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BREAKING NEWS 2025 James Beard Awards semifinalists revealed
By Beth McKibben
And just like that, the 2025 awards season is underway. This includes nominations for the restaurant industry’s biggest night of the year: the James Beard Awards.
As we were going to print, the James Beard Foundation announced its semifinalists in the chef and restaurant categories for the prestigious awards known as the “Oscars of the food world.” Kimball House and Rod Lassiter and Parnass Savang of Talat Market are among the semifinalists from Atlanta.
This year, the foundation also introduced three new categories to the awards lineup: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
Check out the complete list of chefs and restaurants from Atlanta and Georgia named semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Awards. Finalists are announced on Wednesday, Apr. 2, with the winners announced during an awards ceremony in Chicago on Monday, Jun. 16.
■ Rod Lassiter and Parnass Savang of Talat Market, Summerhill
■ Bruce Logue of BoccaLupo, Inman Park
■ Brian So of Spring, Marietta
■ Fu Li Zhang of LanZhou Ramen, Doraville
Jordan Smelt of Lucian Books & Wine
Kimball House
Brian So of Spring
Clay Henderson Group
Robin Fink Group
SMALL TEAM, HOMES SOLD, INTOWN
Atlanta Beltline wants to call off sale of Murphy Crossing after negotiations stall
By Dyana Bagby
The long-awaited redevelopment of a 20-acre industrial site adjacent to the Atlanta Beltline’s Westside Trail is now in doubt after two years of negotiations broke down.
Atlanta Beltline Inc. announced Jan. 10 it has issued a notice of termination for the sale of Murphy Crossing in southwest Atlanta to Arizona-based Culdesac Inc. and Urban Oasis Development of Atlanta.
Culdesac and Urban Oasis Development were picked as the development finalists in September 2022 and were later approved as the developers by the ABI and Invest Atlanta Board in March 2024.
The redevelopment of the former Georgia State Farmers Market property into a vibrant community with more than 1,000 residences, retail spaces, and a new MARTA infill station promised to be a catalyst for the area surrounded by the Adair Park, Oakland City, and Capital View neighborhoods.
ABI said in a news release that negotiations for the sale and redevelopment of Murphy Crossing “faced significant challenges” which prevented the parties from coming to final terms and threatened to further delay development activities.
Since 2022, tightening conditions, such as higher borrowing costs, for commercial real estate and particularly mixed-use developments contributed to changes to the project and delays in pre-development activities for the project, according to ABI.
Delays in pre-development activities included entitlements, ABI told Rough Draft. Entitlements are the legal agreements granted by the city to developers to use a piece of land for a specific purpose.
ABI will now begin the process again to redevelop the property. A community stakeholder meeting will be scheduled in February to discuss the next steps.
“We remain committed to the redevelopment of Murphy Crossing. We will continue to advance our work to realize a high-density, mixed-use, equitable development project on this site that will meet the needs of our Oakland City, Adair Park, Capitol View, and Bush Mountain residents,” said Atlanta Beltline, Inc. President and CEO Clyde Higgs in the release.
Culdesac did not return a request for comment from Rough Draft. Culdesac Chief Investment Officer Caroline Lerner Perel told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution the developer remains “committed to the project” but did “not believe that ABI (Atlanta Beltline Inc.) had the right to terminate the purchase and sale agreement.”
“Our priority is fulfilling our fiduciary responsibility to the public and delivering on the promises made throughout the many community engagement activities for this site,” said Dennis Richards, Jr., Atlanta Beltline, Inc., Vice President of Housing Policy & Development. “ABI will continue with the planning and development of this site, and we look forward to sharing our next steps with the public in the coming weeks.”
Photo/Rendering courtesy Atlanta Beltine Inc.
Atlanta leaders announce crime declining, credit alternative solutions
By Amanda Andrews | GPB News
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens joined key community partners on Jan. 23 to report the 2024 crime data and share strategies the city is using to keep numbers low.
According to the Atlanta Police Department vehicle theft, homicide, robbery, and property crime all went down in 2024. Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said overall crime in the city is down 5%.
“We didn’t just improve in the area of crime stats, reducing 911 answer times,” he said. “The police department is growing for the first time since October of 2021. This department now has more than 1,700 officers on it, or individuals in training.”
The announcements also highlighted non-policing alternatives like diversion services, community intervention, and youth engagement.
Mayor Andre Dickens declared 2024 the “Year of the Youth” which supported programs like midnight basketball, Next Level Boys Academy and School Break Safe Spaces.
Interim Atlanta Labor Commissioner Theresa Austin-Gibbons said matching young people with employers through the Summer Youth Employment Program had a positive impact.
“This program engaged over 5,000
young Atlantans, reducing youth crime by 23%,” she said. “Arrests among 14- to 17-year-olds dropped by nearly 200. Crimes among 18- to 24-year-olds decreased by 25% and violent crimes fell by 46%.”
Through the One Safe City initiative, Atlanta engaged community partners to intervene and reduce crime using the Cure Violence model. In Zone 4, Chris 180 has been working in the community and completed 112 violence interruptions in 2024. In Zone 1, the Offender Alumni Association has been working to resolve incidents before they escalate to shootings.
City of Atlanta Chief Operating Officer LaChandra Burks said the OAA has also partnered with high schools for what they call the “Safe Passage Program.”
“A lot of times we see violence right when school lets out,” Burks said. “[OAA members] have been working very intently, canvasing right after school, engaging youth, giving out snacks. We have seen zero fights right outside of [Benjamin E. Mays] High School in the year of 2024 as a result of their engagement.”
APD reports Zone 3, which covers Southeast Atlanta neighborhoods such as Mechanicsville and Peoplestown, saw the greatest reduction in crime out of all Atlanta neighborhoods last year.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens looks on as APD Chief Darin Schierbaum talks about the city’s crime statistics. (Screencap via APD)
Fulton DA Fani Willis discusses the city’s crime statistics with the media. (Screencap via APD)
#7 Mark Camp
#9 Leslie Erickson
#8 Beverly Jones
#1 Kirsten Conover
#4 Hyunah Lee
#3 Jeanine Morgan
#6 Diana Sauvigné
#5 Ryan Bowen
#10 Jessica Li
#2 Gary Silverman
Three juvenile suspects are charged as adults in the fatal shooting of a MARTA bus driver on Jan. 3 in downtown Decatur. The incident stemmed from an argument over the $2.50 fare.
Rabbi Alvin Marx Sugarman, longtime leader of The Temple, the oldest Jewish congregation in Atlanta, died on Jan. 17. A native of Atlanta, Sugarman received his BBA from Emory University and was ordained by Hebrew Union College. In 1974, he was named senior rabbi at The Temple, where he served until taking an emeritus title in 2004.
