This is Thursday
July 27 — Irish musician Sinéad O’Connor died Wednesday at age 56. The ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’ singer released ten eclectic and acclaimed albums during her lifetime.
🥵 Sunny and hot today with a high of 97°. Here are some tips to keep your pets safe.
💸 Congress members have secured $40 million in funding to help revitalize Atlanta’s Bowen Homes neighborhood.
⚖️ Donald Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani admitted he made false statements against two Fulton County poll workers he accused of mishandling ballots.
➡ Milton’s Bruno Cua, who was 18 when he participated in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
⬆️ Fulton County plans to raise property taxes levied in the 2023 General Fund by 12.8% over the rollback millage rate.
🔥 A July 25 fire partially damaged the historic Kodak building on Ponce de Leon Avenue. The Kodak building is next to the former Atlanta Eagle gay bar that didn’t appear to have suffered any fire damage. Both buildings are vacant and on the Georgia Trust for Historical Preservation 10 Places in Peril list.
🚒 Police have charged a woman with setting a fire at the Buckhead MARTA station on Tuesday night.
AROUND THE WORLD
🇳🇪 There’s been a coup in Niger. Soldiers in the West African country took to TV to declare that they “had dissolved the constitution, suspended all institutions, and closed the nation’s borders,” according to the BBC.
⚽ The US tied the Netherlands 1-1 last night in Wellington, New Zealand in their second match of the group stage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The US plays Portugal on Tues., Aug. 1 at 3 a.m. ET (TV: Fox).
🕖 Today’s newsletter is ⑤ stories.
• Newport to sell South DWNTN
• NFL connects through yoga
• Artist Marryam Moma
• QUADSis shoes
AND
• Quick Bites
Have a good day,
Collin & Sammie
🔮 Futurist Amy Webb is making a rare Atlanta appearance on Aug. 16! She packs the house at SXSW and advises Hollywood, the Pentagon, and Fortune 500 companies. Learn what Webb tells them about technological disruptions and AI, and how Atlanta can thrive in a fast-moving world. Learn more at AJC Live.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Newport to sell South DWNTN to Braden Fellman
🌆 German real estate company Newport RE will not be able to fulfill its dreams to revitalize about ten blocks of South Downtown Atlanta after investor funding dried up, forcing the company to sell its entire portfolio.
Yesterday, Newport announced it would be selling its portfolio for its massive project, named South Dwntwn, to Atlanta-based Braden Fellman Group.
⏳ The portfolio includes 53 buildings and six acres of parking lots, including Historic Hotel Row, South Broad Street properties, the M Rich Building, and the HL Green Co building. The project’s centerpiece, 222 Mitchell, is also being sold as part of the deal.
“We believe in this neighborhood wholeheartedly; our vision was right but our timing was off, and we have the highest hopes that South Downtown will continue becoming a cool, historic, downtown neighborhood that Atlanta deserves,” said Newport CEO Olaf Kunkat in a news release.
➡ Our colleague Dyana Bagby has the story here.
Reimagine the Legacy
SPONSORED BY ATLANTA DOWNTOWN
❤️ Reimagine the Legacy: Honoring Congressman John Lewis is an annual memorial initiative in Atlanta that celebrates the life and legacy of the late civil rights leader.
Activities take place through July 30, culminating in a moment of reflection with the ringing of bells on July 30.
🔔 Free handbells can be picked up at various locations. Featured programs include a civil rights cemetery tour, stamp dedication ceremony, and guided walking tour.
Visitors are encouraged to take action by registering to vote, reading Lewis’ essays and books, and supporting charitable organizations.
📍 Points of interest include the John Lewis HERO Mural, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and The King Center.
➡ Visit the website for more information.
2. NFL players connect with Carver football team through yoga
🧘 On July 18, the Dharma Project brought together two NFL players – Atlanta Falcons safety Richie Grant and Houston Texans wide receiver Amari Rodgers – with the Carver STEAM Academy football team to discuss the value of yoga.
“We approached it from the lens of how do we get more boys interested and engaged in yoga,” said Rutu Chaudhari, Dharma Project founder and executive director. “Particularly Black boys, because there is such a strong narrative that yoga is not for them.”
Believing that everyone should have access to these self-care practices regardless of race, location, gender, sexual orientation, or financial status – the nonprofit Dharma Project collaborated with the Department of Corrections, Atlanta Public Schools, Decatur Housing Authority, Refugee Women’s Network, and more since 2016.
🏈 Learn more about the connections between yoga and football here.
3. Disrupting the status quo with collage artist Marryam Moma
🎨 “I reflect the place and space that I live in, so in my work I am bringing my foundational experiences of Black life and highlighting Black joy,” said artist Marryam Moma, talking about life and art in her sunny home studio.
It has been a long and somewhat unexpected road that led Moma to where she is today. Over the next few days, she will be putting the finishing touches on her artwork for ‘ICONoclasts,’ a solo exhibition of her work opening Fri., July 28 at 7 p.m. at the Emma Darnell Museum and Conference Center.
Moma is a Tanzinian-Nigerian collage artist whose work has been shaped by her varied life experiences.
➡️ Learn more about her work and life here.
4. Atlanta company makes shoes for pre-teens
🥿 When Janet Ward’s now teenage daughter was in 2nd grade, she wore a woman’s size 7.
Unable to find anything age-appropriate that her daughter wanted to wear, Janet knew something had to change.
In November 2022, after extensive research on how fast girls’ feet grow during the pre-teen years and how shoes are designed and constructed, Ward and her longtime friend, Stephanie Guido, launched QUADSis Shoes.
“Give a mom a problem and she will find a solution, especially as it relates to her kids” Guido said.
➡️ Read more about QUADSis here.
🔮 Futurist Amy Webb is making a rare Atlanta appearance on Aug. 16! She packs the house at SXSW and advises Hollywood, the Pentagon, and Fortune 500 companies. Learn what Webb tells them about technological disruptions and AI, and how Atlanta can thrive in a fast-moving world. Learn more at AJC Live.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Quick Bites
🏌️♂️ During the month of August, golfers that play a round at Bobby Jones Golf Course (pictured) can enjoy a free draft beer or half off an item from Boone’s small bites and sharable menu during lunch and dinner.
🍺 Tickets are on sale for Monday Night Brewing’s 12th Anniversary Celebration on Aug. 5.
🌭 The Original Hot Dog Factory is looking to open a new location in Atlanta at the Terminal South development.
🌺 A fast-casual Hawaiian restaurant called Hello Hilo recently opened a location in Gainesville.
🍝 The Italian restaurant Yeppa & Co. expects to open a second location at Junction Krog District in March of 2024.
🍸 A new restaurant called Verdure Kitchen & Cocktails has opened up in Morningside.
🍩 The Salty Donut plans to open its second Atlanta location in the Krog District on Aug. 4.
🍽️ The team behind the Standard at Roswell is taking over the former Carson Kitchen space in Alpharetta.
🍹 Starting Aug. 7, you can visit Loma’s Supper Club at a Mano in Old Fourth Ward from 5-10 p.m. Keep your eyes on the pop-up’s Instagram to see what dishes and cocktails will be served.
🍳 A new breakfast and brunch spot called Eat My Biscuits is set to debut in East Point in August.
🇨🇺 Cubanos ATL’s fourth location, which is set to open in Roswell in August, will be the first location with a full bar.
🧆 Get even more food news in Side Dish, our weekly newsletter about Atlanta’s restaurant scene, and more. It’s delivered Thursday afternoons. Subscribe for free.