Morning, y’all! Expect temperatures in the mid-80s and a small chance of rain today.
- The Hawks fought back from an 18-point deficit but ran out of gas down the stretch, losing 131-116 in their postseason play-in game with the Bulls. Their disappointing season is over.
Otherwise, today’s newsletter includes allegations of racism and antisemitism against an influential Atlanta film executive, self-driving robotaxis hitting local streets, and a new place to drink beer and play pickleball.
But first: a look at what South Downtown’s current owners have in mind.
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‘STARTUP CITY’
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
The southern end of downtown Atlanta has seen some things.
Once the beating heart of the South’s capital city, with Hotel Row and mountains of merchants, it fell into disrepair decades ago. More recently, a German development firm with big dreams tried to mount a comeback — before finances got in the way.
Then a pair of prolific tech investors scooped up 10 full blocks, saving them from foreclosure. And as my AJC colleague Zach Hansen reports, they’ve got a brand new vision for the area: “Startup City.”
Who’s leading the charge: Jon Birdsong and David Cummings recently bought the expanse of South Downtown that includes 53 buildings, many of which date back a century or more. Birdsong and Cummings are best known for the startup incubator that became Atlanta Tech Village.
What they have in mind: The team already opened a new co-working space with 50 entrepreneurs. They envision turning the 115-year-old Sylvan hotel into a more formal incubator.
The idea: Entrepreneurs ultimately become office tenants elsewhere in the area, then draw in other professionals like lawyers and accountants.
- “This was the entrepreneurial center and capital of the Southeast,” Birdsong said during a recent community tour of the area. “We want to revitalize it back to where it was decades ago.”
Housing and retail, too: Office space, of course, isn’t the sole focus. Cummings said the goal is to restore street front retail with restaurants and bars. An eatery (Tyde Tate Kitchen) and a coffee shop (Spiller Park) opened earlier this month.
Other buildings may eventually be converted into mid-rise condo and apartment buildings. Brand new construction is likely years off. But building a critical mass of people is key.
- “The more people we get down here, the better — whether it’s from incubators or residents,” longtime resident Robyn Jackson told the AJC. “Cities need people. Neighborhoods need people.”
Here’s to that. And with plenty of momentum in the surrounding area (the massive Gulch redevelopment, MARTA renovations), here’s hoping things work out this time around.
Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.
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UNSAVORY ALLEGATIONS
Credit: Jenni Girtman for the AJC
Credit: Jenni Girtman for the AJC
Ryan Millsap is a metro Atlanta real estate investor and an influential film studio owner praised for his diversity efforts. He once convinced DeKalb County leaders to swap land he owned for existing parkland.
But a joint investigation by the AJC and ProPublica uncovered legal filings that include private text messages in which Millsap offers derogatory complaints about Black and Jewish people.
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DAMAGE DONE
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens says those opposed to the city’s public safety training center are responsible for $10 million in damage throughout the metro area. The statement came a day after construction equipment belonging to a training center contractor went up in flames in Fayette County.
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WHAT-MO?
You can’t get a lift just yet, but ride-hailing service Waymo is now testing its self-driving vehicles on Atlanta streets. One of their autonomous cars actually braved the Downtown Connector yesterday.
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DEKALB’S NEXT CEO
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Tune in to AJC.com tonight at 7 o’clock to watch a forum with the three candidates vying to become DeKalb County’s next chief executive. All three are Democrats and county commissioners — and with no Republicans qualifying to run, next month’s primary election will decide who wins.
- Get ready by checking out our profiles of Steve Bradshaw, Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and Larry Johnson.
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ANGST IN OCONEE
Meanwhile, in deep red Oconee County: A handful of longtime Republicans are running for county-level posts as Democrats and nobody is happy about it.
» Court takes up push from GOP faction to keep ‘traitors’ from ballot
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NATION AND WORLD
Democrats in the U.S. Senate — including Georgia’s Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock — quickly dismissed impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
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An attorney for O.J. Simpson’s estate says his remains were cremated and no public memorial is planned.
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GET THE BROOMS
Credit: Michael Wyke/AP
Credit: Michael Wyke/AP
Shortstop Orlando Arcia drove in the tying run in the 8th inning and the go-ahead run in the 10th, giving the Braves a 5-4 win — and a series sweep — over the Astros. Next up: A day off, then a home series with the Rangers.
More sports highlights:
- According to ESPN, the Falcons never considered Bill Belichick a top head coaching candidate.
- Two Georgia Tech defensive linemen entered the NCAA transfer portal.
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EAT AND PLAY
Now open in Armour Yards, just south of Buckhead: The Painted Pickle, a new spot offering food, drinks and, yes, pickleball courts.
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‘A MAN IN FULL’
A new Netflix series based on the Tom Wolfe novel “A Man in Full” stars Jeff Daniels as an egomaniacal Atlanta real estate mogul. It drops May 2, but you can watch the trailer now.
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Rico Wade to be honored at weekend festival
» Rapper GloRilla arrested on DUI charges in Gwinnett
» Amid widespread delays, Atlanta’s post office customers say trust eroding
» Following controversy, Fulton chooses new ankle monitoring service
» NPR editor who wrote a critical essay resigns
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ON THIS DATE
April 18, 1990
The Atlanta Constitution memorialized civil rights leader Ralph David Abernathy, who died at a local hospital at age 64. Abernathy was Martin Luther King Jr.’s second-in-command but later fell out of grace with the larger movement.
His tombstone at Lincoln Cemetery includes this succinct inscription: “I tried.”
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Credit: Jenni Girtman for the AJC
Credit: Jenni Girtman for the AJC
AJC contributor Jenni Girtman recently captured Connie Pike (left) and Lerinda Elliott taking a breather between performances with the Seed and Feed Marching Abominable, a quirky community marching band that’s celebrating its 50th anniversary. Read more here.
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ONE MORE THING
Before we go: Meet Cullen Talton, the 91-year-old who’s served as Houston County’s sheriff since just before the start of the Nixon administration. That’s 52 years ago. “I didn’t know I would be here this long,” he told the AJC.
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
