Rough Draft Atlanta

The Dunwoody Planning Commission recommended a rezoning request for a proposed 122-townhome development on Ashwood Parkway. The panel, by unanimous vote recommended the zoning change from Office-Industrial (O-I) to Planned Development (PD) to allow Ashwood Woods to build 122 townhomes on the 11.64-acre site. Currently the site, near the Dunwoody City Hall, contains a vacant231,000-square-foot office building with 582 parking spaces.

Key points: • Fulton County commissioners Bob Ellis and Khadijah Abdur-Rahman sponsored a resolution, adopted on July 15, opposing Atlanta’s proposed TAD extension. • The resolution cites concerns that the proposed Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative violates the Georgia Constitution and diverts significant tax revenue away from county services.

Thursday, July 16— Hello, internet friends. 🇮🇹 A while back, my Rough Draft colleague Logan Ritchie remarked on 2026 being the year of Italian restaurant openings in Atlanta. I completely agree. The metro has welcomed scads of new Italian spots at differing price points, including Füm at Star Metals, Novo Cucina’s new Brookhaven location, and Fiorenza in Alpharetta. All of these restaurants opened in the past six months.

President Donald Trump will make a visit to metro Atlanta next week. The White House confirmed toChannel 2’s Richard Elliot that Trump will stop at Wheeler High School in Cobb County on Wednesday, July 22. The president’s stop will focus on the new Trump Accounts investment program for children he announced earlier this month.

The Decatur Book Festival (DBF) has revealed 16 authors presenting at the 2026 annual event on Oct. 2–3. The lineup includes Pulitzer Prize winner Brian Goldstone in a keynote session on Friday, Oct 2; critically acclaimed children’s authors Katherine Applegate andGennifer Choldenkofor a “Kidnote” event on Saturday, Oct.

The original location of MetroFresh permanently closed at Midtown Promenade, nearly five months after sustaining damage from a fire. The One Midtown Plaza location on Peachtree Street will remain open. Actor-turned-restaurateur Mitchell Anderson opened MetroFresh in 2005, drawing customers to the Monroe Drive shopping center long before Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, and the Beltline existed there.

The buyer of Northlake Mall in Tucker has been confirmed to be the Centurion Foundation, more than a month after tenants received a notice to vacate. Centurion Foundation, a non-profit managing real estate for universities and hospitals, finalized the purchase of the Northlake Mall for $95 million on July 15. According to a press release, the mall will be transformed into a new Northlake Campus for Emory Healthcare, which already had a presence at the mall since 2019.

On Sunday, July 19, Showcase Atlanta and ONE Musicfest will host “A Celebration of Soccer and Sound” at Piedmont Park. Atlanta’s last 2026 World Cup event takes place from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will include a screening of the final match between Spain and Argentina at 3 p.m. It will also feature live performances from Ludacris and The Boykinz, along with DJ sets throughout the day, a kids’ zone, food village, and vendor market.

The Consulate General of France in Atlanta presented Hilliard Chastain’s family with his World War I dog tag on July 13 in celebration of Bastille Day and 250 years of friendship between France and the United States.

The U.S. military will begin testing and treating service members with hormone therapy despite banning similar medical care for transgender service members. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that troops ages 30 and older will be subject to annual testosterone screenings, while younger service members will have the option to voluntarily opt in. Some troops may then be recommended for hormone therapy, he explained in a video posted to social media.