The Atlanta Board of Education voted unanimously Jan. 7 to appoint Tolton Pace to fill the District 6 seat vacated by Eshé Collins after she was elected to the Atlanta City Council.
Southern culinary legend Nathalie Dupree died Jan. 13 at age 85. Dupree was a celebrated cookbook author and TV host who championed Southern food and women in the culinary industry throughout her storied career.
Historic preservation study of Atlanta Beltline set to begin soon
By Dyana Bagby
A first-of-its-kind study to recommend actionable ways to integrate historic and cultural preservation along the Atlanta Beltline is slated to begin early in the new year.
Atlanta Beltline Inc. (ABI), the quasigovernmental agency overseeing the project to convert 22 miles of historic railroad lines encircling the city’s core into a multi-use trail with transit, opened bids the week of Jan. 6 to find a firm to conduct the study. The entire process is expected to take nine months.
Most of the Beltline’s 22 miles main multi-use trail is already finished or under
construction and expected to be completed before the city hosts the 2026 World Cup. The entire multi-use trail is to be completed by 2030. Why is ABI deciding now to conduct a study that focuses on historic and cultural preservation along the Beltline?
“Although a significant amount of work has been done to date to document historic and cultural resources, some of which were state and federal grant requirements, a comprehensive summary and actionable guidance does not currently exist,” said ABI spokesperson Keona Swindler in a written statement to Rough Draft.
The new study will focus on ABI-owned or controlled assets along the corridor including bridges, underpasses, culverts,
tunnels, 8.3 miles of connector trails, and other redevelopment sites, Swindler said. The study will also provide recommendations for guidelines, resources and “tools to support historic and cultural preservation activities.”
“ABI aims to collect and summarize historical and cultural research conducted to date. The study will recommend guidelines to integrate historic and cultural preservation into the design and community engagement processes as we work toward completing the 22 miles of trails, parks, and planned transit,” she said.
center. These belt lines are what the Atlanta Beltline is named for.
Some of the studies and projects that have documented historic and cultural resources along the Atlanta Beltline include Beltline Subarea Master Plans, National Environmental Policy Act and Georgia Environmental Policy Act documentation from previous trail and transit planning efforts, and other federally funded or permitted projects in or near the Beltline corridor, Swindle said.
In 2006, students in Georgia State University’s Preservation Planning Class collaborated with the Atlanta Urban Design commission to publish, “Beltline: A History of the Atlanta Beltline and its Associated Historic Resources.” The project highlighted history of proposed redevelopment nodes along the Beltline and their links to Atlanta’s history.
The 2025 study is planned to identify historic structures and places included in the previous studies as well identify new historic structures and sites.
“This effort will enable ABI to identify pathways to uplift historic and cultural preservation across ABI owned or controlled assets aligning with the organization’s programmatic goals and vision of making Atlanta a global beacon for equitable, inclusive, and sustainable city life,” Swindler said.
Atlanta was founded by the railroad. The city was first named Terminus because it was the end of the line of Western and Atlantic Railroad in 1837. Other rail lines soon extended to Atlanta and the city established itself as a regional hub. After the Civil War, short-line railroads — called belt lines — were built around the city
The Ormewood Avenue Bridge, a concrete railroad bridge on the Southside Trail of the Beltline, received city landmark designation in 2021. It is the first such structure to receive the designation. ABI is now constructing a new trail bridge adjacent to the historic Ormewood Avenue Bridge.
David Y. Mitchell, executive director of the Atlanta Preservation Center, is working with ABI on the new project to preserve historic and cultural structures and sites on the Beltline. Time is of the essence to ensure history like the Ormewood Avenue Bridge are preserved as the Beltline approaches its completion date, he said.
“We should be advocating and encouraging thoughtful preservation of 22 miles of trails, parks and corridors including bridges, underpasses, culverts, tunnels and more,” he said.
Georgia has 12 heritage railroads and understanding how to interpret and include this history in and on the Beltline would not only enhance the project, but ensure that those that come to Atlanta appreciate and experience the city, he said.
“Since the inception of the Beltline, the role of history and preservation continues and has continued to be diminished or removed,” he said. “It’s become more and more of a zoning accomplishment, far more than a way of really, quote unquote, connecting and embracing and bringing people together. It is rezoned for commercial development.”
Historic preservation is accepted as a key component for a thriving livable community that can support varied and rich experiences, Mitchell said.
“Understanding how to retain historic character and cultural diversity should be embraced as a universal goal.”
Ormewood Avenue Bridge (Courtesy Atlanta Preservation Center)
Wonderfully Made
Building community for adults with intellectual disabilities
By Clare S. Richie
This month, nonprofit Wonderfully Made will move across the street to its new permanent bakery and activity rooms from its temporary space at the Peachtree Church campus in Buckhead. Founded by
Correll, Kelly Kannwischer, and Betsy Brown, the organization strives to cultivate community for adults with intellectual disabilities – including making and selling cookies.
“Peachtree Church has been abundantly gracious,” Correll said. "And we raised
funds to renovate the old coffee shop on the main floor of their building, previously called the Lodge, for our new bakery.”
At the new location, Wonderfully Made plans to increase the number of participants, called Wonder Makers, from just six to two cohorts of 12 that meet two days a week.
“There are adults with intellectual disabilities who have beautiful gifts and talents to share,” Kannwischer said. “And there are ways to build relationships and support them so they can live full lives.”
That is the promise of Wonderfully Made, to address loneliness and isolation that hit adults with intellectual disabilities exceptionally hard with well-rounded programming. Activities include music, sports and art in the morning and fulfilling cookie orders in the afternoon.
“I have a nephew with Down syndrome,” Correll said. “I watched him graduate high school and get lost not knowing what was next.”
That’s why Correll gathered friends experiencing the same dilemma to develop a solution that went beyond employment.
“If they have a job … they go to their job and go home,” said John Griner, parent of Wonder Maker, Lele. “These young adults want to be with other young adults.”
“We found that what they were missing was community and a purpose,” Correll said.
That’s what the co-founders set out to create – spending nearly two years baking in Correll’s kitchen alongside some future Wonder Makers, talking with parents, meeting with other Atlanta leaders, and securing space with Peachtree Church –before launching Wonderfully Made in September 2024.
Griner encouraged the co-founders to include exercise. They were receptive.
“On Tuesdays, we do basketball for 45 minutes,” said Griner, who leads that activity. “They have other volunteers come in to do a physical activity like pickleball or hip hop dance.
The Wonder Makers are thriving.
“One of our adults, Johnny, basically started nonverbal and would watch from the side,” Kannwischer said. ”I can safely say our challenge now is to get him to stop talking and let others have a chance. It’s been fun watching him come alive and find a place and feel safe here.”
