Downtown Atlanta in the news.

Downtown Development

The Pop-Up Opportunity Fund: How $5,000-to-$50,000 Grants Put 13 Local Businesses in Downtown Storefronts Before the World Cup

Launched in January 2026 with Invest Atlanta and Showcase Atlanta, the Downtown Pop-Up Opportunity Fund paid tenant-improvement costs for independent retailers and restaurants opening vacant storefronts - 13 of them by June, including Hell Yeah! Gluten-Free Bakery on Auburn Avenue.

Jun 10, 2026

Downtown Development

Downtown Atlanta Puts the Final Touches on Its World Cup Debut

Construction crews, restaurateurs, and developers are running out the clock on projects meant to reshape the downtown core in time for the tournament.

Jun 5, 2026

Downtown Development

The Olympics Changed Downtown. What Will the World Cup Leave Behind?

Thirty years after the 1996 Games reshaped downtown Atlanta, the 2026 World Cup sprint is producing a different kind of legacy: patient reuse, small residential increments, and stitched-together blocks.

Jun 2, 2026

Downtown Development

MARTA Postpones New Train Launch Amid Testing Delays — World Cup Weeks Away

MARTA canceled the planned debut of its $707 million CQ400 railcars, built by Swiss manufacturer Stadler, with the World Cup less than two weeks out. The aging fleet — dozens of cars nearly 50 years old — continues to disrupt commutes.

Jun 2, 2026

Downtown Development

The Looking Glass: Alice in Wonderland-Themed Venue Coming to The CTR

A 38,000-square-foot Alice in Wonderland-inspired dining and entertainment destination will open in the former CNN Studios space at The CTR in spring 2027, featuring immersive games, a Hall of Illusions, and nine-pin bowling.

Jun 2, 2026

Downtown Development

Is MARTA World Cup ready? New Atlanta trains haven't passed safety tests.

MARTA's new $707 million Stadler train fleet has yet to clear critical safety inspections as the FIFA World Cup approaches Atlanta, with certification testing only beginning days before the tournament's June 15 opening match. Interim General Manager Jonathan Hunt says safety comes first, even if it means delaying the June 4 service launch target.

May 27, 2026

Downtown Development

Inside SoDo Atlanta: David Cummings and Jon Birdsong's $140 Million Historic-District Bet

The tech founders behind Atlanta Tech Village are 30 months into a ~56-building, all-cash restoration of South Downtown — with the World Cup as the first short-horizon test.

May 26, 2026

Downtown Development

Portman Reacquires the Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta's Tallest Hotel

Portman Holdings announced the reacquisition of the iconic 73-story Westin Peachtree Plaza — the cylindrical landmark its founder designed and built in 1976 — with plans to renovate ahead of the 2028 Super Bowl.

May 22, 2026

Downtown Development

The CTR Opens: Former CNN Center Reopens as Downtown Atlanta's World Cup Headquarters

The building that housed CNN for decades reopened on May 21 as The CTR — a reimagined mixed-use landmark that will serve as Atlanta's official World Cup volunteer headquarters this summer.

May 21, 2026

Downtown Development

A South Downtown Parking Lot Reopens as Founders Green

Half an acre of surface parking between Broad and Peachtree streets has become Founders Green, the first public greenspace in Atlanta Ventures' 16-acre South Downtown portfolio.

May 20, 2026

Downtown Development

South Downtown Green and The CTR Unveiled Ahead of World Cup

Atlanta celebrated two major downtown milestones as Founders Green opened on Broad Street and the former CNN Center was rebranded as The CTR, both positioning South Downtown as a World Cup destination.

May 20, 2026

Downtown Development

Near Underground Atlanta, Fresh Visuals and Timeline for Housing Emerge

Invest Atlanta greenlights $2 million in TAD funds for Five Peachtree Senior, a 65-unit affordable senior building slated to break ground beside Underground Atlanta.

May 14, 2026

Downtown Development

The Old W Downtown Reopens as a JW Marriott, One Month Before the World Cup

The 237-room hotel at 45 Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard has finished a full renovation and dropped the W flag it carried for more than 15 years, arriving as JW Marriott Atlanta Downtown weeks before Atlanta's World Cup matches.

May 13, 2026

Downtown Development

Atlanta invested nearly $1B into the Beltline. What did it get in return?

The Atlanta Beltline released an economic impact analysis showing that nearly $1 billion in public investment since 2005 has generated $14.2 billion in private investment and $23 billion in annual economic output. The 22-mile trail loop has also helped create 34,000 jobs and nearly 5,300 affordable housing units.

May 13, 2026

Downtown Development

Questions Dog the $4 Billion Forge Atlanta Project as Neighbors Wonder What's Next

The proposed Forge Atlanta development promises 2,300 condos, 950 hotel rooms, and futuristic skyscrapers on 10 acres near Castleberry Hill — but the developer reported zero revenue, less than $6,000 in cash, and defaulted on its mortgage. Community leaders are skeptical.

May 11, 2026