Atlanta News

From the Atlanta Daily World:

Georgia Military College and NewDay USA are honored to welcome Deshauna Barber as the distinguished speaker for the first NewDay USA Leadership Speaker Series event of 2025 on Friday, March 28, at 2:30 p.m. in the GMC Theatre at the NewDay USA Center of Leadership.   A U.S. Army veteran, former Miss USA, author, and motivational … Continued

The post Army Veteran and Former Miss USA Deshauna Barber to Headline Georgia Military College Speaker Series appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the Saporta Report:

One of the two new wings of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights (NCCHR) will be named in honor of former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. The announcement of the Shirley Clark Franklin Pavilion was made Thursday evening at the annual Power to Inspire gala, a night already staged to honor the former mayor’s […]

The post Surprise: Shirley Franklin Pavilion to soon will be part of downtown Atlanta appeared first on SaportaReport.

From WABE Local News:

The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation released its annual list of 10 Places in Peril on Wednesday, featuring two locations in the metro Atlanta area. Founded in 1973, the organization […]

From the Saporta Report:

Is the dream of homeownership out of reach? Nearly every state and city in the nation faces the triple threat of all-time high home sale prices, soaring mortgage interest rates, and a persistent lack of supply.  Equally troubling, rental housing is unaffordable for half of the nation’s renters, preventing low- and moderate-income families from saving adequate cash for a […]

The post MARCH 13 HOUSING FORUM: Regional Action on Affordable Housing Development appeared first on SaportaReport.

From WABE Politics News:

Gov. Brian Kemp’s top priority to limit lawsuits has drawn fierce criticism from Democrats, but the second part of the package passed the Senate Thursday with unanimous support. Senate Bill […]

From WABE Local News:

Across the nation and right here in Georgia, educators are working to address lingering learning gaps that predate the pandemic. Those literacy gaps are especially concerning among Atlanta’s Black and Brown […]

From WABE Politics News:

The Georgia State House passed a package of bills to protect medical procedures that help people have children. The most high-profile bill, which passed unanimously on Thursday, would codify legal […]

From WABE Politics News:

In an unexpected twist, two bills backed by Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp that take aim at Georgia’s legal landscape will bypass a typical committee path before coming up for […]

From the Saporta Report:

In an email shared Thursday afternoon, District 2 Atlanta City Councilmember Amir Farokhi announced he will resign from his position in July to serve as the next head of Buckhead’s The Galloway School. Farokhi’s move opens up the council seat ahead of the November 2025 election, when the mayor and all 16 council seats will […]

The post Atlanta City Councilmember Amir Farokhi will resign in July to lead Galloway School appeared first on SaportaReport.

Work launches on ‘major improvements’ for prized Roswell park Josh Green Thu, 02/27/2025 - 16:35 Work is officially underway on “major improvements” for a popular City of Roswell greenspace that dates back more than three decades and was due for updates, according to city leaders.  

Dignitaries gathered Tuesday for a groundbreaking ceremony at East Roswell Park, a multifaceted 9000 Fouts Road greenspace located about five and ½ miles southeast of downtown Roswell’s Canton Street. 

The 40-acre park, which debuted in the early 1990s amidst suburban Atlanta’s boom, counts amenities today that include a disc golf course, sprayground, rec center, Art Center, tennis courts, and multi-sport turf fields. 

Planned upgrades totaling $4.8 million will see better trail connectivity and ADA access, a bigger dog park, a new playground, stormwater management, and other improvements, per city officials. 

The park's 9000 Fouts Road location (in red) in relation to the Chattahoochee River and downtown Roswell. Google Maps

Some work, including the installation of new turf fields, was completed over the past two years, as the park had grown long in the tooth. 

The majority of funding for park upgrades is being sourced from a bond program Roswell voters overwhelmingly approved in November 2022, according to city officials. 

Weather permitting, all aspects of construction are expected to be finished by late this summer. 

Below is an overview of forthcoming park improvements, followed by a description of each facet of work, as provided by Roswell officials this week: 

Courtesy of City of Roswell

• A: New dog park and parking lot: The existing dog park will be expanded from 0.5 acres to 0.9 acres and will include irrigation improvements, as well as new landscaping, sod, trees, and an additional dog-watering station. The parking lot alongside the dog park will also be expanded.
• B: Art Center east parking and driveway improvements: The driveway at Art Center East will be reconfigured to include a new turnaround and drop-off area, as well as additional parking.
• C: Stormwater management upgrades: Erosion control and stormwater management systems, including water retention and detention ponds at the new dog park, will be installed to help mitigate runoff and prevent flooding and erosion.
• D: Trail connectivity: The park’s existing walking trail will be extended from the softball field parking lot to the Art Center, providing a complete pedestrian loop around East Roswell Park.
• E: New playground: The outdated playground in the southwest corner of the park, near Pavilion #2, will be replaced with all new equipment and landscaping.
• F: ADA accessibility improvements: Both park pavilions will receive accessibility improvements to better accommodate those with mobility issues. Additional ADA parking spaces will also be added at the multi-sport turf fields.