“Lele loves it,” Griner said. “It’s like having six brothers or sisters, with more to join. It’s a godsend.”
Community is also found by volunteers “who come to laugh with us, teach an activity, and bake with us,” Correll said.
“You go to volunteer but you walk away with your heart full of joy, because they are so happy,” said Suzanne Howard who volunteers every Tuesday. “I’m 53 years old, how many times am I going to play kickball? It’s been life-changing for me. I plan my week around it.”
Howard also provides an extra pair of hands as the Wonder Makers prepare and package chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies.
“Today, I was with Teon,” Howard shared. “I held the bag open as he put in one cookie per bag. We did like 300 cookies. When he finished a tray – he threw away the parchment paper, put away the used pan, and picked up the next tray. They love having a job.”
Another way to help Wonderfully Made is to buy the cookies they bake.
And as they grow, they are eager to connect with other churches, community centers or other organizations that have empty rooms during the school day to accommodate programming for adults with intellectual disabilities.
“One of our goals for 2025 is to codify what we’ve learned, make it accessible for anyone who would like to start their own Wonderfully Made community and be a resource for them,” said Kannwischer. Visit wonderfullymadecommunity. org to order cookies, volunteer, donate or enroll. Tuition financial assistance is available for those in need.
Wonder Makers Matthew, left, and Johnny. (Courtesy Wonderfully Made)
Jail diversion program resumes services after contract dispute
By Dyana Bagby
Atlanta’s jail diversion program resumed services Jan. 6 after a monthslong contract dispute with Mayor Andre Dickens’ office was resolved.
Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative (PAD), a nonprofit founded in 2017, assists residents experiencing extreme poverty, mental health issues or substance abuse avoid arrest and jail time by connecting them to community
resources. The organization’s mobile response teams respond to calls made to the ATL 311 hotline and Atlanta Police Department.
PAD suspended its mobile response services on Jan. 1 after it did not reach an agreement with the mayor’s office on a renewed contract by Dec. 31, when the contract expired.
The mayor’s office delayed executing a $5 million, two-year contract with PAD approved in November by the Atlanta City
Council. The council also approved two two-year contract renewals. Administrators said they were concerned PAD’s millions in city funding were not resulting in enough assistance to people in crisis find housing or jobs and demanded more metrics be included in the contract.
PAD said in a news release that now that a contract has been executed, it plans to hire additional staff to expand hours, conduct a public awareness campaign to encourage calls to 311 instead of 911, and
implement a public dashboard that will offer transparency and data-driven insights as the program grows.
“We are committed for the long-haul and we are just getting started,” said PAD Deputy Director Denise White in the news release. “Doing this work allows us to transform a system of punishment into one of restoration.”
By ZORA HOWARD Directed by LILEANA BLAIN-CRUZ
Photos courtesy PAD
FEBRUARY 2025 ■ A SPECIAL SECTION
The One & Only Downtown Atlanta
Downtown Atlanta’s rediscovery continues with projects and initiatives transforming how residents and visitors live, work, and play. New skyscrapers are topping out at Centennial Yards, historic South Downtown is being revitalized as a tech hub, and millions of dollars in grants are helping to reconnect the community and improve the pedestrian experience. In this special section, Central Atlanta Progress and the Downtown Atlanta Improvement District present the projects and people to keep an eye on as this exciting new year begins.
A Symbol of Progress
Downtown is seeing historic levels of investment ahead of the 2026 World Cup, that not-solittle sporting event that will broadcast the ATL to hundreds of millions of television screens across the globe. And we will be ready!
morning commute. The senior waiting for the bus. And yes, it’s the woman sleeping under a blanket in a vacant parking lot.
Which is all to say, Downtown is unique because it’s a microcosm of our city as a whole. The issues we face are symbolic of those facing the entire Atlanta region. It’s just that here, everything positive and negative is on full display.
It comes as no surprise then that
In addition to all the recent positive development news out of Centennial Yards and South Downtown, and the City's big news of infrastructure investment and the homelessness bond, Representative Nikema Williams has just announced $2.8 million in federal funding to reconnect vital parts of our neighborhood. Divided into two grants, these awards will fund planning efforts to explore how to make streets safer, more walkable, and more accessible for everyone. One grant of $2 million was awarded to the City of Atlanta in partnership with Centennial Yards to advance a pedestrian connection between Forsyth Street and Ted Turner Drive. Sweet Auburn Works also received $800,000 to advance designs that will reconnect the beloved community. I’m proud to say CAP has worked closely alongside Sweet Auburn Works to get to this point, and we’re excited to see how this cherished neighborhood will continue to evolve. These grants follow last year’s announcement that The Stitch, the ambitious project to build a park over the Downtown Connector, would receive $158 million for construction of its first phase. This is the largest federal award in our region’s history and, along with the recently announced funding, is further proof that our neighborhood is on the precipice of a new era.
Just as Downtown has always been the visible soul of Atlanta, it now holds the promise to become a true symbol of our city’s progress.
Centennial Yards is a $5 billion mixed-use development in Atlanta, aiming to revitalize 50 acres of underused land in Downtown Atlanta.
Centennial Yards will offer 8 million square feet of commercial and residential space, including retail, entertainment, offices, hotels, new homes, and outdoor hangout spots for Atlanta residents and visitors.
REVITALIZING THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN
Scan to learn more
The Stitch Is Coming!
Sharon Gay Senior Counsel & former Atlanta Managing Partner, Dentons US LLP
Member of the Vestry and Placemaking Committee, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
I have worked and worshiped in Downtown most of my adult life. I was excited to serve as a member of The Stitch Steering Committee because I believed The Stitch could be a transformational civic infrastructure investment for our City. I was inspired by the vision of creating almost 17 acres of new community park space atop a new, ¾-mile platform spanning the Downtown Connector between Ted Turner Drive and Piedmont Avenue to link Downtown with Midtown, Old Fourth Ward, English Avenue, and Vine City neighborhoods. And I was intrigued by the opportunity to use this project to implement transportation infrastructure improvements, housing and economic development policies, and community initiatives to support the equitable and sustainable growth of Downtown Atlanta, the heart of the entire region.
