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The Food Truck Association of Georgia and Showcase Atlanta is joining forces to bring dozens of food trucks to residents and visitors flocking to Downtown for the World Cup. 

The latest: The pedestrian food truck corridor called Global Grub Alley is expected to feature 20 to 30 food trucks along Walton Street between Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Broad Street.

Walton Street from Cone to Broad streets will close to vehicular traffic.

The trucks will be open from 11am to 7pm on each of the eight game days and the day before each match.

Zoom in: Tickets aren't required for entry into Global Grub Alley, which is one block away from the official fan festival that's set to run June 11 through July 19 at Centennial Olympic Park.

What they're saying: Kelsey Maynor, director of small business engagement for Showcase Atlanta, which is helping small businesses capitalize on the World Cup's economic impact, said food trucks have been asking for this kind of moment for years.

"Global Grub Alley puts our small business owners and our food culture on the street, next to the biggest stage in the world," Maynor said.

How it works: The food truck association will manage vendor slots and member food trucks will get priority to participate. 

Non-member food trucks may join the alley if space is available and are asked to reach out to FTAG for more information.

What we're watching: A list of participating food trucks will be released as the game days get closer. You can keep track of which trucks are participating by clicking here.

Atlanta to host food truck alley during World Cup games

Between 20 and 30 food trucks will be stationed along Walton Street between Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Broad Street on game days and a day before each match.

Animated illustration of a line of food trucks driving from left to right.

An illustration of a line of food trucks driving from left to right.

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Food Truck Association of Georgia" data-vars-click-url="https://www.foodtruckassociationofgeorgia.com/" data-vars-content-id="3016d0d1-0955-43d8-8a6d-41178a22fdcc" data-vars-headline="Atlanta to host food truck alley during World Cup games" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.foodtruckassociationofgeorgia.com/" target="_blank">Food Truck Association of Georgia</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Showcase Atlanta" data-vars-click-url="https://showcaseatlanta.com/" data-vars-content-id="3016d0d1-0955-43d8-8a6d-41178a22fdcc" data-vars-headline="Atlanta to host food truck alley during World Cup games" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://showcaseatlanta.com/" target="_blank">Showcase Atlanta</a> is joining forces to bring dozens of food trucks to residents and visitors flocking to Downtown for the World Cup. The latest: The pedestrian food truck corridor called Global Grub Alley <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="is expected" data-vars-click-url="https://www.atlantaga.gov/Home/Components/News/News/15738/1338" data-vars-content-id="3016d0d1-0955-43d8-8a6d-41178a22fdcc" data-vars-headline="Atlanta to host food truck alley during World Cup games" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.atlantaga.gov/Home/Components/News/News/15738/1338" target="_blank">is expected</a> to feature 20 to 30 food trucks along Walton Street between Centennial Olympic Park Drive and Broad Street.

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Sports

Food and Drink

Northside Hospital Atlanta in Sandy Springs is expanding its emergency department footprint to respond to the steady increase in patients each year.

Why it matters: As metro Atlanta grows, area hospitals and medical facilities must meet the demand that comes with an expanding population.

The latest: The two-story, 67,000-square-foot expansion will add 18 treatment rooms, a new entrance and lobby, five triage rooms, and a CT scanner, says Chris Munn, Northside's director of emergency services.

It also includes renovations to about 7,800 square feet of space on its ground floor.

The project began in April and is projected to cost $47 million, Munn says.

What they're saying: Munn tells Axios the Sandy Springs hospital, which Northside calls its Atlanta campus, expanded its emergency department in 2013, but "we've continued to see strong growth of patients coming to the emergency department as metro Atlanta has grown."

The number of patients who visit the emergency department each year grew from 39,000 three decades ago to 68,000 in 2025, Munn says.

"We were undersized for the area that we're serving," he says.

The expansion will also allow the hospital to accept more patients arriving via EMS if they are rerouted from other facilities due to capacity issues, he says.

Zoom in: Northside will also build a 17,000-square-foot parking area for its visitors and patients.

Some parking areas have been closed to accommodate the construction, but Northside has reserved parking in its Gold Deck for patients and visitors.

Parking has also been reconfigured for staff members in the emergency department, which Munn says is a little more than 200 people.

Context: Northside Hospital Atlanta is on the eastern edge of Sandy Springs in an area known as Pill Hill. That nickname is due to its high concentration of hospitals and medical offices. 

