The developer turning CNN's former Downtown headquarters into a mixed-use complex says they're on track to welcome the public before the FIFA World Cup.

Why it matters: CP Group's makeover of the 1.2 million square-foot complex dubbed The Center could become a gateway to a major activity hub during the month of soccer matches and into the future.

Zoom in: CP Group, which calls itself the largest owner of commercial properties in Atlanta, purchased the complex in 2021. It is planning a "year-round destination and hub" for shopping, food, business and more.

• Scheduled for completion by the World Cup: street-level entrances to a renovated atrium food hall, public terraces and plazas, as well as murals and art installations.
• A digital "ATL" sculpture will take the place of the oversized and photo-friendly CNN logo, which followed the news outlet in 2024 to its new offices at the Turner Techwood campus in Midtown.

Catch up quick: Opened in 1976 as the Omni International Complex, 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.

• CNN claimed the space 11 years later, and the complex — and by extension, the city — became a domestic and international news production hub. In the process, it was a reminder to countless viewers that Atlanta exists.

The big picture: Right now, the Gulch is metro Atlanta's development epicenter. The megaprojects taking shape — see Centennial Yards' master-planned districts and South Downtown's parcel-by-parcel revitalizations — could create an everything-for-everyone entertainment and tourism hub.

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Cobb County Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor has been indicted in connection with allegations she told an employee to delete documents that were requested under the Georgia Open Records Act.

Driving the news: Taylor was indicted yesterday on two counts each of violation of oath of office and destruction of public records, Attorney General Chris Carr's office announced.

• According to Carr, Taylor directed an employee to delete government emails and financial records in response to a request made in 2022.

What they're saying: "Any attempts to conceal or destroy government records are serious allegations that cannot be ignored, and those responsible will be held accountable," Attorney General Chris Carr said.

Catch up quick: The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said it was asked on Nov. 16, 2022, to investigate accusations that Taylor destroyed documents after receiving a request for information related to passport fees collected by the Clerk of Superior Court office.

• The AJC reported earlier that month that Taylor had been adding processing fees to her personal income, a move that's legal in Georgia and added $425,000 to her pay.
• According to the AJC, a whistleblower from Taylor's office alleged they were told, in response to the newspaper's open records request, to delete files that were related to the fees.

The intrigue: Despite the controversy, Taylor, a Democrat, was reelected last year to another four-year term with 54% of the vote.

Go deeper

Your dog does the business during an evening walk around the neighborhood. You scoop it up and are faced with an age-old question:

• Are dog owners duty-bound to tote their pet's waste home? Or should they feel free to use their neighbors' trash receptacles?

Driving the news: We've learned how people do it in Miami and Tampa Bay. It's Atlanta's turn to settle the argument that has tested the seams of our societal fabric.

Tell us your thoughts on this question.

• Hit reply or email us at [email protected] and let us know where you stand on the great doo-doo debate and why.
• You can also take our poll on the question.

It's still swimsuit season — but the giant skeletons are already stirring this Summerween.

Why it matters: Big-box retailers — including Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart and Costco — are moving early on Halloween as tariffs threaten to raise prices and fuel even more urgency among consumers.

• Home Depot is scheduled to launch its full Halloween collection online on Monday, and in stores ahead of Labor Day.

Zoom out: Halloween is big money for retailers, which is why Summerween has turned the spooky season into a summer shopping event.

• Last year's holiday sales were projected to reach $11.6 billion, according to the National Retail Federation's annual survey.

The big picture: The October holiday is one of the seasonal events most affected by tariffs, with the majority of Halloween items imported from China.

• The Halloween and Costume Association warned in April that tariffs were threatening to "wipe out Halloween and severely disrupt Christmas."

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🏘️ Fulton County's proposal to withdraw from the Westside Tax Allocation District raises questions about the future of building affordable housing in distressed areas and if those projects come at the expense of funding schools and government services. (Atlanta Civic Circle)

Garrett Rolfe, the Atlanta police officer who shot and killed Rayshard Brooks (but was not prosecuted in the case), was charged with simple battery in connection with a June 29 fight at a bar in Midtown. (WSB)

The cause of death of a man held at an immigration detention facility in South Georgia where conditions are reportedly overcrowded was ruled to be suicide. (AJC)

🗳️ Republican State Rep. Houston Gaines announced he will seek the Georgia 10th Congressional District seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, who is running for the U.S. Senate seat. (11 Alive)