Stages at The … Continued

The post True Colors Announces 2025 Next Narrative Monologue Competition National Finals appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the Saporta Report:

Former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss told Atlanta business leaders, Monday, that the U.S. faces continuing challenges, and cautioned that economic tensions, partisan divide, and China’s global ambitions are likely to intensify before they ease.  Speaking to the Rotary Club of Atlanta, Chambliss stopped short of predicting a recession. He centered much of his remarks on […]

The post Saxby Chambliss foresees more economic strain ahead, talks China challenges appeared first on SaportaReport.

From WABE Politics News:

Some of Atlanta’s small businesses say they are struggling to source products and raw materials as the uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s tariff program continues. A press conference last Thursday […]

From the Saporta Report:

Across Atlanta, there’s a silent crisis pushing thousands closer to homelessness: medical debt. For many residents, the financial strain from one health emergency can quickly become overwhelming. In a city where affordable housing is increasingly hard to find, medical debt has quietly become a powerful force, driving families toward eviction. Nationally, this crisis is huge. […]

The post Medical Debt: A Hidden Barrier for Veterans appeared first on SaportaReport.

From the Saporta Report:

U.S. Rep. Austin Scott is the longest-serving of Georgia’s nine Republican congressmen, but you wouldn’t know it from the headlines he’s generated.

The post Austin Scott opens the Medicaid can of worms appeared first on SaportaReport.

From WABE Politics News:

A Georgia bill barring transgender athletes from participating in interscholastic sports teams that align with their gender identity is now law. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a slew of education-related […]

Beltline formally seeks developers to kickstart massive Westside project Josh Green Mon, 04/28/2025 - 17:10

The process of transforming the largest land acquisition in Atlanta Beltline Inc.’s history into a place for people has formally begun. 

Beltline officials have issued a Request for Proposals for developers capable of turning acreage in the Bankhead/Historic Westin Heights neighborhood into a hub of "catalytic" affordable housing and commercial space adjacent to a section of the Westside Trail that’s scheduled to finish construction this summer. 

The initial phase of the housing development will be unique in that it calls for a sizable injection of for-sale, standalone homes, as opposed to stacked apartments or townhomes. 

As a first step, the Beltline is seeking a housing developer to assist in building the initial phase of the long-vacant site into what’s envisioned as a green, walkable community brimming with attainable living options and economic opportunities. 

Overview of the Chappell Road acreage west of Midtown and downtown today. Courtesy of Atlanta Beltline Inc.

Eventually, the 425 Chappell Road site will span 10 blocks across 31 acres—a total of 13 contiguous parcels the Beltline bought for $26.5 million in 2021. That property sits adjacent to another 30 vacant acres owned by the City of Atlanta. 

The first phase, according to Beltline leadership, will rise across what’s known as blocks 1 to 5. That portion counts road access from both Chappell Road and North Avenue.   

Priority for those blocks will go to single-family and lower-density housing such as small-scale multifamily projects that weave better into surrounding neighborhoods than big housing blocks, per the Beltline. 

Phase-one concepts call for up to 150 new homes—all offered for sale, and not rent—plus about 5,000 square feet of walkable commercial space geared toward local small businesses, according to Beltline officials. Plans also include a Beltline spur branching off the Westside Trail-Segment 4, through the city’s property next door, and across North Avenue to the new residential and commercial development.

All developer responses to the RFP are due July 9. 

Tentative plans for Beltline connectivity to future housing and other development. Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Beltline project leaders have completed entitlement of the property, including approval from the Atlanta Regional Commissions’ Development of Regional Impact program, and the site is zoned Planned Development–Mixed Use, officials note. An additional perk of the area is MARTA’s Bankhead station a half mile away. 

Following numerous community meetings, Beltline officials announced in May their site and the city’s next door could eventually see a staggering 3,292 housing units take shape, alongside a 123,000-square-foot commercial village and a variety of new greenspaces, connecting trails, and amenities such as playgrounds and an amphitheater. One key “front door” component on 6 acres along Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway could be a big-box grocer or retailer, officials said at the time. 

As of now, the Beltline has reached 74 percent of its goal to create or preserve 5,600 affordable housing units by 2030 near its system of trails, within the Beltline Tax Allocation District. 

Development of the 425 Chappell Road site "helps realize the Beltline’s longterm strategy of strategic site acquisition as a means to deliver affordable and attainable housing options and affordable commercial spaces for our local small businesses,” saidDennis Richards, the Beltline’s vice president of housing policy and development, in the RFP announcement. “This will be an inclusive development and a shining example of the Beltline being a place where all Atlantans have an opportunity to live, work, and thrive.” 