Along with Northside, the area is home to Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. 

Catch up quick: According to its website, Northside Hospital opened in 1970 with 250 beds. It now has more than 600 beds and employs 4,000 doctors and 14,000 employees.

The company also has four additional hospitals: Northside Hospital Cherokee in Canton, Northside Hospital Forsyth in Cumming, Northside Hospital Gwinnett and Northside Hospital Duluth.

What's next: Munn says the expansion is expected to finish by March 2028.

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite

Northside Hospital expands emergency department to meet demand

The 67,000-square-foot expansion will add 18 treatment rooms, a new entrance and lobby, five triage rooms, EKG rooms, and a CT scanner in a two-story building.

Rendering of a modern hospital exterior with a glass facade, a covered entrance, a vertical red emergency sign, ambulances parked at the curb, and pedestrians under a blue sky.

Northside Hospital Atlanta in Sandy Springs is building a 67,000-square-foot emergency department expansion.

Northside Hospital Atlanta in Sandy Springs is expanding its emergency department footprint to respond to the steady increase in patients each year.Why it matters: As metro Atlanta <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="grows" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/08/14/atlanta-population-growth-arc-region-fulton-henry-gwinnett-forsyth" data-vars-content-id="3382d792-2336-442d-8fa4-cacf95ef6aae" data-vars-headline="Northside Hospital expands emergency department to meet demand" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/08/14/atlanta-population-growth-arc-region-fulton-henry-gwinnett-forsyth" target="_self">grows</a>, area hospitals and medical facilities must meet the demand that comes with an expanding population.

Health

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Business

Criminal justice reform advocates are applauding Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat's move to limit the number of people booked into the Rice Street Jail. 

Why it matters: The agency has been in a long-running fight to address crowding and crumbling infrastructure at Rice Street.

The jail has been plagued with violent assaults, deaths and deteriorating conditions that prompted a federal investigation and a subsequent consent decree.

The latest: Starting Wednesday, July 1, the agency will no longer accept people charged with misdemeanors unless those cases involve sexual assault, domestic violence and "aggravated misdemeanor circumstances" (when someone is classified as a repeat offender of certain crimes).

What they're saying: Devin Barrington-Ward, founder of Black Futurist Group, an organization that advocates for social justice reforms, said he and other activists have for years "warned that flooding the jail with people accused of low-level offenses was making the overcrowded situation worse."

Driving the news: Barrington-Ward and several other representatives of community organizations spoke in support of Labat's decision at a press conference Thursday.

Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts, who introduced (and the commission approved) a resolution calling on the sheriff to prioritize space for serious offenders, said the change will be good for the county and city "if we follow through on what we all want here."

Caveat: Pitts said his resolution wanted the change to take effect before the 2026 World Cup Games, and he plans to meet with Labat to discuss timing. 

"My hope [is] that if it's successful — and I have every reason to believe that it will be successful — I would like to see it become a permanent policy within Fulton County," he said. 

The big picture: Devin Franklin, senior movement policy counsel at the Southern Center for Human Rights, said while misdemeanors are not serious crimes, people who are arrested and can't afford to post bond often face serious consequences like losing their jobs or homes.

Context: This latest change also comes weeks after a former detainee, Rashaad Muhammad, told commissioners the medical care he received while incarcerated at Rice Street led to him losing his feet and fingers.

By the numbers: Fulton County's total jail population was 2,849 as of Thursday.

Rice Street, which has a capacity of 1,900, was bumping up against that figure with 1,867 detainees.

What's next: The sheriff's office will spend the next month educating law enforcement agencies, the public and local governments about the change.

Fulton sheriff will stop booking some misdemeanor cases

People arrested in cases involving sexual assault, domestic violence and "aggravated misdemeanor circumstances" will still go to jail.

A large beige building with several towers and small, vertical-lined windows. Power lines and utility poles are in the foreground.