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• Roswell news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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The park's 9000 Fouts Road location (in red) in relation to the Chattahoochee River and downtown Roswell. Google Maps

Courtesy of City of Roswell

Subtitle $5M upgrades to include trail connectivity, new dog park, fresh playground

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From the Saporta Report:

Georgia politicians, literacy leaders and students gathered at the Georgia State Capitol to recognize the 2025 Georgia Reads Community Award winners and READBowl Champions on Feb. 25 as part of an ongoing effort to boost reading levels statewide.  Former football player and literacy coach Malcolm Mitchell pumped up the crowd of pre-K to high school […]

The post Georgia Reads celebrates READBowl students, literacy partners at state capitol appeared first on SaportaReport.

Beltline: Some homes near trails appreciating by $50K per year Josh Green Thu, 02/27/2025 - 14:27 Like any Atlantan who owns a home near popular Beltline trails can attest, the city’s “glorified sidewalk” has translated to a financial boon for more than just developers and business owners.   

But according to Atlanta Beltline Inc., a program meant to lift up longtime residents who aren’t pulling large salaries near historically underserved sections of the 22-mile loop is also seeing positive results. 

During the pandemic autumn of 2020, Beltline officials launched the Legacy Resident Retention Program as an effort to preserve affordability for lower-income Atlanta homeowners who wish to stay put and not sell out. 

The program—financially backed by some of the city's largest corporations and most influential charities—has since lent property tax relief to 250 homeowners in what the Beltline considers “neighborhood stabilization areas” near southern and western trail corridors.

The resulting statistics, released this week as part of a Beltline affordable housing overview, could be eye-opening. 

The tax-relief program is open to residents who've owned their homes since at least March 2017 and earn at max 100 percent of the city’s Area Median Income. (In 2024, for a two-person household, that would mean an income limit of $86,000.) It essentially freezes some homeownership costs by covering the increase in property taxes beyond what they were in 2019.

The latest Beltline Northeast Trail section to open, in relation to Piedmont Park's dog park. Photo by LoKnows Drones; courtesy of Atlanta Beltline Inc.

Homeowners who’ve been in the program for at least a year have seen their home values appreciate by nearly $50,000 on average—and some have watched values balloon by more than $200,000 since entering, according to Beltline officials. 

Collectively, the 250 program participants have seen property values swell by $10.8 million, according to Fulton County tax records appraised value. Each homeowner has received an average of $2,174 in annual property tax assistance, per Beltline leadership.

In four years, the retention program has become Atlanta’s largest anti-displacement initiative and a tool for tackling the city’s infamous wealth disparities, per program leaders. 

“We want residents who lived in these neighborhoods for years before the Beltline was built to benefit from the economic opportunities, healthy living, and cultural vibrancy the Beltline creates,” said Rob Brawner, Atlanta Beltline Partnership executive director, in this week’s announcement. 

According to Brawner, nearly 2,000 Atlantans remain eligible for the program, and fundraising efforts to assist them are ongoing. 

Program donors to date include the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, Georgia Power, Rocket Community Fund, Delta Air Lines, Bank of America, Tull Charitable Foundation, Google, Truist, Kaiser Permanente, and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

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• Beltline news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

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Subtitle Retention program has translated to nearly $11M for low-income homeowners, agency reports

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From WABE Politics News:

Schools and colleges across the U.S. face a Friday deadline to end diversity programs or risk having their federal money pulled by the Trump administration, yet few are openly rushing to make […]

From WABE Politics News:

Georgia’s state House has backed away from changes to the state’s hate crimes law that could have removed protections for crimes against transgender people, even as it moves forward with efforts to […]

From WABE Arts and Culture News:

Atlanta’s music scene is most often associated with sold-out arenas, bustling dives, or bumping late-night venues, but hidden in corners of the city, another kind of venue is thriving: one […]

From WABE Local News:

The Fulton County Reparations Task Force is making headway on whether restitution is possible for Black descendants of enslaved people. The group put out an update on their progress last […]

Arts Atlanta:

Atlanta’s Pittsburgh and Adair Park neighborhoods host some of the city’s most active street art scenes. These three people helped make that happen. :: How did Atlanta’s Pittsburgh and Adair Park neighborhoods become two of the city’s best venues for street art viewing? Let’s start from the beginning: In the 1890s, an African American neighborhood...

