Atlanta News

From WABE Politics News:

International students in Georgia started seeing their visa statuses changed days after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the Trump administration has prioritized scrutinizing international students.  Soon after, 133 affected […]

Arts Atlanta:

In this series, ArtsATL asks a member of the Atlanta arts community to share 11 things on their mind. We hope you enjoy getting to know these people better. :: Tammy Hurt has been a professional drummer since her mid-teens and has been part of Atlanta’s music scene since the ’80s. Now, as chair of the Recording...

Arts Atlanta:

In this series, ArtsATL asks a member of the Atlanta arts community to share 11 things on their mind. We hope you enjoy getting to know these people better. :: D. Patton White is artistic and administrative director of Beacon Dance. He has studied a variety of dance techniques, including modern, post-modern, ballet, tap, flamenco and African...

From the Atlanta Daily World:

Lane Closure Advisory for the State Route 400 Express Lanes Project The State Route (SR) 400 Express Lanes Project will construct new express lanes in both directions along an approximately 16-mile section of SR 400 from the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) North Springs Station (Exit 5C) in Fulton County to approximately 1 mile … Continued

The post Atlanta Lane Closure Advisory for the State Route 400 Express Lanes Project appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the Atlanta Daily World:

The Atlanta Jazz festival is presenting A Tribute to Churchill Grounds which is being produced by Lil’ John Roberts and Russell Gunn and hosted by Jamal Ahmad from WCLK’s “The Soul of Jazz.” The event will take place Saturday, May 24 at Park Tavern, 500 10th Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309. Doors will open at 10 … Continued

The post The Atlanta Jazz Festival presents A Tribute to Churchill Grounds at Park Tavern on May 24 appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the Atlanta Daily World:

Since January 20th, Donald Trump and Elon Musk have unleashed chaos across the country — a coordinated attack that makes one thing clear: They are willing to do everything in their power to derail the lives of Black women. This is the latest battle in Trump’s ongoing war against us. For years, we’ve heard him … Continued

The post Trump is Putting Black Women’s Health and Economic Security at Risk appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the Atlanta Daily World:

For the fourth consecutive year, local law firm provides business attire to Atlanta-area high school scholarship applicants  1-800-TruckWreck, powered by Witherite Law Group, will host a pop-up shop for graduating seniors who have applied for the law firm’s “Making a Difference” Scholarship on Monday, April 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at South Atlanta High School, … Continued

The post 1-800-TruckWreck to Host Pop-Up Shop on TODAY to Prepare Graduating Seniors for Interviews, College Tours appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the Atlanta Daily World:

Today, Georgia State Senator Jason Esteves (D) launched his campaign to become the next Governor of Georgia. Before representing Georgia families in the State Senate, Sen. Jason Esteves worked as a public school teacher and later served on the Board of Education for Atlanta Public Schools for nearly a decade, leading the board as chair … Continued

The post Georgia State Senator Jason Esteves Launches Campaign for Governor of Georgia [Video] appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the Saporta Report:

In metro Atlanta, nutrition security remains one of the most urgent health challenges impacting families’ ability to thrive and directly influencing the community’s rates of chronic disease. Nearly 1 in 8 Georgians face food insecurity, and for neighborhoods already confronting high rates of high blood pressure and limited access to health care, the lack of […]

The post Rooted in Wellness: Addressing Nutrition Security within Metro Atlanta appeared first on SaportaReport.

From the Atlanta Daily World:

The Atlanta Jazz festival is presenting A Tribute to Churchill Grounds which is being produced by Lil’ John Roberts and Russell Gunn and hosted by Jamal Ahmad from WCLK’s “The Soul of Jazz.” The event will take place Saturday, May 24 at Park Tavern, 500 10th Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30309. Doors will open at 10 … Continued

The post The Atlanta Jazz Festival presents A Tribute to Churchill Grounds at Park Tavern on May 24 appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From WABE Politics News:

More federal cuts… Parent on trial… Nature’s healing power… Also in this episode… –We have more on Georgia Ports shattering records as importers look to get their goods in ahead […]

From WABE Arts and Culture News:

A Georgia non-profit that provides medically appropriate meals to Atlantans in need could be among the many organizations feeling the pinch of the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to public health […]

From WABE Local News:

It’s an early, crisp morning as the hustle and bustle of downtown Atlanta gradually gains momentum. The cool breeze blows into Liberty Plaza, just beside the state capitol, as people […]

Images: Delayed Memorial Drive development finally has liftoff Josh Green Fri, 04/18/2025 - 16:12

Nearly three years after site-clearing began, vertical construction has kicked off for a project that's continuing a residential influx along Memorial Drive. 

