Atlanta, GA
Developer hopes to create a ‘city within the city’ along Atlanta’s Beltline
From thousands of affordable and luxury housing units to a community with schools, restaurants, and hotels, a developer wants to transform dozens of acres of property along the Beltline in Southwest Atlanta.
The 25-acre property off Sylvan Road SW currently includes vacant lots and empty warehouses.
However, developer Mike Abebe hopes to transform his property into a community where people can live, work, and play.
“This would impact the whole city of Atlanta,” Abebe said.
The high school dropout and Ethiopian immigrant is one of the largest single private landowners in the city and said he plans to create a development that promotes investment in the inner city of Atlanta.
“For me, my entire career has been in inner cities, and I’ve seen inner cities being de-invested instead of invested in,” added Abebe.
Abebe is partnering with the architectural firm Perkins and Will to design the renderings of the proposed development.
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He plans to create over 4,000 residential units, which will include both luxury and affordable housing, in addition to places for people to work and send their children to school.
“If you live here, we want to create enough jobs so you can work here. And if you’re a single mom, you can drop off your child by walking. You can pick up your child by walking,” Abebe shared.
Members of the Atlanta City Council recently reviewed the request to allow a zoning change for the development of the land.
If the zoning application is approved, Abebe said he wants construction on phase one of the project to begin in the spring of 2026.
He said the project is estimated to cost over $1 billion and will take about 10 years to complete.
“We have a lot of international investment interest because of the sheer scale and size of this,” Abebe said.
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Atlanta, GA
DreamHack Atlanta 2025 brings thousands of gamers, big prize pools, and global competition to Georgia
The Georgia World Congress Center has officially transformed into a gamer’s paradise this weekend as DreamHack Atlanta kicks off its 2025 festival — one of the largest gaming events in the country.
More than 40,000 gamers, fans, and esports enthusiasts are expected to fill the halls for three days of tournaments, interactive exhibits, and nonstop gaming energy. From E-A Sports competitions to Clash of Clans showdowns, DreamHack is drawing players from around the globe — each hoping to level up their skills and, for some, their bank accounts.
Global gamers, local excitement
Among the competitors is Rodrigo Oli, who traveled from Mexico City to take part in the E-A Sports FIFA tournament. After scoring a last-minute goal to advance to the next round, Oli says the stakes couldn’t be higher.
“Tomorrow, we’ll compete for a chance to win and play on the biggest stage,” Oli said. “I want to win the whole thing — it can be life-changing.”
Oli is one of roughly 300 competitive gamers battling for a share of $6.6 million in total prize money this weekend — with games like EA Soccer, EA Football, and Clash of Clans headlining the competition.
Clash of clans championship brings global teams to Atlanta
For 20-year-old Max Dearmey, a junior engineering major at North Carolina State University, the festival is more than just gaming — it’s a global stage.
“We won our first match today,” Dearmey said. “The top eight teams from around the world made it here after a year of qualifiers.”
Winners in the Clash of Clans tournament will take home $60,000 — and for Dearmey, whose family traveled to Atlanta to watch him play, the event is as much about community as it is competition.
Beyond the competition: A gamer’s wonderland
Even for those not competing, DreamHack is a chance to explore everything gaming has to offer — from free-to-play zones and virtual reality experiences to live music and cosplay showcases.
CBS Atlanta’s Leondra Head even jumped in on the fun, testing out a VR headset and saying, “This is beautiful — it’s like a mountain.”
As DreamHack continues through Sunday, organizers say the event celebrates the spirit of gaming — bringing together players of all ages and skill levels to share in the excitement, creativity, and community that define the modern gaming world.
If you go:
📍 Where: Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA
📅 When: Through Sunday, Nov. 2
🎟️ Tickets: Available at dreamhack.com/atlanta
Fairness, equity and justice are good for our city’s businesses and our esprit de corps as Atlantans.
Mayor Maynard Jackson was committed to increasing Black wealth through bolstering minority contracts during the construction of a new terminal at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, as it was then known. Jackson’s last name was added to the airport’s name after his death in 2003. (AJC archive)
By Bill Campbell, Shirley Franklin, Kasim Reed, Andrew Young and Keisha Lance Bottoms – For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
20 minutes ago
Atlanta has always stood at the forefront of the struggle for justice, opportunity and fairness.
From the pioneering work of W.E.B. Du Bois, whose scholarship inspired the founding of the NAACP in 1909, to A.T. Walden and John Wesley Dobbs organizing the Atlanta Negro Voters League in 1949 to register Black voters, to Martin Luther King Jr.’s moral leadership in the Civil Rights Movement, our city has shaped the conscience of America.
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Leaders must protect city’s successful diversity program
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Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens (left) joins hands and sings with former mayors Bill Campbell (second from left), Andrew Young (center, seated), Shirley Franklin (second from right) and Kasim Reed (right) during the Soul of Atlanta Rally at Big Bethel AME Church on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. Valerie Jackson, widow of the late Mayor Maynard Jackson, is third from the left. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)
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Atlanta’s brand is rooted in civil and human rights
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When Atlanta won the Olympics, hosted Super Bowls and welcomed conventions from across the world, it was because Atlanta represented something larger than itself: a city that values human dignity and fairness. (Miguel Martinez/AJC 2025)
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Andrew Young (center, seated) is honored at the “Forever Young” Legends Gala hosted by National Jewish Health in May. Atlanta mayors honoring Young were, from left, Kasim Reed, Shirley Franklin, Bill Campbell, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Andre Dickens, the city’s current mayor. (Jenni Girtman/Amanda Brown Olmstead PR 2025)
The world is looking for Atlanta’s moral leadership
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Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens speaks to local leaders and members of the public during the Soul of Atlanta Rally at Big Bethel AME Church on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)
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Mayor Andre Dickens is set to announce a new emergency effort Thursday to help Atlanta residents who may soon face food insecurity if federal food benefits are disrupted.
The mayor will be joined by Atlanta Community Food Bank President and CEO Kyle Wade, Goodr founder and CEO Jasmine Crowe-Houston, and Atlanta Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson for the announcement at noon at the Atlanta Community Food Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
City officials say the initiative aims to assist residents who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides vital food support to thousands of Atlantans, including seniors, individuals with disabilities, children, and working families.
The announcement comes as concerns grow over a potential lapse in federal SNAP funding that could leave many without access to essential food assistance. Dickens and community leaders are expected to outline how Atlanta plans to respond if federal aid is interrupted on Nov. 1.
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