From the Show Versus Tell newsletter by Jon Birdsong, CEO of SoDo Atlanta — Volume 2, Month 12 (January 2026)
154 days until the World Cup. A 38-day tournament bringing millions to Atlanta. This is reminiscent of the 1996 Olympics — Michael Johnson's gold shoes, Kerri Strug's vault. The opportunity to seize this moment as Atlantans is immense.
Safety & Security
SoDo partnered with ADID throughout December for panhandling best practices training — how staff should handle unhoused individuals seeking meals/drinks in establishments. The recommended approach: connect people to neighborhood services while maintaining firm establishment boundaries. This is a regular occurrence in South Downtown.
Community
FIFA World Cup Preparations — Spain (ranked #1 by FIFA) is playing two of the first five matches in Atlanta. A campaign is launching to help fans find viewing venues. Contact: [email protected].
History Afoot Atlanta — Led by Lisa and Amy, GSU History graduate students. Offerings include community tours of South Downtown history and hard hat tours of the M. Rich Building at 82 Peachtree Street for a minimal fee. Historical context: the original Rich's Department Store opened at 82 Peachtree in 1907 and relocated one block over in 1924.
Senator Reverend Warnock visited the SoDo office in December with his team to learn about the neighborhood revitalization.
Atlanta Tech Village — Expected announcement: bringing a community workspace to downtown Atlanta.
Business Recruitment Video — April shared a video highlighting 2025 business announcements, targeting openings before the World Cup.
Development
Facade Reveals — Scaffolding removed at 85 Peachtree Street, 115 Broad Street, 185 Mitchell Street, and 97 Broad Street, revealing restored historic facades.
Park Development — Converting parking lots to parks. Park construction near El Tesoro is underway.
Hotel Row — The southern construction fence was removed, creating new walking/jogging/rollerblade space. The day after, a jogger was already using the new concrete path.
Recommended Reading
Thomas Wheatley's 2011 Creative Loafing article: "South Downtown Must Be Fixed for Atlanta to Thrive" — still relevant 15 years later. Follow @OldWorldAtlanta on Instagram for before-and-after photos of Atlanta locations including South Downtown.
Source: Show Versus Tell Newsletter