Over an 18-month period, the Committee and Central Atlanta Progress worked with consultants and stakeholders to develop the Master Plan. More than
6,000 people were engaged to help inform the recommendations of the Master Plan. Beyond the steering committee meetings and discussions with governmental officials, this process included community pop-ups, focus groups, meetings with downtown resident groups and property owners, student engagement, public workshops, online input tools, and newsletters. We now have a draft Master Plan for development of The Stitch. This is the most comprehensive community development plan I have seen in my decades of work in economic development and public policy. It sets detailed recommendations and goals not only for parks and open space but also
for sustainability, urban design, multimodal transportation, land use, real estate/ economic development, and affordable housing. When fully built out, The Stitch is projected to create $9 billion in economic impact through job creation, new commercial and residential development (including affordable housing), and increased property values and tax revenues. Importantly, this is not just a pretty plan that will sit on a shelf. The Stitch Master Plan outlines three project phases. Phase 1 is funded and ready to proceed! Phase 1 includes 4 - 5 acres of interstate capping from Peachtree Street to Courtland Street plus multimodal street improvements along seven streets in the project area. Phase 1 construction is scheduled to start in 2026 and be completed by 2030. The Stitch will be delivered and maintained via a partnership among a newly-
incorporated Stitch nonprofit organization, the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, the City of Atlanta, and the Georgia Department of Transportation. Let us know what you think. Go to www.thestitchatl.com/project/master-plan to review and comment on the Master Plan. Join in the effort to implement this community-driven plan to reconnect the heart of Atlanta.
We Congratulate Tom Bell on Receiving the Dan & Tally Sweat Award
Your vision and leadership when we needed it most ensured that everyone who calls Atlanta home can rely on Grady for the care they need and deserve. Thank you for your commitment to helping our community thrive.
A Place of Endless Potential The Only Constant is Change
Bem Joiner
Atlanta Influences
Everything Downtown Atlanta has been the soundtrack of my life, a constant rhythm of sights, sounds, and memories. People talk about Downtown Atlanta's ups and downs, but for me, it's where I grew up—I still remember that day in April '93, when we had to get off the school bus because of the gridlock caused by Freaknik.
There I was, standing in the middle of the street, with Arrested Development’s “Everyday People” blaring out of car windows like an urban symphony.
Downtown was that free Weezer concert, the Sting concert during the NCAA Final Four, the N.E.R.D shows, and that unforgettable $5 Kanye West concert. The 2003 NBA All-Star Game traffic jams, where I sat for hours, and memorized every beat of 50 Cent’s “Get Rich or Die Tryin”.
I remember the thrill of the Downtown Peach Drops at Underground Atlanta, as Outkast’s nailed it in their breakout hit, “Player’s Ball”. The Peach Bowl and the Celebration Bowls at the Georgia Dome and later the Benz—Downtown is more
than a location; it's a collection of stories. It’s Young Jeezy’s “Trap or Die” mixtape blasting from speakers, and Georgia Tech students munching on Hot Fries and Now & Laters. It’s where I got my first gold grill outside of Five Points MARTA Station. The memory of my first Atlanta United pregame Stammtisch in the Gulch and meeting legendary wrestlers Sting and Lex Luger in the CNN Center food court. Then, working Downtown at the Center for Civic Innovation, housed in the historic M. Rich Building working on unifying projects.
So many friends grew up in the neighborhoods surrounding Downtown, a place that feels like what Mayor Dickens envisions with his “One Atlanta” and “Draw Circles, Not Lines” ethos.
From the outside, Downtown sometimes seems like it’s stumbling, struggling to find its footing. But to those who know it, it’s a place of endless potential, a living example of how urban development can embrace both the old and the new. This is why Atlanta Influences Everything—it’s a place where the past and future coexist as the heartbeat of the city.
Jon Birdsong CEO, SoDo Atlanta
What happens when a part of your city is rediscovered? Buildings are refreshed with new coats of paint, streets are repaved, and bike lanes are added. For many Atlantans, however, Downtown has long been viewed as a hassle—a place you pass through getting to the Benz, State Farm, the Tabernacle, or the pesky courthouse.
After a generation or two of perceiving Downtown as an inconvenience, we Atlantans minimize our visits, forget the legacy of those who came before us, and lose sight of the very reasons we chose to call this city home.
If 2024 demonstrated anything, it showcased the tides have turned and a new generation of Atlantans are rediscovering our once forgotten Downtown. Centennial Yards $5.5B development sprouted up and topped off their first two major buildings, The Mitchell and Hotel Phoenix. Underground Atlanta hosted over 1 million visitors across their eclectic portfolio of music clubs book-ended
by our legendary New Year’s Eve Peach Drop. South Downtown opened the Atlanta Tech Village - Sylvan, 30,000 square feet of co-working space out of a 115-year-old nationally historic registered former hotel.
At Atlanta Ventures and South Downtown, we have 50+ historic buildings left to renovate. These, along with at least 5 other multi-hundred million projects are in the works. Downtown may have once been the land of broken promises and undelivered dreams, but now downtown has a cadre of local owners—which hasn’t occurred in generations—who are tapping into the depths of Atlanta’s entrepreneurial spirit. The same spirit that made us the commerce capital of the South, earned us the 1996 Olympic Games, and made Atlanta the hip hop capital of the world. The spirit of Atlanta’s hustle is on full display in Downtown. Come by to witness it; after all, the only constant in Downtown is dramatic and transformative change.
We’re Improving Our Bus Network
We’re Improving Our Bus Network
Learn how MARTA is redesigning its bus network to meet the needs of our valued riders and growing region.
Learn how MARTA is redesigning its bus network to meet the needs of our valued riders and growing region.
the needs of our valued riders and growing region.
Business Leaders on the Future of Downtown
We asked two of Downtown’s most influential executives their thoughts on what makes our city center great and where they see it headed.
Anna Roach Executive Director & CEO Atlanta Regional Commission
What makes Downtown special?
employment centers. It’s home to topnotch higher education and medical facilities. And Downtown is a top tourist destination, boasting world-class museums, major sports and entertainment venues, and convention meeting space – amenities that other regions certainly envy.
Downtown Atlanta has a vibrancy that is second to none in our region. It is so energizing to see the diverse mix of people who bring downtown to life each day: college students heading to class, office workers grabbing a bite to eat, tourists craning their necks to see the skyscrapers. The Atlanta Regional Commission has proudly called Downtown home for our headquarters for many decades. I can’t imagine working anywhere else. Why is Downtown so important to the region?
To
Every successful region needs a successful urban core. You simply can’t have one without the other. Metro Atlanta’s Downtown is thriving today because it plays such a hugely important role in our region. It remains one of our largest
Chris Womack Chairman, President & CEO Southern Company
What makes Downtown special?
As a region, we have collectively committed to unleashing Atlanta’s economy and have continued to succeed as a result. We haven’t wavered from that commitment for 165 years. And now, we need to double down on that legacy.
Not only is it the right thing to do, but there’s also a clear business case for investing in our community, in our people. The math here is simple. A thriving community fosters a thriving economy where the next generation of talent wants to live and work. At Southern Company, our commitment to our communities is steadfast. We believe in making communities better, more resilient because we are a part of them.