The Beltline's portion of the site could see more than 1,030 townhomes, apartments, and live-work units, per officials. Greenspace, at right, could include playgrounds and an amphitheater. Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

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425 Chappell Road NW Atlanta BeltLine Land Beltline Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail Historic Westin Heights Affordable Housing BeltLine Subarea 10 Master Plan BeltLine Tax Allocation District Maddox Park Donald Lee Hollowell 425 Chappell Road

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Overview of the Chappell Road acreage west of Midtown and downtown today. Courtesy of Atlanta Beltline Inc.

Plans for the full scope of the 60-acre site, with the Atlanta Beltline-owned portion at bottom left. Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Tentative plans for Beltline connectivity to future housing and other development. Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

The Beltline's portion of the site could see more than 1,030 townhomes, apartments, and live-work units, per officials. Greenspace, at right, could include playgrounds and an amphitheater. Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

Subtitle Phase one calls for five blocks of "catalytic" housing, commercial space at Westside Trail's doorstep

Neighborhood Bankhead

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From the Saporta Report:

What an undertaking! The Piedmont Park Conservancy unveiled its new comprehensive plan on April 24 that will guide the future growth, maintenance and use of Atlanta’s signature green space. The 28th annual Landmark Lunch provided the venue of the “Big Reveal” with a keynote speech by Thomas Woltz, senior principal of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. […]

The post New plan to enhance Piedmont Park will need our support appeared first on SaportaReport.

From the Saporta Report:

The Fox Theatre’s All-Access Pass Program is a standout educational initiative offering high school juniors and seniors an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at vocational careers in the performing arts.  As the newest sector of the Fox Gives initiative, the All-Access Pass Program began in the 2024/2025 academic year with Hart County High School, KIPP Atlanta Collegiate, […]

The post Applications open for the Fox Theatre’s All-Access Pass Program, providing students a behind-the-curtain look at entertainment jobs appeared first on SaportaReport.

From the Saporta Report:

To see fuller versions of the photos, click on any image and swipe right or left.

The post Trees of Atlanta – various dates and locations appeared first on SaportaReport.

From the Saporta Report:

As these things go, the changing of the name Marthasville to Atlanta went about as smooth as could be expected. There was one slight hitch, some, who were no doubt devotees of ancient literature, assumed that there had been a typographical error in the spelling of the town’s new name and that actually “Atlanta” should […]

The post Everybody’s Cousin appeared first on SaportaReport.

From WABE Local News:

Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL) is an organization that aims to empower people of faith to engage in issues such as environmental injustices, pollution, climate change and more. Marqus […]

Atlanta Medical Center site gearing up for major demolition work Josh Green Mon, 04/28/2025 - 14:21

The first step in remaking a sprawling intown medical campus into a variety of other uses is about to begin. 

According to permitting paperwork filed this month with the City of Atlanta, phase-one vertical demolition of buildings around the shuttered Atlanta Medical Center campus is moving forward, with all demo efforts limited to the footprint of structures in question and all nearby trees protected. 

Specifically, the demo permits call for bringing down buildings at 261 Parkway Drive NE, 455 Ralph McGill Boulevard NE (a large, unsightly parking structure), and 340 Boulevard NE as part of first-phase demolition. The city is reviewing those plans now. 

As perceptive readers have noted, former Atlanta Medical Center buildings in question have recently been surrounded by construction fencing, and demolition companies have established offices across the street from the site where a hospice formerly operated. 

An abandoned parking garage along Ralph McGill Boulevard surrounded by construction fencing this month as part of phase-one demolition. via Darin Givens/@atlurbanist

Hospital owners Wellstar Health System said in January that California-based deconstruction experts Ferma Corporation will be leading demolition. The demo process, with subcontractors Atlanta Demolition and Trinity Green onboard to assist, is expected to last throughout most of 2025.  

Ferma officials said demolition will target unsafe facilities that aren’t considered salvageable, such as the parking deck near the northern edge of the site. Officials with the project's lead developer, veteran Atlanta company The Integral Group, have said most buildings on the Wellstar campus could eventually be on the chopping block, but that hasn't been finalized.  

Despite the forthcoming wrecking-ball activity, what the future of the century-old medical campus might look like in Old Fourth Ward is hardly set in stone, now two and ½ years after Atlanta Medical Center’s sudden closure sent shockwaves through the city. 