From WABE Local News:

When it comes to funding the arts, Georgia ranks last in the nation. Because of insufficient state funds in the last decade, Georgia’s vibrant arts and culture scene has been […]

From WABE Local News:

Georgia’s Supreme Court justices on Thursday unanimously elected a new top judge for the state. Presiding Justice Nels Peterson is set to become Supreme Court chief justice on April 1, […]

From the Saporta Report:

Two bills introduced to protect the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge Two bills have been introduced in the Georgia State House to protect the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge from mining threats. The bills are led by Republicans sponsors Chairlady and original champion of the Okefenokee Protection Act HB71 Darlene Taylor (Thomasville), Chairman of Economic Development & Tourism […]

The post Reporter’s Notebook: BioLab fire study, SCAD SERVE awards grants, Okefenokee protections proposed appeared first on SaportaReport.

Arts Atlanta:

Doug Jones began his debut novel, The Fantasies of Future Things, while still in graduate school. Thirty years later, it’s finally seeing the light of day. :: Doug Jones’ novel, The Fantasies of Future Things, took nearly 30 years to make it to print. And not for lack of effort. Jones began writing his book...

From WABE Politics News:

U.S. Agency for International Development workers who have been fired or placed on leave as part of the Trump administration’s dismantling of the agency began paying mournful final visits to their abruptly […]

From WABE Local News:

On Thursday’s edition of WABE’s “Morning Edition,” U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff expressed his concerned about how immigrants without legal status will be housed if detained. President Donald Trump’s Administration is […]

Arts Atlanta:

A difficult childhood didn’t deter Georgia native Demetrious Sampson, Jr. from pursuing a career in opera. He’ll perform in the role of Malcom, Macbeth’s main rival, in The Atlanta Opera’s new production of the Verdi opera opening March 1. :: Atlanta-based tenor Demetrious Sampson, Jr. made his debut with the Atlanta Opera in its 2020...

Alpharetta's Main Street growth spurt continues with 'Uptown Rowe' Josh Green Thu, 02/27/2025 - 08:52 A residential growth spurt continues along a main Alpharetta traffic artery that’s being widened and made more approachable for pedestrians. 

Alpharetta-based Trilogy Investment Co. recently announced a 16-unit, luxury townhome venture called Uptown Rowe is moving forward along North Main Street. It’s joining other projects such as the Ronara homes and nearby mixed-use buildings bringing denser development just north of downtown Alpharetta. 

All townhomes at Uptown Rowe, the second Alpharetta project for Trilogy, will be for sale and not rentals, according to the builders. The project will be built by Rêve Homes, a homebuilding company Trilogy recently acquired. 

The wooded,  2.2-acre site in question is situated about a mile north of Alpharetta City Center in the 500 block of North Main Street, between Arrow Exterminators Pest Control and North Main Animal Hospital. 

Looking north, location of Uptown Rowe's 2.2-acre site in relation to Alpharetta City Center (bottom) and Avalon. Google Maps

Trilogy recently bought the site from Blue River Development, which is building another residential project, Mayfair on Main, on the flipside of downtown.  

A chief selling point for Uptown Rowe is walkability and “seamless access to shopping, dining, and entertainment,” according to a project announcement.  

Adjacent to the townhome site, the Georgia Department of Transportation is working on a $50-million reconstruction of North Main Street/Ga. Highway 9 that’s widening the corridor to four lanes for 3.6 miles between Upper Hembree Road and Windward Parkway. GDOT is also installing bike lanes, 10-foot sidewalks, on-street parking in places, ADA-friendly sidewalks, pedestrian lighting, and other features. 

Courtesy of Trilogy Investment Co.

Land development for Uptown Rowe is kicking off this month, according to project officials. 

The first move-ins are expected to come by the fourth quarter of 2026. No word yet on the range of townhome sizes and prices. 

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• Alpharetta news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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Looking north, location of Uptown Rowe's 2.2-acre site in relation to Alpharetta City Center (bottom) and Avalon. Google Maps

Courtesy of Trilogy Investment Co.

Subtitle Townhome project to claim wooded land near Alpharetta City Center

Neighborhood Alpharetta

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