What do the next 5 years look like for Downtown? I couldn’t be more excited about the future of Downtown Atlanta. There is so much going on here. Outside my office window, I can see Centennial Yards blossoming into a major regional destination, and headlines abuzz with news of a tech scene emerging. Nearby, visionary developers are making a big bet on a transformation of historic South Downtown into a vibrant live-work-play neighborhood. Downtown will be easier and better to navigate, thanks to expanded bike-ped infrastructure and transit investments like bus rapid transit lines a renovation of the Five Points MARTA station. The future of Downtown is indeed bright amidst this perfect constellation of both public and private investment and attention.
Atlanta—we need to stand together, reimagine and act.
Why is Downtown so important to the region?
Downtown Atlanta is the front door to metro Atlanta. It’s our region’s central core, the heart of the economic engine of Atlanta, and the cultural and political hub. We need to revitalize it to keep accelerating our momentum.
In the face of Hurricane Helene's unprecedented destruction, we stood together, offering our resources and support to those who needed it. And that’s exactly what we need to do now as a region when it comes to the challenges and opportunities we’re seeing in Downtown
What do the next 5 years look like for Downtown? It means investing in infrastructure. Safety. Cleanliness. It means reimagining Downtown Atlanta to work for everyone—whether you’re a student, professional, small business owner, visitor, or resident. We need to create a neighborhood where everyone belongs. This is no small feat and will require an abundance of resilience. But together we will get this done. I have no doubt we will accomplish our mission. We will see this dream come true. If I seem bullish about this, it’s because I am. When we work together, we multiply that impact—driving transformative change across this region we all call home.
Zenobia Haynes
Julie Bryant Fisher
Keyoshe Wilson
Equal opportunity begins with education.
Georgia-Pacific supports education across the U.S., helping equip teachers and students to learn and grow. From investing in STEM to expanding teachers skills to scholarships, apprenticeships, and workforce development, Georgia-Pacific helps individuals discover their potential.
At Georgia-Pacific investing in people and technology leads to fulfilling roles. Leveraging technology like AI, virtual reality and 3D printing has transformed the way we work helping make the workforce safer and creating value for society.
SUSTAINABILITY
Georgia’s waterfalls and their new champion
Mark Ozboyd is obsessed with waterfalls. On a dark, new moon night in late August of 2023, the intrepid 23-yearold and a friend hiked and scrambled nearly two miles into a national forest in north Georgia to photograph a waterfall. They arrived at dusk and got the shot they were seeking about midnight: an image of David’s Waterfall in Habersham County with the Milky Way galaxy aligned perfectly above the illuminated falls.
ABOVE THE WATER LINE
The photograph is iconic, but obviously not just a lucky find. An amazingly talented and persistent young man, Mark had long searched for a large waterfall where, under perfect conditions, the Milky Way would line up above it in the open sky. The waterfall would need to face the northeast sky—so he could face the southwest sky with his camera—and have minimal tree canopy surrounding it. Not an easy find in north Georgia’s densely forested landscape. With the help of remote sensing (LiDAR) and other tools, he identified David’s Falls in the Chattahoochee National Forest: a 30’ high falls that “leaps over a wide cliff in a single tier and lands into the ultimate secret swimming hole,” as Mark writes in his impressive, new book—Waterfalls of Georgia.
To illuminate the scene, Mark set up two fixed light sources, one at the falls and another beside the pool to reveal the rocks and trees. He waded through the pool in waist-deep water multiple times to adjust the lights, encountering a banded water snake that appeared to be doing some night fishing. David’s Falls is just one of more than 700 waterfalls described in his book, which is the most comprehensive guide ever written about our state’s cascades. It’s also one of the best guidebooks I’ve ever reviewed.
A Childhood in Nature
Mark was born in Atlanta, after his parents immigrated here from the Soviet Union in 1991, just a few months before it dissolved, making him a first-generation American. By the age of ten, he had become a hiker, primarily with his father, who was also new to the sport. Their goal was to hike in every state park in Georgia, followed by national forests and parks. Homeschooled, with time for outdoor learning adventures, Mark and his dad covered a lot of ground. He also pursued his interest in photography. At 12, he started a blog about hiking in the Appalachians, which connected him to many experienced hikers and photographers.
When Mark returned home from Washington & Lee University in 2020 during the Covid pandemic, he found time to hike with his dad at least twice
Water is Magical
Water isn’t just a liquid that sustains all life—as if that weren’t enough—the molecules of oxygen and hydrogen also inspire, energize, and soothe. There’s a scientific reason we love flowing, plunging, spraying water, why being around moving water can improve our moods. It’s called negative ions. Molecules that have gained or lost an electrical charge are created in nature when air molecules break apart, influenced by moving water or sunlight.
The action of falling water and crashing waves, or even a bathroom shower, creates negative ions that bond with smaller air particles. When we breathe in this charged air, the negative ions enter our bloodstream. They produce biochemical reactions that
can relieve stress, boost energy, reduce depression by affecting serotonin levels, and enhance alertness. I dare you to stand beside a waterfall and not feel its energy flowing through your body and refreshing your brain.
Talking to Mark about waterfalls is almost as inspiring as visiting one. His passion for Georgia’s abundant cascades is boundless and contagious. Looking to the future, he hopes that more attention to waterfalls will help revitalize small towns with ecotourism. Realizing that waterfalls need protectors, he also hopes to find a way to create a Waterfall Keepers of Georgia organization to promote and work to safeguard them through education and advocacy.
platforms.
Sally Bethea
Milky Way above David's Falls in Habersham County.
History Month at Mason Fine Art
By Isadora Pennington
Mason Fine Art is hosting a Black History Month exhibition titled “Affrilachia: Testimonies” featuring the
works of Chris Aluka Berry. Berry’s intimate photographs highlight the experiences of people of color in Appalachia.
Growing up in rural South Carolina,
artist Chris Aluka Berry is a self-taught photographer inspired by the pine trees and cotton fields surrounding him as a child. He has developed a love for capturing images that depict the unspoken magic of mundane everyday life.
The term “Affrilachia” originated in 1991 when Kentuckian poet Frank X Walker used it to refer to contributions of African Americans in the sprawling mountains of Appalachia. Having spent six years in western North Carolina, northeast Georgia, and eastern Tennessee, Berry immersed himself in the communities of Black Appalachians. He seeks to highlight the diversity and contributions of these individuals who live in an area that many think of as being a monoculture.
Culturally-rich, the photographic works of Berry allow viewers a unique perspective with which to witness Affrilachian joy, sorrow, reflection, hard work, and recreation. As a contemporary exploration of these communities, Berry’s works offer a complex understanding of the familial and spiritual bonds that have persevered despite the changes happening in the region.
