Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Beltline aquires defunct Elleven 45 to expand network
Beltline buys defunct Elleven 45 Lounge
The problematic Elleven 45 Lounge, which was closed down earlier this year after a deadly shooting, has now been purchased by the Atlanta Beltline. Here’s how it will be used.
ATLANTA – The Atlanta Beltline has purchased the property of the now shuttered Elleven 45 Lounge in Buckhead and plans to convert it into a portion of the trail.
“We had a young lady lose her life and people got shot at this club that should not have allowed guns into the premises. So, they were bad actors and bad operators,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, describing the violent events at Elleven 45 on Mother’s Day.
When a gunman shot and killed two people and wounded four others.
In August, a Fulton County Superior Court Judge deemed the club a “public nuisance” and shut it down.
Dickens says the city then saw an opportunity.
“We talked to the ownership and said, ‘hey, we want to buy this property so we can complete the beltline trail,’” he said.
It turned out the property sits in an ideal spot for the Northwest Segment 2 of the Beltline trail.
“The Northwest Trail is perhaps the most technically challenging from an engineering and design perspective,” said CEO for Atlanta Beltline Clyde Higgs.
He says acquiring this property has given them a golden opportunity to connect the trail to Peachtree Road and make that portion of the trail much more accessible.
“This last acquisition piece was significant because it’s going to create a better trail experience from an ADA access perspective of getting access to the Shepherd Center to Piedmont Hospital,” Higgs said.
It came at a hefty price tag. Higgs confirms it cost them around $11 million. Much more than the original plan for this section of the trail.
“This was bigger than our original budget. But because we have realized cost savings in other places along the Beltline, we were able to repurpose some of those savings and bring that to an area in order to make sure Buckhead gets a significant investment from the Beltline,” Higgs said.
Mayor Dickens says it’s a two-for-one special the city previously could have only dreamed of.
“We got rid of a nuisance, and we’re improving the city by putting the Beltline through here. So, you’re going to see something amazing come about from this,” Dickens said.
It’s a big step forward for one of Atlanta’s most ambitious projects.
A project that aims to have much of the trail completed in time for the arrival of the world’s biggest sporting event.
“We will have nearly 18 miles of the Beltline completed before the World Cup arrives in Atlanta in 2026,” Higgs said.
He said that will likely not include the portion with the Elleven 45 Lounge property.
He says the Northwest Segment 2 portion will be completed in late 2026 or early 2027.
This extension reportedly replaces the franchise tag Pitts signed earlier this spring, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Per the report, Pitts will not play on the $15 million franchise tag and instead receive the $36 million fully guaranteed on the new deal over the next two seasons.
The No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Pitts had a resurgent year in 2025 and showcased the playmaking abilities that made him such an enticing prospect. He caught a career-high 88 passes for 928 yards and five touchdowns, his most as a pro. Atlanta placed the franchise tag on Pitts earlier this offseason, ensuring he remained a Falcon for the 2026 season.
“They trusted that they see something in (me), and that’s pretty cool to see,” Pitts said of the franchise tag during OTAs. “It’s a new year. It’s already signed, and it’s going to be a good year.”
With an extension reportedly in place, Pitts is part of the team’s future for years to come.
Pitts turns 26 next season and is entering his first year working with head coach Kevin Stefanski, who got strong production from the tight end position while coaching the Cleveland Browns. That was particularly true of David Njoku, who has some similarities to Pitts. However, Pitts gives Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees a weapon unlike any they’ve had.
The early reviews through OTAs and mandatory minicamp have been strong for Pitts. The new staff has praised Pitts’ buy-in with their program and the effort he’s shown both on and off the field.
“Kyle’s, again, a guy that is here working like crazy. Takes coaching,” Stefanski said during OTAs. “The physical skill set is obvious when Kyle’s on the field, with how big he is and how he moves. But I’ve been impressed with what we’re asking him to do, a couple new things for him. As your players continue on in their career, you want to find out more, what else is in there and what else can we do, and what can we help you with? So I think Kyle’s been outstanding in that regard of trying to continue to get better in so many areas.”
At his best, he offers the kind of matchup maneuverability that ignites an offensive coordinator’s imagination. That ability was most clearly on display in the Falcons’ thrilling 29-28 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football in Week 15 last season. As the focal point of Atlanta’s offense, Pitts caught 11 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns.