Beginning July 1, the Fulton County Sheriff's Office will not accept bookings for people charged with certain misdemeanors. Photo: Courtesy of Alyssa Pointer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Criminal justice reform advocates are applauding Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat&#x27;s move to limit the number of people booked into the Rice Street Jail. Why it matters: The agency has been in a long-running fight to address crowding and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="crumbling infrastructure" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2024/07/12/fulton-county-jail-conditions" data-vars-content-id="99222078-d76b-4289-b580-a33f774d59cb" data-vars-headline="Fulton sheriff will stop booking some misdemeanor cases" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2024/07/12/fulton-county-jail-conditions" target="_self">crumbling infrastructure</a> at Rice Street.<ul><li>The jail has been plagued with violent assaults, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="deaths" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/05/23/lashawn-thompson-independent-autopsy-fulton-county-jail" data-vars-content-id="99222078-d76b-4289-b580-a33f774d59cb" data-vars-headline="Fulton sheriff will stop booking some misdemeanor cases" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/05/23/lashawn-thompson-independent-autopsy-fulton-county-jail" target="_self">deaths</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="deteriorating conditions" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2024/11/14/doj-investigation-grave-safety-failures-unconstitutional-conditions-at-fulton-county-jail" data-vars-content-id="99222078-d76b-4289-b580-a33f774d59cb" data-vars-headline="Fulton sheriff will stop booking some misdemeanor cases" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2024/11/14/doj-investigation-grave-safety-failures-unconstitutional-conditions-at-fulton-county-jail" target="_self">deteriorating conditions</a> that prompted a federal investigation and a subsequent <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="consent decree" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/01/03/fulton-jail-consent-decree" data-vars-content-id="99222078-d76b-4289-b580-a33f774d59cb" data-vars-headline="Fulton sheriff will stop booking some misdemeanor cases" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/01/03/fulton-jail-consent-decree" target="_self">consent decree</a>.</li></ul>

Public Safety

U.S. Sen Jon Ossoff and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms came together Sunday to convince voters that party unity is Democrats' best shot at winning in November.

Why it matters: Sunday's rally was the first joint appearance by the pair, who are banking on the surge of Democratic voter turnout in the May 19 primary to lead to a victory on Nov. 3.

The latest: Bottoms is seeking to become Georgia's first Democratic governor in more than 20 years while Ossoff is running to keep a seat the Republican Party sees as one of their best pickup opportunities to maintain their majority.

Driving the news: The rally, held at The Tabernacle in Downtown Atlanta, was standing room only in a venue that can hold up to 2,200 people. 

Pastor Jamal Bryant of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church introduced Ossoff while Lincoln Bottoms introduced her mother. 

What they're saying: Both candidates criticized Republicans at the state and federal level for refusing to expand Medicaid and not responding effectively to the rising costs of health care, gas prices, groceries and utilities.

Bottoms, the former Atlanta mayor who pulled off a surprise primary election win by avoiding a runoff, said she's been asked if she'd rather run against Lt. Gov. Burt Jones or billionaire Rick Jackson.

The two men, who are on the June 16 GOP primary runoff ballot for the governor's race, are "one in the same" who see President Trump's policies as a "playbook," Bottoms said.

"So, while we may have to sit through another two and a half weeks of their attacks on one another, and even me, we already know we're running against Trump's do-boys," she said.

Zoom in: The two candidates seeking to unseat Ossoff — U.S. Rep. Mike Collins and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley — are on the Republican Senate primary runoff ballot.

Ossoff said both candidates are "already mired in scandal." 

Collins was investigated earlier this year by the House Ethics Committee for allegedly using taxpayer dollars to pay an intern who was dating his chief of staff, but did not perform any duties. At a debate with Dooley on Sunday, Collins called the probe a "nothing burger." 

Ossoff referenced an article by 11Alive which reported that a security company owned by Dooley's brother, Daniel, who is reportedly Kemp's childhood friend, received millions in contracts from local school systems.

"They're both corrupt political insiders, and they're both pro-war, pro-tariff, and pro cutting your health care," Ossoff said. "They're both Trump puppets, and we'll beat either one of them in November."

State of play: Ossoff is the only Senate Democrat running for reelection in a state that Trump won in 2024, according to the AP.

What's next: Early voting for the June 16 runoff election begins June 8. 

Ossoff and Bottoms fire up Democratic voters at Atlanta rally

Sunday's rally was the first joint appearance by the pair, who hope to capitalize on the surge of voter turnout in the Democratic primary.