Having grown up in the South, raised by a Black father and a White mother, Berry navigated a complicated journey of self-discovery. Having experienced both interracial and segregated spaces, Berry is now extra sensitive to questions of racial representation and embodies resistance to the erasure of peoples from history.
“I think one of my strong suits as a
photographer is the ability to connect with people and build trust. I’m biracial and at one time my family had money and then later we fell into poverty. So I learned how to relate to white folks and Black folks, rich folks and the poor,” Berry explained.
“When I was working on ‘Affrilachia: Testimonies’ I would always start at the local church. The church has historically been a place of refuge for Affrilachians. The church also serves as the local community center in many areas. If I could gain the trust of the clergymen, then I could earn the trust of the parishioners.”
Berry elaborated on his process, saying that he allowed a natural attraction to draw him towards his subjects, and his subjects towards him as well. “It’s a vibe I can feel sometimes,” he said.
“If someone is wary of me or doesn’t want their photos made, I keep it moving. But when someone gives me an open door, I stay as long as I can. Once I build trust with that person then I can build trust with their family and friends. It’s a domino effect of going with the flow and seeing where it takes me.”
For Berry, the love of photography initially came about from an interest in film. He wanted to pursue cinema photography, but at the age of 20 a mentor’s wise words encouraged him to perfect capturing a single still image since films are made of thousands of individual images.
He bought a camera and started taking pictures, eventually landing a gig
Bessie Smith Carter, 98, leaves home for Mount Zion Baptist Church in the Texana community of Murphy, NC, July 23, 2017. (Photo by Chris Aluka Berry)
From left, Ti’ Kira Walton, 10, Marri Mapp, 6, and D.J. Mapp, 9, cool off in the Texana community of Murphy, NC, July 13, 2021. (Photo by Chris Aluka Berry)
working as a photographer for a local newspaper. “That is where my real education in visual storytelling began. I fell in love with the power of the still image and never thought again about video work.”
Some narratives by local inhabitants as well as written works by Appalachian writers Kelly Elaine Navies and Maia A. Surdam will accompany the photographs. The poems and essays provide additional historical context to tell the stories of a people who could all too easily go overlooked.
I asked Berry about his favorite photograph from the show, and he told me about one that he captured of 103-year-old Deacon B.C.
Mance holding up a handkerchief. Berry told me that at the moment he was joking around, and Mance was giving him grief about taking so many pictures so he waved his handkerchief around in front of his face and Berry snapped a photo.
“His face being obscured by that fabric became a symbol to me of how Black people have lived in Appalachia for hundreds of years, yet so many of their stories, history and contributions were not recorded, honored or respected,” said Berry.
The image inspired him to lean more heavily into symbolism in the framing, obscuring, and capturing of his subjects. “In these photos, the people are archetypes. They represent the ancestors; the stories we will never know.”
For more about the exhibition, visit masonfineartandevents.com.
Texana resident Mark Pickens and his hunting dogs prepare to hunt bear in Hayesville, NC, October 12, 2020. He is one of the last Black hunters living in the Texana community of Murphy, NC. (Photo by Chris Aluka Berry)
During these uncertain times,
HammerSmith is here for you and your family. We provide safe, essential services, architectural designs and home renovations. Start planning today for how to live better in a changed world.
HammerSmith is here for you and your family. We provide exceptional architectural designs and home renovations. Start planning today for how to live better in an ever-changing world.
Cast, creative team announced for new drama at Alliance
By Rough Draft Staff
Alliance Theatre and Goodman Theatre have announced the cast and creative team for BUST, a powerful world-premiere co-production written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Zora Howard.
Directed by Tony Award nominee Lileana Blain-Cruz, BUST is a bold, genre-blending drama that tackles the complexities of community, conflict, and the enduring impact of historical racism.
The play will make its debut at the Coca-Cola Stage at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta from Feb. 13 to March 16, before heading to the Goodman’s Albert Theatre in Chicago from April 19 to May 18.
BUST follows Retta and Reggie as they unwind on their porch when a familiar neighbor is pulled over by the police before turning into his driveway.
What begins as an ordinary moment quickly turns into something much more surprising.
The play weaves humor, suspense, and surrealism into a gripping narrative about the costs of Black freedom in today’s world.
Howard said she grew up listening to her mother and aunties share stories about the challenges they faced, always with a mix of raw honesty and humor.
“It takes a lot to be Black and walk this life. There is some real ugly stuff that we have to navigate. And yet there is an artfulness to how we move through it –with humor, with deftness, with style. BUST is a meditation on and an homage to that movement,” she said.
The cast includes Mark Bedard as Tomlin/Jack, Cecil Blutcher as Trent, Renika Williams Blutcher as Krystal, Caroline Stefanie Clay as Retta, Bernard Gilbert as Zeke, Caitlin Hargraves as Ms. Pinto, Jorge Luna as Ramirez, Victoria Omoregie as Paige, Keith Randolph Smith as Mr. Woods, Ray Anthony Thomas as Reggie, and Ivan Cecil Walks as Boobie.
A team of production understudies will also be involved.
The creative team is led by director Lileana Blain-Cruz, with Associate Director Malkia Stampley, Set Designer Matt Saunders, Costume Designer Dominique Fawn Hill, Lighting Designer Yi Zhao, Sound Designer Mikaal Sulaiman, and Special Effects Designer Jeremy Chernick, among others.
Blain-Cruz spoke about the emotional depth of BUST, emphasizing the play’s invitation to audiences to experience something unique.
“There’s this kind of really amazing, thrilling, complicated emotional journey that happens at the center of this play,” she said.
“What I love about theater is knowing that there are a million individual stories existing inside the audience.”
Audiences have the opportunity to understand something new or see themselves being seen, Blain-Cruz added.
Tickets for BUST are now available in-person at the Alliance Theatre Box Office, by phone at (404) 733-4600, or by visiting alliancetheatre.org.
Finalists announced for Townsend Prize for Fiction
By Collin Kelley
The Atlanta Writers Club and Georgia Writers Museum have announced the novels and short story collections selected as finalists for the 2025 Townsend Prize for Fiction.
Denene Millner, “One Blood” (Forge Books)
Chika Unigwe, “The Middle Daughter” (Dzanc Books)
Anissa Gray, “Life and Other Love Songs” (Berkley, Penguin)
Julia Franks, “The Say So” (Hub City Press)
Ra’Niqua Lee, “For What Ails You” (ELJ Editions)
John M Williams, “End Times”
(Sartoris Literary Group)
Gordon Johnston, “Seven Islands of the Ocmulgee: River Stories” (Mercer University Press)
Kimberly Brock, “The Fabled Earth” (Harper Muse)
Peter Selgin, “A Boy’s Guide to Outer Space” (Regal House Publishing)
Barbara Tucker, “Lying In” (Colorful
Crow Publishing)
The Townsend Prize was created in 1981 to honor the legacy of Jim Townsend, founding editor of Atlanta magazine.