Beginning in summer 2022, Decatur-based Valor Tower Real Estate Developments demolished houses, cleared a full block, and installed infrastructure, including new streets, for a sizable, modern-style townhome venture in DeKalb County’s Belvedere Park neighborhood. 

Then progress—until recently—came to a halt. 

The 44-unit project is called Grand Terraza at Memorial Drive (alternately “Gran Terraza”), according to site plans, renderings, and promotional materials.  

A VIP list for potential buyers has recently launched, and interior renderings are now posted on the project’s website. An inquiry to the development team for a construction update this week wasn’t returned. 

The first townhome section to go vertical along Julian Street, a block off Memorial Drive, as seen this week. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Planned townhome frontage along Memorial Drive at Thomas Road. Valor Tower Real Estate Developments

Foundational work for the townhomes claimed a sloped block just east of Atlanta city limits and East Lake in the 3200 block of Memorial Drive in Decatur, on the south side of the six-lane thoroughfare.

Grand Terraza’s site plan calls for seven separate buildings surrounding an internal park, with several greenspaces dotted throughout. 

According to the developer, initial plans were altered after Belvedere Park neighbors complained of a lack of visitor parking created by the townhomes along Julian Street, opposite Memorial Drive. 

Plans for internal streets were expanded to allow for 23 parking spaces for townhome visitors on special occasions, and Valor Tower also widened Julian Street to 24 feet for more space, as developers have specified.

The scope of the site in question, and construction spotted along Julian Street this week. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Plans for an internal greenspace at Grand Terraza. Valor Tower Real Estate Developments

The addition of denser housing is part of DeKalb County’s broader plan to revitalize Memorial Drive, a vital commuting corridor linking Stone Mountain to downtown Atlanta.

In the gallery above, find more context and renderings illustrating what Grand Terraza is planned to eventually be. 

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• Belvedere Park news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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The first townhome section to go vertical along Julian Street, a block off Memorial Drive, as seen this week. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Beginning of construction where Julian Street meets Thomas Road. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The scope of the site in question, and construction spotted along Julian Street this week. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The 3265 Memorial Drive site in Belvedere Park, between East Lake and the Interstate 285 Perimeter's easternmost edge. Google Maps

Vacant, ranch-style housing this area of DeKalb County is known for, as seen prior to demolition for the townhome project in late 2021. Google Maps

Plans for rooftop terraces at Grand Terraza. Valor Tower Real Estate Developments

Planned townhome frontage along Memorial Drive at Thomas Road. Valor Tower Real Estate Developments

Valor Tower Real Estate Developments

Valor Tower Real Estate Developments

Valor Tower Real Estate Developments

Valor Tower Real Estate Developments

Valor Tower Real Estate Developments

Valor Tower Real Estate Developments

Valor Tower Real Estate Developments

Plans for an internal greenspace at Grand Terraza. Valor Tower Real Estate Developments

Site plans for the 44-unit Grand Terraza at Memorial Drive. Valor Tower Real Estate Developments

Subtitle Grand Terraza modern townhomes planned across block where ranch-style houses once stood

Neighborhood Belvedere Park

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Grand Terraza at Memorial Drive

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How Westview’s streetscape redo, Beltline connection turned out Josh Green Fri, 04/18/2025 - 14:15

With its local businesses, nifty ramp, and new Atlanta Beltline link, Westview’s commercial nucleus is looking a bit like Old Fourth Ward West these days. 

Atlanta Beltline Inc. recently wrapped all work in Westview on Ralph David Abernathy Boulard streetscape upgrades and a fresh, needed access point to the Westside Trail. 

The .5-mile streetscape improvement project runs through the heart of Westview’s business district, between Willard and East Ontario avenues, and includes wider sidewalks, traffic lane realignments, new trees, and stretches of protected bike lanes. 