“I love the position because of the versatility that it provides an offense,” Stefanski said. “And you’ve seen it around the league. This is nothing new or Earth-shattering, but tight ends that can line up all over make life hard on a defense. Whether you can line them up outside, in the backfield, in line, you name it, we love versatility at that position.”
As a rookie, Pitts burst onto the scene and finished the 2021 season with the second-most yards ever by a rookie tight end. His second year was cut short by a knee injury, the impact of which carried throughout the 2023 season as well. With the injuries and changes at the quarterback position since his arrival, consistency has been a focus for Pitts.
Despite those factors, Pitts has gained the third-most receiving yards by a tight end since he entered the league. He has averaged 12.6 yards per reception, which ranks fourth among his position, and has caught 15 touchdowns. Notably, he has improved in that metric with each successive season.
This report comes soon after wide receiver Drake London signed a new extension with the organization, keeping one of the best young outside weapons in the NFL on the roster. With Pitts now reportedly in the fold with a new extension and Bijan Robinson entering his fourth year, the Falcons will continue to have a trio of dynamic playmakers on offense.
A second-team All-Pro in 2025, the arrow is pointing up for Pitts. He is currently 13th on that Falcons’ all-time receiving yards list and has the fourth-most career yards by an Atlanta tight end. With 650 yards next season, Pitts will climb to second on the career yardage list for Falcons tight ends. If he repeats what he did last year, Pitts will not only take over the top spot, surpassing the great Jim Mitchell, but he will climb to sixth on the Falcons’ all-time receiving list, regardless of position.
“I think Kyle is going to be a big piece of this thing,” Falcons passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand said of Pitts. “He had huge production last year. He’s clearly one of the top guys in the league at that spot. Hopefully, we see a lot more of what we saw last year out of him, and he can continue on that upward trend.”
Atlanta, GA
Summerhill residents oppose plan to move Atlanta Olympic cauldron, citing community history and legacy
A proposal to move Atlanta’s Olympic cauldron from Summerhill to Centennial Olympic Park is drawing opposition from residents and community leaders who say the landmark represents more than just the 1996 Olympic Games — it is also a symbol of the neighborhood’s history and identity.
Dozens gathered Monday evening in Summerhill to protest plans to relocate the top portion of the Olympic Flame Tower, known as the cauldron, from its current location near Center Parc Stadium. The effort comes after Georgia State University announced a partnership with Olympic leaders, including Billy Payne and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, to move the cauldron while leaving the tower and Olympic rings bridge in place.
In a written statement, Georgia State said the project would help preserve Atlanta’s Olympic legacy while maintaining a connection to the Summerhill community.
For Sheryl Calhoun, however, the debate is deeply personal.
“It’s something that my mom was a part of,” Calhoun said. “So by means of it being here, it keeps her living in here.”
Calhoun’s mother, Mattie Ansley Jackson, spent decades advocating for residents living around the former Olympic Stadium. According to her daughter, Jackson worked on issues ranging from housing and employment to broader neighborhood development efforts.
“She helped the community,” Calhoun said. “She played a big part with summer jobs, housing, unemployment, making sure the community was okay.”
Jackson also carried the Olympic torch during the 1996 Games and remained proud of the cauldron’s presence in the neighborhood, Calhoun said.
“My mom loved this torch,” she said.
Community leaders say their primary concern is not necessarily the relocation itself, but how the decision was made.
“Georgia State called some of the community stakeholders to have a conversation about it and basically just told us what was going to happen,” said Sharon Pitchford, executive director of the Summerhill Neighborhood Development Corporation.
Pitchford said many residents view the cauldron as a lasting symbol of both the Olympic Games and Summerhill’s own story.
“It is literally infused in the culture of the area,” Pitchford said.
The controversy has also revived memories of previous development battles in the neighborhood. Calhoun said her mother spent years fighting to remain in her home as the area surrounding the former Olympic Stadium underwent significant changes. According to the family, Jackson was ultimately allowed to stay in the home for the remainder of her life.
Jackson died in 2020 at the age of 98. Today, the lot where her home once stood is under construction.
Calhoun said relocating the cauldron would feel like losing another piece of her mother’s legacy.
“They taken a piece of my mother,” she said. “They’re taking a piece of one in this community like that here and left.”
Georgia State declined an interview request from CBS News Atlanta and referred the station to its written statement announcing the relocation plans. The university said the tower and Olympic rings bridge would remain in Summerhill even if the cauldron is moved.
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