At 22 acres—or the size of Centennial Olympic Park, for context—the hospital property is a considerably large palette for redevelopment in what’s been one of Atlanta’s hottest neighborhoods for real estate investment for more than a dozen years. The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved a land-use plan for the vacated complex in September, with approval from Mayor Andre Dickens. A zoning moratorium on the property—renewed three different times by the city—expired the following month. 

That set the stage for Atlanta Medical Center’s transformation, eventually. 

Courtesy of Wellstar

Wellstar officials said last year redevelopment plans generally call for “a vibrant, diverse mixed-use neighborhood with affordable housing, residential properties, community, and public greenspace,” plus “neighborhood-level retail, new street access, commercial uses, and health and well-being resources.” That would all be built out over several years, per the hospital. 

A healthcare and well-being component will be included in the project, but exactly what that might entail is pending Integral’s planning and community engagement, Wellstar reps have said.  

Development plans previously presented to Old Fourth Ward leadership call for 2.4 million square feet of space total. That would include an undetermined amount of residences, some 240,000 square feet of office space, and 120,000 square feet of retail slots for restaurants and shops. Another goal would be to link the hospital property to Freedom Park Trail, the Beltline, Historic Fourth Ward Park, and eventually the downtown Stitch, a highway-capping proposal that’s gaining momentum a few blocks to the west. 

Earlier this year, Wellstar officials said additional planning is required before specifics are finalized, but redevelopment will be a collaborative effort with city leadership and neighbors for a “shared vision” that honors“the property’s historical significance while fostering new opportunities for growth, connectivity, and inclusivity.”

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315 Boulevard NE Atlanta Medical Center Atlanta Development Moratoriums Atlanta City Council Wellstar Health System Mayor Andre Dickens AJC Georgia Baptist Hospital AMC Atlanta Hospitals Atlanta Redevelopment Atlanta Moratoriums Integral Group Ferma Corp. Demo Atlanta Demolition Demolition Trinity Green

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Rough approximation of the 25-acre O4W property spread across more than a city block. Google Maps

The AMC site's barricaded entries along Boulevard, north of John Lewis Freedom Parkway. Google Maps

A main building at the Atlanta Medical Center complex in July. Google Maps

Courtesy of Wellstar

An abandoned parking garage along Ralph McGill Boulevard surrounded by construction fencing this month as part of phase-one demolition. via Darin Givens/@atlurbanist

Subtitle First step of century-old medical campus’ transformation prepped to move forward

Neighborhood Old Fourth Ward

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From WABE Politics News:

The weeks since President Donald Trump returned to office have been a whirlwind of activity to show Americans that his administration is relentlessly pursuing his promises. With a compliant Republican-controlled Congress, Trump has […]

Mixed-use project on Georgia Tech campus scores financing to proceed Josh Green Mon, 04/28/2025 - 13:14

Significant changes around Georgia Tech’s campus show few signs of slowing down. 

Real estate investment company CCI Real Estate has secured financing to move forward with a five-story, mixed-use project at 740 Techwood Drive, less than a block from the Yellowjackets’ football stadium, according to company officials.

The $18-million construction loan from Alabama-based Southern States Bank, inked with assistance from CCI’s debt capital advisor Lance Thurman of Summerhill CRE, will allow developers to replace the longstanding Baptist College Ministries building with residential, retail, and ministry spaces. The project is moving forward in partnership with the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, which has had a presence on Tech’s campus for 75 years. 

CCI’s plans for the half-acre site call for 55 one-and two-bedroom apartments spread across 64,000 square feet.

The mixed-use components include 12,000 square feet of retail and student community space at the ground level, and an upgraded ministry facility, according to project leaders. 

“This project presents a rare opportunity to bring vibrant, top-of-the-line residential offerings to students in a prime area of campus,” noted CCI CEO Jeff Warwick in an announcement, “with curated retail and updated ministry spaces complementing the housing component.”

The current Baptist Collegiate Ministry building on Techwood Drive. Google Maps

Techwood Drive frontage for the mixed-use proposal. Courtesy of CCI Real Estate

The construction schedule calls for breaking ground this summer and opening the building in the summer of 2027, CCI officials have said. True North Companies is on board as general contractor. 

CCI's broader goal is to create “missional impact and community transformation.” To that end, it’s also redeveloping the Baptist College Ministry buildings at the University of Georgia in Athens and Georgia Southern University in Statesboro with similar mixed uses.  

Just down the street, Georgia Tech athletics kicked off a $500-million fundraising campaign last year called Full Steam Ahead that could produce upgraded facilities for Ramblin’ Wreck football fans, along with basketball and volleyball players. As part of those efforts, Bobby Dodd Stadium’s transformation is set to include a massive videoboard at the south end, new clubs and a speakeasy, along with an array of deluxe suites.

