His decades-long, storied career nearing its end, a baseball legend finds himself in need of more time. . . and Atlanta comes to his aid. This week’s Stories of Atlanta examines a part of Atlanta’s history that may not be common knowledge to most Atlantans. The subject of our story was an athlete who many […]
Tag: Atlanta
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. […]
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 […]
The Business of Survival
Atlanta has always been a city in a hurry. As far back as 1867, a Milledgeville newspaper observed that Atlantans lived fast, made money fast, spent it fast, and tore things down almost as quickly as they built them. Nearly 160 years later, not much has changed. Atlanta is a city defined by reinvention, where […]
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 […]
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 […]
Just Another Day at City Hall
For nearly 24 years, William B. Hartsfield was the face of Atlanta. And being the face of a growing city apparently required a mayor who would do just about anything. Fortunately, photographers were there to capture it. This week, Stories of Atlanta steps away from the usual history lesson and into the photo album for […]
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, […]
This should come as no surprise to anyone.
If you had to pick just one occupation that people throughout the ages would recognize as a job, what would you pick? Yeah, us too. This week’s story is about those who work for a living. More accurately, it’s about those who worked for a living in 19th century Atlanta. This topic came about quite […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
Shave and a Future…
In the deeply segregated American South of the 19th century, one profession offered Black men a surprising path toward independence, prosperity, and even wealth. The opportunity existed, ironically, because of the very racial attitudes that otherwise worked against them. And succeeding required more than just skill with a razor. It meant learning how to navigate […]
Yan Karaoke aims to settle local conflicts ahead of opening date
Yan Karaoke is on track to open its 15,000-square-foot Reynoldstown hub by this holiday season, and the bar’s team says the neighborhood conflicts have been resolved ahead of opening night. The project drew attention from neighborhood leaders and historic preservation advocates this summer, when renderings for the bar design at the Atlanta Dairies became available. […]
Beltline is back on board with rail. Will a councilmember’s plan keep it on track?
The Atlanta Beltline is officially back on board with light rail, and Atlanta District 2 City Councilmember Kelsea Bond has a plan to keep the project on track. On Sept. 8, Bond introduced a resolution to “affirm the Atlanta City Council’s commitment to and support for Beltline rail.” If passed, it will create an accountability […]
Banking in the Round: Atlanta’s C&S Tower
In the late 1960s, Atlanta’s Citizens and Southern Bank left its longtime downtown headquarters for a striking new circular tower in Midtown. Designed by Atlanta architect Richard Aeck and inspired by a revolutionary Frank Lloyd Wright concept, the new C&S building was anything but conventional. Its unusual construction solved a very practical problem for the […]
ARC unveils first-ever regional housing strategy
It’s been a long time in the making. After years dedicated to economic development and housing solutions, the Atlanta Regional Commission has unveiled Housing Forward 2035, “The Strategy.” The regional housing strategy will guide the 11-county planning commission through its approach to affordable and accessible housing in a rapidly changing region. ARC leaders presented an […]
Who Brought the Crowds Out?
What does it take to bring Atlantans out by the thousands? Sometimes the answer is obvious. A famous face, a historic occasion, a celebration, or simply the chance to witness something you may never see again. Over the years, Atlanta has produced some remarkable crowds, gathering for reasons that ranged from the deeply emotional to […]
The quest to restore ‘Riverbend,’ an iconic piece of long-lost Black cinema
For Michael J. Dennis, the quest to restore “Riverbend” started with a simple goal: Keep the long-lost relic of Black cinema from ever disappearing again. Weeks ago, he succeeded. At the Aug. 15 Atlanta premiere of “Riverbend” at the Plaza Theatre, Reelblack Renaissance released the 6k film restoration on Blu-ray — it’s now available for […]
Not to his liking
The pendulum of opinion swings freely when it comes to the question of form following function. It isn’t necessary to get into that debate here. I bring it up only to offer that, sometimes, it doesn’t matter where one stands on the question…form then function or function then form. Often, it’s the person paying the […]
