News about Atlanta, auto-sourced from RSS feeds of local and regional media. User names indicate the news source.
From the Atlanta Daily World:
Tax season is here! The 2025 filing period officially kicked off on January 27 and ends on April 15, with an extension deadline in October. Whether you’re a do-it-yourself tax filer or prefer to leave it to the pros, preparation and strategy are the keys to success. New Tools to Make Filing Easier The IRS … Continued
The post The Carr Report: 2025 tax season…Key tools, deadlines and strategies appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.
From the Saporta Report:
Parkgoers are nearing their last chances to give input on Piedmont Park’s first new master plan in 25 years before its official reveal in April at the 2025 Landmark Luncheon. On Feb. 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the Piedmont Park Conservancy will hold an in-person “community input session” where the public can hear […]
The post Final public input sessions for Piedmont Park master plan kick off this month appeared first on SaportaReport.
3 neighboring projects spell fresh life for one Hapeville street Josh Green Tue, 02/04/2025 - 15:26 A fresh year is bringing new commercial life and construction to one of the main thoroughfares in growing Hapeville.
About two blocks from Hapeville’s historic main drag, renovations have wrapped for a new brewery, a new restaurant concept has been confirmed, and the development process has kicked off for nearly 60 new townhomes on consecutive parcels in the 3300 block of Dogwood Drive.
The investments continue a years-long growth spurt for the southside ITP city spurred in part by proximity to Atlanta’s airport and the international draw of Porsche’s expanded North American headquarters.
First on the docket, a grand opening is planned from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday for Columbus-based Chattabrewchee Southern Brewhouse, which is opening a second brewery location in a remodeled building now known as “The Hangar” at 3361 Dogwood Drive.
That’s where Arches Brewing operated its taproom for eight years, before uprooting to the Atlanta Utility Works complex in nearby East Point last year.
A work-in-progress wall mural at Chattabrewchee Southern Brewhouse's The Hangar space. Contributed
Owned by U.S. military veteran and Delta pilot Beau Neal, The Hangar building has incorporated an aviation theme throughout. It falls within Hapeville’s Arts District Overlay and the Urban Village zoning district, which is designed to encourage a more walkable and cohesive environment.
“A brewery opening in a renovated former brewery space is quite the turnaround story, given the number of breweries closed in Georgia in 2023 [and] 2024,” noted Brett Reichert, Hapeville City Council member at large, in an email.
A recent renovation divided the brewery’s building into three units, and a tapas restaurant is now slated to occupy the middle space, according to Reichert.
Jonathan Joyner Designs/Chattabrewchee Southern Brewhouse
Meanwhile, on an assemblage of seven Dogwood Drive lots immediately north of the brewery, construction is underway on another 58 Hapeville townhomes with walkability to downtown shops and eats.
Marietta-based McNeal Development earned city approval last year to construct the townhomes between 3309 and 3345 Dogwood Drive, replacing several older, vacant houses.
Planned three-story facades along Dogwood Drive in Hapeville. The Hartwin Group/McNeal Development
Overview of the 58-unit BTR townhome site plan. The Hartwin Group/McNeal Development; Kimley-Horn
The project is covering about 3 acres total, and each of the townhomes will be Build-to-Rent, instead of being for sale.
The least expensive rental option for a two-bedroom unit will be roughly $2,400, according to a presentation by the development team. (The project's BTR status was a bone of contention among some Hapeville City Council members last spring, requiring Mayor Alan Hallman to break the 2-2 tie.)
The townhome project is scheduled to start delivering in early 2026. (Find more images and context here).
The 3335 Dogwood Drive properties in relation to Arches Brewing and other central Hapeville businesses and landmarks. Google Maps
A few blocks north of that project, on the same side of Dogwood Drive, another 28-unit townhome venture called Shirley Estates is taking shape, replacing a vacant car lot. Those townhomes are for sale, with prices now starting in the $550,000s.
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3335 Dogwood Drive Hapeville Dogwood Assemblage LLC Lowery and Associates McNeal Development ITP Southside Build to Rent BRT Atlanta Townhomes Hapeville Development New Townhomes Hapeville Construction City of Hapeville Townhomes for Rent The Hartwin Group Kimley-Horn & Associates Kimley-Horn Shirley Estates 3361 Dogwood Drive Chattabrewchee Jonathan Joyner Designs The Hangar Downtown Hapeville Chattabrewchee Southern Brewhouse Columbus Atlanta Breweries Breweries Arches Brewing
Subtitle Brewery, tapas, and nearly 60 new homes on tap near historic downtown commercial hub
Neighborhood Hapeville
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From the Saporta Report:
Award-winning journalist Dave Schechter’s research on how his late aunt became a leader in the Communist Party in the 1920s has been published in a new book. Schechter’s book on Amy Schechter, “A Life of the Party,” blends the historical record of her activities with narrative fiction. Schechter will discuss her life during a book […]
The post Journalist pens book on communist aunt’s organizing for work laborers appeared first on SaportaReport.