Overview of the Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard streetscape upgrades in Westview's commercial core. Photo by LoKnows Drones, with permission from Atlanta Beltline Inc.

A plaza installed between Westview businesses and the new Beltline link. Photo by Erin Sintos, with permission from Atlanta Beltline Inc.

The RDA Access Point (located at 1385 Ralph David Abernathy) provides ramp and stair access, a small plaza, and new lighting and trees between the street and Beltline. 

Beltline leaders say both initiatives boost safety for pedestrians and other non-motorists in the area and should lend a spark to adjacent Westview businesses along Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard. 

Those include The Barber Loft, Augie’s Café, D’ Café, Slutty Vegan, Westview Corner Grocery, Official Ink Tattoo, The KE’NEKT, and others. 

The Westside Trail's new Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard access point. Photo by Erin Sintos, with permission from Atlanta Beltline Inc.

Enota Park, at last

In other Westview news, Beltline officials announced this week they plan to officially break ground on the long-awaited Enota Park project on Tuesday in commemoration of Earth Day 2025. 

The expansion of Enota Park—it’s little more than a .3-acre playground surrounded by woods today—has been in the works for nearly 20 years. 

A “sprayground plaza” and new structures planned at Enota Park. Atlanta Beltline Inc.; designs, Pond & Co.

Envisioned as a gateway between the Westside Trail and Westview, the reimagined, expanded park will span 8 acres, or about half the size of Historic Fourth Ward Park on the Eastside Trail. Features will include a large pavilion covered by a solar shade structure, an activity field, splash pad, passive gardens, a new playground, recreation areas, and a basketball court. 

Atlanta Beltline Inc. will manage the park’s construction. Officials have told Urbanize the work is scheduled to finish in 18 months, meaning the new park would open to the public in late 2026. 

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• Westview news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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1385 Ralph David Abernathy Enota Park The Barber Loft Augie’s Café D’ Café Slutty Vegan Westview Corner Grocery Official Ink Tattoo The KE’NEKT Ralph David Abernathy Streetscape RDA Westside Trail Beltline Atlanta BeltLine Atlanta Parks Parks and Rec Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation Atlanta Greenspaces

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Overview of the Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard streetscape upgrades in Westview's commercial core. Photo by LoKnows Drones, with permission from Atlanta Beltline Inc.

A plaza installed between Westview businesses and the new Beltline link. Photo by Erin Sintos, with permission from Atlanta Beltline Inc.

The Westside Trail's new Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard access point. Photo by Erin Sintos, with permission from Atlanta Beltline Inc.

Subtitle Firm groundbreaking date also set for Westview's Enota Park project

Neighborhood Westview

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From WABE Local News:

The killing of a gay man in Savannah last month has raised concerns among LGBTQ advocates about the Savannah Police Department’s once robust procedures and practices intended to keep their […]

From the Atlanta Tribune:

by Damon Carr Let’s keep it a buck—tariffs ain’t just boring political talk for CNN and policy nerds. Nah, tariffs hit the streets, your shopping cart, and your stock portfolio like a freight train. Case in point: recent tariffs slapped on Vietnamese imports by former President Trump caused chaos in the markets, shook Nike to […]

The post Tariff Trouble and What It Means for Your Pockets appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

From WABE Politics News:

A federal judge who blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ruled Friday that the bureau can’t go forward immediately with plans to mass fire hundreds of […]

From the Atlanta Tribune:

After serving the public for over three decades, William “Bill” Edwards will officially announce his bid for Mayor of the City of South Fulton, GA, on Thursday, April 17th at The Enon Ranch. The City’s first Mayor will also launch details of his upcoming listening tour which provides citizens an opportunity to share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas about […]

The post South Fulton Mayor’s Race Heats Up, Bill Edwards Announces appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

From WABE Local News:

During a pleasant spring evening on April 1, Tucker Mayor Frank Auman sat on wooden bleachers at Rosenfeld Park with crossed arms and listened.  Below him, about 50 pickleball players roamed the […]

Officials: Atlanta Civic Center redevelopment finally on horizon Josh Green Fri, 04/18/2025 - 09:55

After more than a decade of big ideas, sputtered plans, and dashed timelines, a new day for the long-dormant Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center property could—and let’s skeptically emphasize could—begin within months, according to project officials. 

