At first glance the Youth Villages Inner Harbour campus looks like a summer camp. It has all the hallmarks — roaming teens and children, lakefront views, sprawling cabins — there’s even a horse stable. But there’s something more to Inner Harbour. The campus is actually an evidence-backed residential treatment center and mental health facility for young […]
Author Archives: Delaney Tarr
Posted inDelaney Tarr, Latest News
‘Metro Atlanta’s time has come:’ ARC launches major economic mobility initiative, Opportunity Rising
“Metro Atlanta’s time has come.” According to Atlanta Regional Commission CEO and President, that is the headline for the launch of “Opportunity Rising,” a major economic mobility coalition launched on Nov. 4 at the annual State of the Region. Metro Atlanta is ranked dead last — 50th out of the top 50 metro areas in […]
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Virginia Highland Porchfest is on ‘pause’ for 2027. Maybe that’s a good thing.
Virginia Highland’s popular Porchfest will not return for the 2027 season. It may be exactly what the festival needs. Last week, the Virginia Highland District announced it would “pause” the music festival for 2027 and return with a “reimagined” event in 2028. The reasoning is simple: Porchfest got too big for the neighborhood. “We never […]
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Atlanta to host community meetings on major TAD extension plan
Tax Allocation Districts may be coming to your doorstep. As part of the city of Atlanta’s ongoing push to extend six Tax Allocation Districts, or TADs, through 2055, Invest Atlanta is hosting a series of community meetings in each of the existing TAD areas. “We want to make sure that people understand what the TAD […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr, Latest News
The U.S. may change a 60-year-old historic preservation law. Why does it matter?
Historic Preservationists are sounding the alarm on a legislative change that could drastically reduce historic preservation nationwide, and the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is helping lead the fight. “We need to be loud about Section 106,” Ben Sutton, the Georgia Trust’s director of legislative advocacy and historic preservation, said at an Oct. 29 event. […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
Peoplestown kicks off three-year Four Corners Park makeover
On Saturday, Four Corners Park transformed into a cookout complete with choir music and a marching band. The whole affair celebrated a milestone for the Peoplestown community — the launch of a nearly $10 million makeover for the long-neglected park. The $9.4 million grant was first announced in July by the Bezos Earth Fund. It […]
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Southface celebrates sustainability stories at annual Visionary Awards
For almost 50 years, Southface has done a little bit of everything. The nonprofit brings sustainable practices to advocacy, education for trade workers, design consulting, facilities grants, community planning and more. But their broad reach comes with a downside: Talking about the Atlanta-based nonprofit’s work. “We have so much difficulty sharing our story and communicating […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
PHOTOS: The faces of the Atlanta’s iconic Little Five Points Halloween Parade
On Oct. 18, Atlanta’s annual Little Five Points Halloween Parade and Festival took over city streets during a nearly two-hour parade packed with local businesses, organizations and creative krewes decked out in costume gear. The two-day festival raises funds for the Little Five Points Business Association, with dozens of local vendors, live music, food trucks […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
Atlanta to keep Doug Voss on as permanent Parks and Rec commissioner
Interim Parks and Recreation Commissioner Doug Voss will stay on as the permanent head of Atlanta’s park system, the next step in his 15-year career with the city department. Mayor Andre Dickens announced the permanent appointment on Oct. 19 following a national search to replace former commissioner Justin Cutler, who announced his departure in May […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
ARC unveils part two of first-ever regional housing plan
The Atlanta Regional Commission has released the second step of its first-ever Regional Housing Strategy: A list of 10 “housing actions” to create more affordable homes in the region by 2035. At the Oct. 14 ARC board meeting, commission leaders presented progress on “Housing Forward 2035,” months after the plan was publicly unveiled in August. […]
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Invest Atlanta board approves Amsterdam Walk incentive, talks TAD audit
City economic development agency Invest Atlanta greenlit a $330 million lease-purchase bond for the controversial Amsterdam Walk project, marking another step towards the project’s completion — and another tax break. In practice, the bond will lower property taxes for developers across 10 years. For the first year, property taxes will be priced at about 50 […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
Collins and Ossoff clash in heated Georgia Senate debate, but did voters learn anything?
Georgia Senate candidates Jon Ossoff and Mike Collins sparred on the floor during a heated Atlanta Press Club debate on Oct. 13, closing out the packed Loudermilk-Young debate series with a bang. The pair hurled accusations and biting soundbites across an hour, poking at hot-button topics: abortion, white nationalism, Epstein and neo-Nazi ties, the war […]
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At second annual Atlanta Way Day, Mayor Dickens announces strides in major neighborhood plan
At last year’s inaugural Atlanta Way Day, a crowd of civic leaders asked a major question: Why is Atlanta ranked last in economic mobility, and how can it improve? The data from a 2024 study by Raj Chetty’s research group Opportunity Insights caused worry among local leaders. Atlanta ranked dead last out of the top […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
Beltline acquires final piece of land needed to close 22-mile loop
After two decades, four mayoral administrations and nearly 200 real estate acquisitions, the Beltline finally has the land it needs to close the 22-mile loop and complete Atlanta’s “emerald necklace.” Atlanta Beltline, Inc. closed the sale for the final piece on Sept. 22, and announced it Oct. 1. It’s a minor parcel — only 0.2-acres […]
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The 2028 Olympic torch relay will hit all 50 states — and it starts in Atlanta
For the first time in history, the famed Olympic Torch will relay through all 50 U.S. states before landing in its host city of Los Angeles — and the tour will kick off in Atlanta. The flame will be lit in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, before heading through the United States […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
Wingate leaders take on ‘hairy projects’ — Trestletree Village is the latest
“The worse the problem, the more likely that I’m sitting in the chair.” This is the approach of Wingate Companies Senior Vice President John Tatum. And now, he’s in the chair at Atlanta’s Trestletree Village Section 8 Community, steps from the Beltline trail. Wingate, a national real estate and development firm focused on affordable housing, […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
Dickens teases upcoming plans after City Council backs Beltline rail
On Sept. 21, the Atlanta City Council formally backed the addition of light rail along the Beltline with a unanimous vote. Now what? After nearly two hours of public comment at the City Council meeting, 14 councilmembers voted to pass Kelsea Bond’s Beltline rail resolution. It shows support for the 22-mile planned transit loop. It […]
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Should Atlanta turn off water for $236 million in unpaid bills? Mayor Dickens says it’s a ‘tough decision.’
Atlanta’s recent watershed audit revealed a bombshell statistic: A quarter of the city’s customers have unpaid balances, totaling more than $236 million in bills owed to Atlanta. You might recognize some of the high-profile culprits. The audit caused uproar among the city council. City Council Utilities Committee Chair Dustin Hills was notably upset at the […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
Invest Atlanta greenlights $15 million tax break for Amsterdam Walk
On Thursday, the Invest Atlanta board of directors greenlit a bond resolution that will give a nearly $15 million tax break to Portman Holding’s controversial Amsterdam Walk redevelopment. According to Invest Atlanta Senior Vice President of Community Development Phil Perkins, the developers will only pay $39 million in taxes for the first 10 years, compared […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
Arts Capital Atlanta launches inaugural $1 million arts organization fund
Arts Capital Atlanta will soon distribute more than $1 million to Metro Atlanta arts organizations in an effort to strengthen the region’s creative ecosystem. It’s the first year Arts Capital Atlanta will give out unrestricted funds to arts organizations; the Metro Atlanta nonprofit brings together organizations, funders and partners to research, raise and distribute funds. […]