Past award winners include Alice Walker, Ha Jin, Philip Lee Williams, Ferrol Sams, Kathryn Stockett, Mary Hood, and Judson Mitcham.
Administered since the 1990s by Georgia Perimeter College (now Georgia State University Perimeter College)
and The Chattahoochee Review, the stewardship of the Prize passed in 2021 to the Atlanta Writers Club (AWC). In the spring of 2023, Georgia Writers Museum joined the AWC as a partner in the Prize administration.
The 2025 Townsend Prize for Fiction ceremony will be held on April 16 at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center in Atlanta.
For more information, visit atlantawritersclub.org.
The Sun ATL gallery rises in Sweet Auburn
By Isadora Pennington
Shawn Vinson, a longtime Atlanta gallerist, has opened his newest venture in the Sweet Auburn Historic District.
The Sun ATL’s debut exhibition, “First Light, features more than 100 original works by 16 artists."
Some of the show’s highlights include paintings by the late Purvis Young, a celebrated self-taught Southern Black artist. Photographs by Jim Alexander who has documented Atlanta’s Black music scene and culture for decades will also be on display, and Vinson shared that his works will remain on view as part of the
gallery’s permanent collection.
“It’s a gallery, but I’m trying to give it more of a museum vibe,” explained Vinson, describing Alexander – who also serves on The Sun ATL’s advisory board –as an “active local legend.”
Additionally, expect to see works by notable British-born and Atlanta-based painter Ruth Franklin, SCAD graduate student Raphael Bahindwa’s mixed media pieces, and Nashville-based Harry Underwood’s layered works that employ house paint and lead pencils.
“It’s called ‘First Light’ because really when we came up with the name The Sun ATL we thought we wanted to do a
Photos courtesy Shawn Vinson
group show to introduce ourselves to the neighborhood,” said Vinson. “First light was really just a metaphor for that; it’s an introduction.”
The 9,200-square-foot venue will host not only exhibits but also movie production and private event rentals. The space has served various uses over the years, and most recently was Warnock’s campaign headquarters and before that an architect’s engineering firm office.
Located in the heart of the Historic Sweet Auburn District, and surrounded by markers of Atlanta’s rich civil rights movement including Ebenezer Baptist Church, Vinson is keenly aware of the significance of the new gallery’s location. “You can feel the history here,” said Vinson.
Vinson has been an “accidental gallerist” since he converted his office space adjacent to the Brick Store Pub in Decatur Square into a proper gallery back in 1998. Years later, in 2017, Vinson opened Different Trains Gallery on a small side street near Fellini’s in Decatur which he operates to this day.
Long before getting into the fine art gallery circuit, Vinson got his first break as a photographer. Since he was a young child he became interested in capturing images when a cousin received a polaroid camera as a gift. “I thought it was just magic,” he told me.
The Sun ATL gallery is located at 399 Edgewood Avenue. For more information, visit vinsonart.com/the-sun-atl.
The 8 most anticipated Atlanta restaurants opening in 2025
By Beth McKibben
With most of 2025 still ahead of us, it’s simply too difficult to gauge the average number of new restaurants expected to open around Atlanta this year. But we know of at least a few new restaurants hitting the dining scene in 2025, including eight hotly anticipated establishments opening over the next several months. From wine bars from two James Beard award-winning chefs to Thai and Korean restaurants in Atlanta, Roswell, and Marietta, we’re looking forward to the following eight restaurants opening in 2025.
Madeira Park
Wine bar led by Chef Steven Satterfield 640 North Highland Avenue, Poncey-Highland
Anticipated Winter 2025
It’s been 15 years since Chef Steven Satterfield opened the award-winning Miller Union on Brady Avenue in Atlanta. But in 2025, Satterfield and Miller Union partner Neal McCarthy will open wine bar Madeira Park in the heart of PonceyHighland. Taking over the former cafe space at the old Highland Inn (now Otto’s Apartment Hotel), Satterfield and McCarthy partnered with Dive Wine popup founder and sommelier Tim Willard. Expect a vegetable-heavy menu as well as charcuterie and cheese plates and a few standalone protein dishes from Satterfield. The wine menu will feature by-the-glass and bottle options offering familiar favorites, boundary-pushing vintages, and hard-to-find wines catering to collectors. Look for a section dedicated to vermouth, sherry, port, and madeira, with cocktails using fortified wines as mixing ingredients or base spirits.
Cesar Hernandez, a co-owner of critically acclaimed restaurant Oaxaca in Chamblee, will open Wa’haka in the
former Takorea space at the Georgetown shopping center in Dunwoody. Expect the menu to lean into dishes from the Mexican state of Oaxaca, including tlyaudas and moles, along with Tex-Mex dishes of enchiladas, nachos, and fajitas. Look for the bar to serve variations on margaritas and other cocktails made with mezcal and tequila.
Fawn
Wine and amaro bar from Chef Terry Koval 119 East Ponce de Leon Avenue, Decatur Anticipated Winter 2025
Decatur will gain another spot from The Deer and the Dove owner and James Beard award-winning chef Terry Koval this winter. He and beverage director Matt Watkins plan to open Fawn next door to Cafe Alsace. As a wine and amaro bar, Fawn will focus on wines from many volcanic regions from around the world, including the Canary Islands, Crete, Campania in Italy, and Verne in France. Amaro on the menu will come from a variety of countries and be served by the glass and in flights. As for food, expect house-made charcuterie with local cheeses, crudos, fresh breads, caviar, and desserts from Koval.
Side Saddle Wine Saloon & Bar
Wine and tapas bar from owner of Finca to Filter 680 Hamilton Avenue, Boulevard Heights Anticipated Winter/Spring 2025
later this year. Located along the Southside Beltline, the jewel box building will only seat 20 people and feature a horseshoeshaped bar. Most of the wine menu will focus on natural and low-intervention wines, with a food menu featuring sharable small plates and raw bar selections. Until it opens, you can catch owner Kayla Bellman and her team popping up with Side Saddle Wine Bar at Finca to Filter in the Old Fourth Ward on Thursday nights.