Speaking this week at the inaugural State of Atlanta Housing: Open House, agency president and CEO Terri M. Lee said the Civic Center is among six projects Atlanta Housing expects to close financing for within the next quarter of 2025. Collectively those developments will create more than 600 affordable housing units, representing a $180-million investment by the agency. 

At last check, fencing around the Civic Center site had been wrapped in rendering-heavy banners with “The Excitement is Building” messaging, but no substantial demo work had begun. That’s despite paperwork filed with the city and other indications in 2024 that construction would commence by year’s end.  

Per Lee’s remarks this week, plans still call for transforming the Civic Center—which shuttered way back in 2014—into a mix of senior housing, apartments, and communal spaces, alongside hotel, office, and retail uses. 

The general breakdown of expected Civic Center uses, as seen looking southwest, into downtown Atlanta. Atlanta Housing

Paperwork filed with the city indicates the $40-million first building will be a mix of 148 affordable multifamily units and 1,642 square feet of retail space. A parking deck and surface parking are also included.

Atlanta Housing, which is spearheading Civic Center redevelopment efforts, has said the first apartments will be one-bedroom senior housing units, rising on the northeast section of the Civic Center property, across the street from Renaissance Park. 

The rentals will each be roughly 600 square feet, and building amenities are set to include a roof deck, a plaza, and a café at street level, agency leaders have said.

Phase one plans call for constructing this mix of senior housing and retail north of the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. Michaels Organization, Sophy Capital, Republic Family of Companies, via ADID

Lee, who marked one year of being at Atlanta Housing’s helm in February, lent numerous other updates on projects across Atlanta during the dignitary-studded event Tuesday at The Gathering Spot. 

The agency currently has 21 projects either under construction or in lease-up phases, which Lee called one of the country’s most ambitious affordable housing pipelines. 

Last year, Atlanta Housing closed 12 real estate developments (more than the past three years combined) and delivered 3,200 affordable housing units, the majority of them built from scratch, while others were renovated and preserved, per Lee.

Much more is on the horizon. 

By the end of this year, according to Lee, Atlanta Housing expects to break ground on the second phase of the Englewood South project in Chosewood Park, as one example. 

That will create 200 multifamily units—half of those with Atlanta Housing rental assistance—alongside about 22,000 square feet of retail space on what’s currently vacant land. 

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Aerial of the centerpiece Performing Arts Center, which will be retained. Historic Atlanta; 2018

Phase one plans call for constructing this mix of senior housing and retail north of the Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. Michaels Organization, Sophy Capital, Republic Family of Companies, via ADID

An overview of the area's context, with the full 19-acre Civic Center property outlined in blue. Atlanta Housing

Subtitle Plus other updates from AH's State of Atlanta Housing event this week

Neighborhood Citywide

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Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center

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Arts Atlanta:

Roaming through a cemetery at night might seem like a Halloween scare fest, but the historic Oakland Cemetery’s springtime art and light experience is the complete opposite. This year, Cat Eye Creative gallery co-curated the art walk. :: Oakland Cemetery is coming alive — with lights and color! This week, Atlanta’s oldest public green space...

From WABE Local News:

Georgia State Patrol officials are defending the high-speed pursuit that ended in a deadly crash in Little Five Points this week. GSP tells WABE they will ensure the driver who […]

Arts Atlanta:

When Anderson Carman decided to collaborate on a comic textbook about the Civil War with history professor Andrew Fialka, he shot for the moon — and even looked up its phases. :: What do you get when you cross a historian with a comic artist? Maybe a clever punchline but definitely an intriguing, genre-crossing work...

Arching over Atlanta, 33-mile express lanes initiative nears milestone Josh Green Fri, 04/18/2025 - 08:21

For anyone interested in traffic and transit around Atlanta (and who isn’t?), options are now limited for chiming in on what’s shaping up to be one of the most consequential transportation projects in metro history. 

MARTA officials send word the final round of community meetings will be held next month for gathering feedback on the I-285 Express Lanes Transit Study—a sweeping state, regional, and local initiative that aims to build transit options along 33 and ½ miles of Atlanta’s Interstate 285 loop, with a goal of better preparing the region for considerable, forecasted growth.