Atlanta airport 'oasis' wins international design award Josh Green Tue, 02/04/2025 - 13:37 Rarely are words like “soothing” and “oasis” associated with the madness that is Atlanta’s airport.
But a Pennsylvania-based landscape design company has done its part to help change that, according to judges of an international competition.
Ambius Design and Construction recently won a Platinum award for installation at The International Plantscape Awards for what’s described as a “calming bonsai lounge escape” at the world’s busiest airport.
The installation is part of the sleek new American Express Centurion Lounge at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport—the largest such space in the Centurion network, at nearly 26,000 square feet.
The bonsai's placement in Atlanta airport's new Centurion Lounge. Photo via American Express
Courtesy of Ambius Design & Construction
Situated in Concourse E near gate E11, Ambius’ “biophilic oasis” counts a 50-year-old bonsai tree from a Florida nursery as its centerpiece. The tree stands 20-feet tall, weighs 2,500 pounds, and required a crane (brought in overnight, via a runway) to install through the glass-paneled ceiling.
Other natural aspects of the space include 12 black olive trees, 2,200 foliage plants, and a “serene forest floor” of moss, stone, and ferns.
Elsewhere are automated lighting and irrigation systems, plus exterior terraces for fresh air with natural scents and wildlife sounds pumped in.
Courtesy of Ambius Design & Construction
Courtesy of Ambius Design & Construction
Collectively the space “offers a refreshing escape from the busy airport,” per Ambius reps. “Our client was thrilled, and the bonsai owner’s emotional response reminded us how special this project is—a testament to biophilia in the most unexpected places.”
Based in Reading, Penn., Ambius was founded in 1963 and operates in 16 countries today. The firm acquired three other landscaping companies last year alone as part of a growth phase.
Courtesy of Ambius Design & Construction
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• Atlanta airport’s ‘ambitious’ expansion project enters next phase(Urbanize Atlanta)
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Atlanta Airport The Reserve by American Express Ambius Design & Construction Airport Projects Airport Construction The International Plantscape Awards Landscape Design Atlanta Landscape Design Atlanta Landscapes Bonsai Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Matt Hills Centurion Lounge American Express
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The bonsai's placement in Atlanta airport's new Centurion Lounge. Photo via American Express
Courtesy of Ambius Design & Construction
Courtesy of Ambius Design & Construction
Courtesy of Ambius Design & Construction
Courtesy of Ambius Design & Construction
Courtesy of Ambius Design & Construction
Subtitle Centurion Lounge bonsai sanctuary at world’s busiest air-travel hub includes half-century-old tree
Neighborhood Southside
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From the Atlanta Daily World:
Jagged Edge will serve as halftime performers as the Atlanta Hawks take on the San Antonio Spurs on Feb. 5. The Atlanta-based R&B group brings an iconic blend of passion and rhythm that has made them a staple in the music industry. “The Atlanta Hawks are True to the Atlanta culture, and we are truly … Continued
From the Saporta Report:
Georgia officials will welcome the Queen Consort of Warri, Nigeria in March. State Rep. Kim Schofield has asked College Park to host a dinner honoring Olori Atuwatse III on March 11 at the Georgia International Convention Center. Schofield made the request during the public comment period at the College Park City Council meeting on Monday […]
The post College Park asked to host Nigerian queen consort appeared first on SaportaReport.
Skyscraper's conversion to mixed-use clears 'major milestone' Josh Green Tue, 02/04/2025 - 11:58 Five months after plans first came to light, one of Atlanta’s tallest and most distinctive office buildings has cleared a “major milestone” en route to a mixed-use conversion that calls for hundreds of new homes downtown, according to project leaders.
Atlanta’s Office of Zoning and Development this week approved a Special Administrative Permit that clears the way for redevelopment of the Georgia-Pacific Center, a 51-story landmark on Peachtree Street, project reps tell Urbanize Atlanta.
Standing 697 feet tall, the world headquarters of Atlanta-based pulp and paper giant Georgia-Pacific is the sixth-tallest skyscraper in the city and one of the most recognizable, with its pink granite exterior and dramatic, stair-stepped rear design and changeable lighting patterns facing east. The Class A office tower, counting 1.3 million square feet today, was opened in 1982.
