A new karaoke bar is headed to Reynoldstown. Why are locals upset?

This year, Yan Karaoke is set to open in the Atlanta Dairies in Reynoldstown, complete with 15,000 square feet of space, multiple bars, a restaurant, VIP areas and plenty of singing suites. It’s an ambitious project for the growing entertainment options in the Dairies. It’s also a hot-button issue for neighborhood residents and vocal historic preservationists.

The Atlanta Dairies is a former working dairy turned multi-use hub in 2010 by architecture firm Perkins & Will. Today, it’s home to The Eastern, Three Taverns Brewery, El Malo and more. It is also one of the city’s only remaining Streamline Moderne buildings.

Streamline Moderne is a late-Art Deco style from the 1930s, known for curved corners and horizontal lines. The only other Streamline Building in the city is the Atlanta Constitution Building. The dairies even have a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.

But the title provides no protections, and it can’t keep Yan Karaoke from making permanent changes to the historic exterior. Now, permit applications from the bar to alter the exterior are making locals sound the alarm. There are two key issues that groups like the Reynoldstown Civic Improvement League and the Atlanta Preservation take issue with: exterior changes and tinted windows.

“It’s totally unaligned with the building,” Atlanta Preservation Center David Mitchell said about the proposed changes. The first problem is dark window covers. It may seem minor, but its a touchstone issue in the neighborhood.

Dark, painted or reflective window coverings are banned in the Beltline Overlay District, where the Atlanta Dairies reside. But just down the street, a host of businesses have pitch-black windows, including Salt Factory Pub, Casa Coya and Girl Diver. According to urban design principles, it comes down to safety and pedestrian experience.