Project leaders call the conclusion of public meetings (the final three are May 6, 7, and 8) a significant milestone toward getting the I-285 Express Lanes project moving. 

How the top-end express lanes would meet Ga. Highway 400 near the central business districts of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, per early concepts.Georgia Department of Transportation

Officials with MARTA, the Georgia Department of Transportation, and the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority, or ATL, kicked off the public-input sessions in December. The meetings, held in partnership with city and county officials along the I-285 corridor, have served to update residents and commuters on planned changes for one of Georgia’s busiest transportation corridors, the northern arc of I-285, according to MARTA.

The remaining meetings will lend previews of final concepts and allow the public to ask questions and submit input to the project team, per MARTA. There's no set programming, and attendees can come and go as they please. 

“Community input remains critical to refining these plans and shaping the future of transit in the corridor,” MARTA officials noted this week. 

GDOT’s I-285 Top End Express Lanes project calls for building two new lanes in each direction, all separated by barriers, next to existing lanes around the northern arc.

The section of I-285 in question for transit spans between MARTA’s Indian Creek MARTA station near Stone Mountain (the system’s easternmost stop) and H.E. Holmes MARTA station (the westernmost stop).  

The scope of the I-285 Top End Express Lanes project, arcing across Atlanta's Perimeter. Georgia Department of Transportation

Public transit providers that will operate in new lanes—at no additional cost to transit riders per trip—include MARTA, Xpress, and state-registered van pools. A Peach Pass will be required for drivers to use the lanes, with fluctuating pricing.

The ATL has been leading efforts to study how transit service could best be incorporated into the I-285 express lanes GDOT plans to build. Exactly what the transit options might look like hasn’t been finalized, but GDOT has said the new lanes will be built to accommodate bus rapid transit, or BRT. Cost estimates are also TBD.

More than 240,000 vehicles use the stretch of I-285 in question each weekday, according to GDOT. 

Project leaders say the transit study area is expected to see a 42-percent population surge and 33-percent bump in job growth by 2050. That, as MARTA officials maintain, underscores the need for better transit options.

Another focus of the study aims to identify needed improvements—such as optimal station and ramp locations, along with potential funding sources—for making I-285 transit access a viable reality. 

According to GDOT, a procurement and construction schedule for the project’s initial phases is being put together now. The express lanes are expected to be rolled out in three different phases.

The final study report on transportation options along I-285’s northern arc is scheduled to be completed this summer.

How the tolled, elevated express highway lanes would be laced into the Cobb Cloverleaf section of Interstate 75. Georgia Department of Transportation

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Here’s a rundown of remaining I-285 Express Lanes Transit Study meeting details:

Tuesday, May 6

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Dunwoody City Hall

4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road NE, Dunwoody

Translators available in Spanish and Arabic

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Wednesday, May 7

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

C.T. Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center

3201 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. SW, Atlanta

Translators available in Spanish and Arabic

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Thursday, May 8

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Clarkston Community Center

3701 College Ave., Clarkston

Translators available in Spanish and Arabic

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Note: For anyone who can’t attend in person, I-285 Express Lanes Transit Study meeting materials and a comment submission form will be available online here until May 21, per MARTA. 

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• Recent MARTA news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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The 33 and 1/2-mile scope of the I-285 Express Lanes Transit Study. Courtesy of MARTA

The scope of the I-285 Top End Express Lanes project, arcing across Atlanta's Perimeter. Georgia Department of Transportation

How the top-end express lanes would meet Ga. Highway 400 near the central business districts of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, per early concepts.Georgia Department of Transportation

Where the elevated express lanes would rise from at-grade sections and take flight over Cobb Parkway, as seen heading clockwise around the Perimeter, per GDOT's conceptual video. Georgia Department of Transportation

Another elevated Cobb County section at Cumberland Boulevard. Georgia Department of Transportation

How the tolled, elevated express highway lanes would be laced into the Cobb Cloverleaf section of Interstate 75. Georgia Department of Transportation

Subtitle Meetings to conclude soon for transit services proposed along I-285, one of Georgia's busiest corridors

Neighborhood MARTA

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