Spring 2nd Branch aka Bōm
Korean cuisine and hot pots from Chef Brian So 113 Church Street, Marietta Anticipated Spring/Summer 2025
The long-awaited second restaurant from Chef Brian So opens later this year, just around the corner from his awardwinning restaurant Spring in Marietta. Billed as a casual restaurant serving traditional Korean cuisine and hot pots, So and Spring partner Daniel Crawford will open Spring 2nd Branch aka Bōm in a redeveloped retail strip along Church Street, also home to Contrast Artisan Ales. At Bōm (“spring” or “springtime” in Korean), So will serve simmering Korean hot pots, dolsot bibimbap, mandu (dumplings), and other dishes like tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and naengmyeon (cold noodles). Expect Cass Korean beer, soju, and wines by the glass, along with soju cocktails.
The owner of Finca to Filter will open a location of the popular coffee shop and a new wine and tapas bar called Side Saddle
Otto’s Apartment Hotel in Poncey-Highland will be home to two new restaurants in 2025. (Courtesy of Otto’s Apartment Hotel)
Courtesy of Spring 2nd Branch/Bom
Tipsy Thaiger
All-day restaurant serving Thai cuisine
605 Atlanta Street, Roswell
Anticipated Spring/Summer 2025
This pop-up will bring Thai food right to the heart of Roswell, and into one of the city’s most historic and storied buildings. Billed as an all-day Thai restaurant, Tipsy Thaiger takes over the old Public House space just off Roswell’s historic town square. Look for street food-style dishes inspired by family recipes served at lunch and dinner, along with cocktails, beer, and wine. For now, catch Tipsy Thaiger popping up at neighboring Proper Hop Taphouse and Variant Brewing in Roswell.
Elise
French/Italian cuisine from Chef Craig Richards
Woodruff Arts Center campus, Midtown
Anticipated Spring/Summer 2025
Chef Craig Richards, a co-owner of Italian restaurant Lyla Lila in Midtown, will open Elise just down the street at the Woodruff Arts Center this spring. The restaurant’s name nods to one of Beethoven’s most famous piano compositions: “Für Elise.” Taking over the former Table 1280 space across from the High Museum on the Woodruff Arts Center campus, Elise will feature a menu melding French and Italian dishes, including the hand-made pastas for which Richards has become known at Lyla Lila. Look for classic cocktails from the bar as well as a wine list focused on both Old World French and Italian wines.
Some Luck
Thai street food restaurant and bar with a late-night menu from Talat Market chefs 644 North Highland Avenue, Poncey-Highland
Anticipated early Summer 2025
Chefs Parnass Savang and Rod Lassiter, owners of Summerhill Thai restaurant Talat Market, plan to open Thai bar Some Luck this summer in Poncey-Highland. Taking over the Highland Ballroom Lounge space beneath the Highland Inn, just beyond Madeira Park, Some Luck will serve a decidedly Thai-focused menu featuring bar snacks, noodle soups, wings, and late-night food inspired by dishes found at street stalls throughout Thailand. Expect quick-fired, stirred cocktails mixed with Thai ingredients and base spirits like rum, pitchers of ice-cold Singha beer, and local beers on draft.
Mini marinated crab claws from Talat Market. (Photo by Beth McKibben)
South Downtown revitalizes city center
Tech
entrepreneur David Cummings is revitalizing 56 buildings, 10 continuous blocks, and one million square feet
into a second location of Atlanta Tech Village in historic South Downtown. His team includes April Stammel and architect Lucas Roberts. Located north of Interstate-20, east of Castleberry Hill, south of Five Points, and west of Interstate 75/85, the area encompassing the South Downtown development thrived over 150 years ago.
During the 1870s, shoppers found groceries, textiles, and general merchandise at M. Rich and Brothers and Company; Chamberlin-Johnson-DuBose Company; and other department stores in this section of the city. M. Rich and Brothers and Company moved into a larger four-story building on the now Peachtree Street in
1907 designed by Atlanta architectural firm Bruce & Morgan before a final move at the corner of Broad and Alabama Streets in 1924. Five and dime stores in the area, such as McCrory’s, S. H. Kress, and Woolworth’s, offered affordable prices for household goods.
Completion of the Atlanta Terminal Station in 1905 prompted the construction of six 3-4 story high commercial buildings on Mitchell Street called Hotel Row. Atlanta architects Bruce & Morgan, Willis F. Denny, and George W. Laine designed these brick buildings with retail spaces on the ground level to house railroad workers and their guests near the now demolished train station. The buildings along Hotel Row represented early 20th century commercial structures that were once common in Atlanta, but have now been demolished due to redevelopment.
To the east of Hotel Row, Atlanta flocked to the city’s first market on the renamed Broad Street in the 1910s. The Sunday, October 27, 1912 edition of
Melody Harclerode
The newly revitalized Hotel Row along Mitchell Street. (Courtesy South Downtown)
A historic postcard shows Mitchell Street in the early 20th century.
Atlanta Constitution described Broad Street as “the most romantic spots in Atlanta.” Produce at the Broad Street market came from every state in the Union, as well as from Europe, Central America, South America, and Cuba. The iconic Miller’s Rexall Pharmacy opened on Broad Street in 1967 before moving to Decatur.
Roberts points out, “We envision this development as a startup community with local companies, retailers, and eateries that wish to stay in South Downtown throughout their growth.” Atlanta-based coffee company Spiller Park Coffee has opened a location in the historic Sylvan Hotel along Hotel Row. Spiller Park visitors see the words “Imperial Café”
Realtor
inlaid in the historic ceramic floor tile of the shop, a reference to a one-time building tenant. New features, such counters and lighting, blend seamlessly into the historic surroundings.
The South Downtown team is excited about their work revitalizing Atlanta’s historic center. April Stammel leads free tours at the development. She notes, “There is no better way to introduce South Downtown to the public than through tours. We are helping people to enjoy the history, stories, and journey of this project.”
For more information about the South Downtown development, tune into the Uplifting Places podcast hosted by Melody Harclerode on Spotify.
debuts Buckhead office
Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty has officially opened its newly designed office in Buckhead.
According to a statement from the firm, the new office space has been designed to foster collaboration and elevate the client experience. The 24,000-squarefoot space at 3290 Northside Parkway offers a blend of cutting-edge workspaces and elegant, residential-inspired design, ensuring both agents and clients feel welcomed and inspired.
"Our goal was to craft an environment where our agents can thrive, collaborate, and reach their full potential," said David Boehmig, co-founder of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty.
"This new office is not just a workspace, but an experience,” said Jennifer Pino, Executive Vice President and Managing Broker. “Whether it’s a team meeting in one of our state-ofthe-art conference rooms, a one-on-one consultation in a flexible workspace, or sharing a cup of coffee with a client in our hospitality area, we’ve created a space that encourages creativity, productivity, and excellence."
The office was designed by SMART Interior Group, led by Lauren Roberts. Collin Kelley