The scope of the proposed mixed-use conversion is large enough to spark a renaissance of commerce and activity in the building's section of downtown, according to project leaders.
Faced with historically high office vacancies across downtown, the building’s owners unveiled plans in September for turning its offices into a blend of sky-high apartments, offices, and a block-sized retail and entertainment hub designed to enliven the district. The makeover’s scale has been called among the largest in the U.S. right now.
Georgia-Pacific Center's south facade, with its distinctive stair-stepped design pointed east. Courtesy of Chil & Co for Georgia-Pacific
Office-conversion projects have a reputation as being complex and expensive, but Georgia-Pacific’s redevelopment team seems undeterred. Plans call for breaking ground this year and delivering the reimagined property in the fall of 2027.
The proposal calls for more than 400 apartments to be created from offices on the tower’s uppermost floors, resulting in some of the highest residential units offered across the Southeast, according to project reps. (For context, the new two-tower Middle Street Partners project finishing construction near Piedmont Park will bring 487 apartments to the market.)
Other notable aspects of the remade Georgia-Pacific tower would include a landscaped, MARTA-connected central plaza spanning 35,000 square feet, facing Peachtree Street along the Atlanta Streetcar line. Plans also call for roughly 125,000 square feet of fresh restaurant, entertainment, and retail spaces that blend “modern design with the building’s historic presence,” project officials have said.
Ground-level conditions on the north side of the Georgia-Pacific tower today. Google Maps
Where a planned 125,000 square feet of restaurant, retail, and entertainment space could help inject life into Peachtree Street downtown. Courtesy of Georgia-Pacific
Elsewhere would be about 600,000 square feet of Class A offices anchored by Georgia-Pacific and Koch Inc., with more than 2,100 parking spaces in the mix.
According to officials, all plans detailed so far are considered phase one, as enough space will be left for future development that could include a hotel, plus more retail and residences.
When the project was announced, Christian Fischer, Georgia-Pacific president and CEO, said his company is “acutely aware of the need for more residential, shopping, dining, and entertainment options in our downtown neighborhood,” while Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens called the proposal “transformative” and a significant step toward breathing new life into downtown.
Courtesy of Chil & Co for Georgia-Pacific
The Skidmore, Owings & Merrill firm originally designed the structure, with pink granite quarried in Marble Falls, Texas. It was apparently built to last, as it sustained relatively minor damage in the destructive downtown Atlanta tornado of 2008.
Georgia-Pacific’s development team includes Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio (architect of record), Healy Weatherholtz (retail broker), Kimley-Horn (civil engineering), Studio Saint (interior design), Transwestern (consulting and property management), and Brasfield & Gorrie (preconstruction).
Find more context and imagery for the Georgia-Pacific proposal in the gallery above.
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133 Peachtree St. Georgia-Pacific Center Georgia-Pacific Georgia-Pacific Building Downtown Atlanta Downtown Development Adaptive-Reuse Adaptive-Reuse Development Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio Healy Weatherholtz Studio Saint Brasfield & Gorrie Transwestern Office Space Office Conversion Metro Atlanta Chamber Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce DeGive's Grand Opera House Loew’s Grand Theatre Gone With the Wind Skidmore Owings & Merrill Kimley-Horn & Associates Kimley-Horn Koch Inc. Cookerly PR
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Georgia-Pacific Center's south facade, with its distinctive stair-stepped design pointed east. Courtesy of Chil & Co for Georgia-Pacific
The 133 Peachtree St. building's plaza today, along the Atlanta Streetcar loop. Google Maps
Activation plans for the tower's street-level plaza. Courtesy of Georgia-Pacific
Ground-level conditions on the north side of the Georgia-Pacific tower today. Google Maps
Where a planned 125,000 square feet of restaurant, retail, and entertainment space could help inject life into Peachtree Street downtown. Courtesy of Georgia-Pacific
Courtesy of Chil & Co for Georgia-Pacific
Courtesy of Chil & Co for Georgia-Pacific
Subtitle Plans: 51-story Georgia-Pacific tower to house sky-high apartments, retail, fresh plaza
Neighborhood Downtown
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From the Saporta Report:
Park Pride is flexing its green thumb — both in park stewardship and the funding behind those parks. The nonprofit announced today that it awarded over $3 million in grants to 23 park projects across the city, with over 60 percent of that funding to parks in historically underinvested communities. This comes as Park Pride enters […]
The post Park Prides starts the year with more than $3 million in grants allocated to parks appeared first on SaportaReport.