Meanwhile, vertical construction on the stadium’s Fanning Center expansion is well underway.

Near the western fringes of campus, Tech’s first new on-campus residence hall in 50 years is also rising, with nearly 900 new beds for first-year Yellow Jackets scheduled to open in August 2026 for fall semester.

The project's location on Georgia Tech's campus, in relation to Bobby Dodd Stadium and the Connector. Google Maps

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740 Techwood Drive CCI Real Estate Georgia Tech Georgia Institute of Technology Baptist Collegiate Ministry Atlanta Churches Atlanta Development Midtown Atlanta Atlanta Construction Georgia Tech Development Techwood Drive Bobby Dodd Stadium Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field Atlanta Student Housing Student Housing Georgia Baptist Mission Board Southern States Bank Summerhill CRE True North Companies

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The project's location on Georgia Tech's campus, in relation to Bobby Dodd Stadium and the Connector. Google Maps

The current Baptist Collegiate Ministry building on Techwood Drive. Google Maps

Techwood Drive frontage for the mixed-use proposal. Courtesy of CCI Real Estate

Subtitle Residential, retail to replace Baptist Collegiate Ministry near Bobby Dodd Stadium

Neighborhood Georgia Tech

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740 Techwood Drive

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From WABE Politics News:

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms took a big step Monday toward running for governor of Georgia in 2026, about four years after the Democrat broke Atlanta tradition by skipping […]

Arts Atlanta:

Since 1988, the Decatur Arts Festival has been a beloved tradition bringing artists and community together in the streets of historic Decatur Square. The festival was founded with the intent to showcase the artistic talent of Decatur residents and provide an opportunity for economic development through the arts. It’s a goal that the Decatur Arts...

From the Atlanta Tribune:

The Georgia NAACP and The Rockdale County NAACP are appalled and heartbroken by the deeply disturbing incident at a Rockdale County school, where a water fountain was defaced with a sign reading “White Only.” This isn’t just an act of ignorance—it’s a chilling echo of our nation’s darkest chapters. It is a stark reminder that […]

The post Georgia NAACP Statement on Rockdale County Schools “White Only” Water Fountain Incident appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

From the Atlanta Tribune:

By Leigh-Ann Jackson Whether they want to streamline their beauty regimen, add some gorgeousness before vacation, or prepare their little ones for a few weeks at sleepaway camp, many Black people will pick braided hairstyles as their go-to. Braids can deliver a look that’s chic, versatile, and no-fuss. Well, there’s some fuss, if you factor in the hours-long installation […]

The post Dangerous Chemicals Detected in 100 Percent of Tested Braiding Hair appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

From the Atlanta Tribune:

The new funding advances Google’s mission to provide AI workforce development and training to over one million Americans Today Google.org — the company’s philanthropy — announced $1 million in funding to Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta to provide AI training to local nonprofits through the company’s AI Opportunity Fund. Project Evident—another recipient of the Fund—is supporting community-based nonprofits in Atlanta, […]

The post Google.org Announces $1M to the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta to Provide Metro Atlanta Nonprofits with AI Skills appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

From the Atlanta Tribune:

The Urban Oak Initiative, Arden’s Gardens and Carrot Dog to Share Their Expertise with the Community in a Panel Discussion and Plant-Based Business Showcase at Pittsburgh Yards   ‘The Power of Food’ panel discussion featuring Leslie Zinn, CEO and family founder of Arden’s Garden, Kevin “Chef Kev” McGee, executive director and family founder of the Urban […]

The post “The POWER of Food” Panel to Explore and Expose the Health Benefits of  Plant-Based Eating and Foodpreneurship appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

From the Atlanta Tribune:

New budget would cut CDC by 44 percent and “would be a travesty for the quality of women’s health care and maternal health” Gov. Brian Kemp refused again today to weigh in on the Trump administration’s steep cuts and their negative impacts on Georgia. To date, the only time Kemp has gone on the record […]

The post Brian Kemp Still Silent as Next Round of Trump’s CDC Cuts Target Maternal Health appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

From WABE Politics News:

Personnel cuts across the Defense Department will delay plans to hire at least 1,000 more civilians to help prevent sexual assault, suicides and behavior problems within the military, senior defense officials […]

From WABE Local News:

The Savannah College of Art and Design said it is investigating a viral social media post of an alleged “No Jews” party invitation on campus. SCAD said its initial investigation […]