From the Show Versus Tell newsletter by Jon Birdsong, CEO of SoDo Atlanta — Volume 1, Month 12 (January 2025)
Forsyth Street Safety
Within one week, public workers painted new lanes, added anchored curb stops, and installed reflective bollards — creating a two-way street with one driving lane per direction, making it physically impossible to drive through bike lanes. Incremental progress becoming noticeable.
Safety & Security
Lock, Hide, and Keep Campaign — Launched with Chief Schierbaum and CAP after two separate incidents in the parking lot off Ted Turner and Nelson Street, each involving 8 vehicles broken into. Changes made to parking lot procedures. Key statistic: over 1,100 guns were stolen from vehicles in 2024. Campaign message: lock guns, hide personal items, or keep items with you.
Meeting with Hope Atlanta team on combining additional housing with social services for the unhoused population.
Community
12 Days of South Downtown Architecture — Showcase starting December 12th featuring buildings including the MLK Federal Building (originally a 1934 post office) and the Kress Building.
5 LOIs distributed last month with 3 signed. Tours given to Attorney General Chris Carr and business leaders. Legislature session beginning in January — "Spiller Park Coffee (and Tyde Tate Kitchen and Friedman's) is only an 8-minute walk from the Capitol."
Development
ATV-Sylvan Opens — 30,000 square feet in the historic 115-year-old former Sylvan Hotel. January 8th opening with Mayor Dickens speaking to a shoulder-to-shoulder crowd. Head of Architecture Lucas Roberts documented the restoration.
H.L. Green Building — Interior demolition and cleanup completed.
Sylvan Hotel Sign — Historic sign reconnected to building before New Year. Hotel Row context: "one of Atlanta's oldest and most historic blocks in the original Terminal District."
82 Peachtree (M Rich Building)
Restoration work includes removal of patched flooring and restoration of the original skylight for ground-floor natural lighting.
222 Mitchell Street
Estimated cost: $97 million. 215 residential units planned with ground-floor and rooftop retail/restaurant activation. Financing options being explored.
Federal Workers
Three federal buildings adjacent to South Downtown contain a combined 4 million square feet: Sam Nunn Federal Building, Richard B. Russell Federal Courthouse, and MLK Federal Building. Return announcements in June and September 2024 did not materialize.
Homelessness
Atlanta's chronically homeless population represents approximately 2% of total unhoused but is the most visible downtown. 175,000+ applications received for housing vouchers with only 13,000 available slots.
Source: Show Versus Tell Newsletter