Stage rally with a large blue backdrop reading "Jon Ossoff". Diverse crowd holds blue signs reading "Atlanta for Ossoff"; a woman in a tan suit raises arms  with a man in a blue shirt and green pants at the podium front and center.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) hold their hands in the air following a rally at the Tabernacle in Downtown Atlanta on Sunday, May 31. Photo: Kristal Dixon/Axios

U.S. Sen Jon Ossoff and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms came together Sunday to convince voters that party unity is Democrats&#x27; best shot at winning in November.Why it matters: Sunday&#x27;s rally was the first joint appearance by the pair, who are banking on the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="surge of Democratic voter turnout" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/democrats-outpace-republicans-in-early-voting-in-georgia-primaries/" data-vars-content-id="b4dff614-fde3-4014-bdf7-be72b2ed7e0a" data-vars-headline="Ossoff and Bottoms fire up Democratic voters at Atlanta rally" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ajc.com/politics/2026/05/democrats-outpace-republicans-in-early-voting-in-georgia-primaries/" target="_blank">surge of Democratic voter turnout</a> in the May 19 primary to lead to a victory on Nov. 3.

Politics

City leaders and stakeholders are ushering in a new era for the former CNN Center as developers work to open the complex ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

The latest: CP Group, which owns the building, is in the final stretch of opening The CTR to the public.

Driving the news: CP hosted a ceremony Wednesday to mark a new chapter for a building that founding partner Chris Eachus said had "started to feel like more of a fortress and less of a living room" when it was closed to the public.

The CTR's opening, he said, will be the first of a wave "that will last long after the World Cup leaves Atlanta."

"What we are witnessing — what all of you in this room are helping us build today — is the beginning of a new era for Downtown Atlanta," he said.

Zoom in: At the center of the 24,000-square-foot space will be a bar that can seat up to 60 people and will include 11 bartender stations.

A dozen dining concepts at the CTR include Dessert Box, Flora D'Italia, Fuzzy's Seafood, La Tropical, Mimi Taqueria and Morelli's Ice Cream.

Mastro's Ocean Club, an upscale steakhouse and seafood spot on the ground floor, will be CTR's signature restaurant.

Zoom out: Wednesday's event followed a ribbon-cutting ceremony opening Founders Green, a small public park in South Downtown, another area primed for World Cup activity.

Catch up quick: CP Group purchased the complex in 2021. CNN, located there since 1987, moved its Atlanta staff from the Downtown hub back to its original Midtown campus in 2023.

Flashback: When it originally opened in 1976, the property was home for six months to The World of Sid and Marty Krofft, a doomed attempt at creating the country's first indoor amusement park.

After CNN claimed the space, the complex — and, by extension, the city — became a domestic and international news production hub.

Fun fact: The CTR is home to Ted Turner's penthouse, which we got to see during a tour back in April.

What we're watching: Eachus, who paid tribute to the CNN founder, who died earlier this month, said CP Group is restoring Turner's apartment and working with his family to "keep his story alive inside these walls for the next 50 years."

The CTR nears completion in Downtown Atlanta

At the center of the 24,000-square-foot space will be a huge bar that can seat up to 60 people.

Group of formally dressed people on a stage with a red backdrop reading "The CTR ATL". Two women in blue dresses and three men in suits surround a lit podium as photographers film amid sparks.

Chris Eachus (center), founding partner of CP Group, presses a button to set off confetti and sparklers to mark the opening of The CTR. Photo: Kristal Dixon/Axios

City leaders and stakeholders are ushering in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a new era" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/04/22/the-ctr-atlanta-food-hall-atrium" data-vars-content-id="fbf649cc-8a3c-4c7c-8d83-54ae6019bfb4" data-vars-headline="The CTR nears completion in Downtown Atlanta" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2026/04/22/the-ctr-atlanta-food-hall-atrium" target="_self">a new era</a> for the former CNN Center as developers work to open the complex ahead of the FIFA World Cup.The latest: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CP Group" data-vars-click-url="https://cpgcre.com/" data-vars-content-id="fbf649cc-8a3c-4c7c-8d83-54ae6019bfb4" data-vars-headline="The CTR nears completion in Downtown Atlanta" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://cpgcre.com/" target="_blank">CP Group</a>, which owns the building, is in the final stretch of opening The CTR to the public.

Kristal Dixon

Featured stories

Ossoff and Bottoms fire up Democratic voters at Atlanta rally

Atlanta to host food truck alley during World Cup games

Fulton sheriff will stop booking some misdemeanor cases

Northside Hospital expands emergency department to meet demand

The CTR nears completion in Downtown Atlanta