Video of Pullman Yards owner berating Atlanta Watershed employee outrages neighbors, officials

Tensions between Pullman Yards’ owner and Kirkwood residents escalated over the weekend after security camera footage showed the owner berating an Atlanta Watershed employee.

The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM) is installing a new sewer line on Rogers Street NE. Pullman Yards, a large entertainment venue in Kirkwood, is located on Rogers Street.

Adam Rosenfelt with Atomic Entertainment, the company that owns Pullman Yards, declined repeated requests for comment about the video, which shows him following and screaming obscenities at the employee. A police report obtained by Decaturish and eyewitness accounts confirm he is the man seen in the video berating the Watershed employee in front of a home on Wade Avenue Northeast.

According to the police report, Rosenfelt is not being charged with a crime in connection to the incident. A spokesperson for APD said the Watershed employee declined to pursue the matter further.

The incident occurred on April 12 around 9:34 a.m.

The report says that the Watershed employee was assigned to direct traffic. She directed an approaching vehicle to turn around because the road was closed. Rosenfelt greeted her, the report says.

She told police he “instantly became belligerent” after she asked, “Hey, how you doing?”

Rosenfelt allegedly said, “This is private f—ing property, and you’re in my f—ing parking spot.”

It’s unclear from the report whether this incident began at Pullman Yards or another property in the area.

The employee said she had only parked there briefly and tried to explain that she would move her vehicle. The report says she did not know Rosenfelt owned the property in question. Rosenfelt, the report says, continued to yell at her. She got into her vehicle and moved closer to the construction site.

As she was on the phone with her boss, “Rosenfelt sped down the street, got out of his vehicle, and began to yell at the workers.”

The video begins with Rosenfelt approaching the employee on Wade Avenue. Warning: explicit language.

Wade Avenue is about a half mile from Pullman Yards. The Watershed employee, dressed in a yellow uniform, tried to get away from Rosenfelt, who followed her while screaming obscenities.

“I’m going to have you thrown out of the f—ng city,” Rosenfelt screamed as he advanced toward her. “Who the f— do you think you are? Who the f— do you think you are? …. Don’t ever talk to me like that again.”

“Leave me alone,” the Watershed employee yelled.

“How dare you curse at me on my property,” Rosenfelt shouted. “Get out of here. Now!”

Rosenfelt walked away. The police report says the other workers advised him to leave.

“I need this woman gone, now,” he yelled.

After Rosenfelt left, the frightened woman could be heard loudly sobbing. The resident who recorded the video – who did not wish to be identified – ran out to console her.

The resident said she and her husband know what Rosenfelt looks like from their walks through the neighborhood.

“All she told me is she was trying to do her job,” the resident who recorded the video said. “She was instructed to be there.”

The incident involving Rosenfelt and the Watershed employee has temporarily shut down Atlanta Watershed’s work on Rogers Street, according to an email sent by Watershed spokesperson Todd Gleaton, which was forwarded to Decaturish.

“Unfortunately, there was an incident this morning involving a verbal altercation with one of our traffic controllers at Arizona Avenue and Rogers Street,” Gleaton’s email says. The intersection is located near Pullman Yards. “As a result, the police were involved, and the contractor has decided to halt work …”

Gleaton’s email says work will not resume until April 22. There will be extra police in the area as well when work resumes, Gleaton’s email adds.

Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari, who represents Kirkwood, did not respond to Decaturish’s request for comment but posted about the incident on Facebook.

“I have seen the footage and have been in touch with Watershed, APD, adjacent neighbors and witnesses, and [the Kirkwood Neighbors Organization],” she wrote. “I am deeply, deeply disturbed by what transpired and am diligently following up with the assistance of APD, the police chief, Watershed leadership, and working to make sure the neighbors that witnessed this incident also feel safe and supported.”

Acrimony between Pullman Yards’ owner and Kirkwood residents has been in the air for months, as events at the facility have become a frequent topic of discussion at KNO meetings.

The state sold Pullman Yards to Atomic Entertainment in 2017, which planned to turn the facility into an entertainment complex and film studio. While some filming has occurred at the development, it has also hosted events that have generated noise and traffic affecting neighbors, like Fan Controlled Football. Of late, the upcoming SweetWater 420 Fest has heightened concerns among residents.

Members of the Kirkwood Neighborhood Organization (KNO) voted on April 10, to send a letter to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Bakhtiari outlining community concerns about traffic, noise and safety during large events at Pullman Yards.

KNO initially reached out with questions in a letter from May 2022, but residents felt they didn’t receive adequate answers.

In her Facebook post, Bakhtiari apologized for how she has handled neighborhood concerns about Pullman Yards.

“I am so sorry for the confusion, the frustration and to all that have had their quality of life affected by this,” the councilmember said. “While it is not always obvious or clear to see, I promise that this issue is top of mind and my team and I are doing everything we can to try and come up with solutions and to improve transparency, infrastructure and communication. I understand that I have not lived up to a lot of expectations regarding this site, and I am very sorry for that. I hear folks on that, and I will improve.”

The resident who recorded the video of the confrontation called the neighborhood’s relationship with Pullman Yards “very strained.” Traffic and noise are a constant source of frustration.

“I’m not gonna lie, we go over there occasionally,” she said. “We want to be able to enjoy the space and be able to walk to things. We had really high hopes. It’s a mess … It’s clear they prioritize making money over all else. They could make it something fantastic, but I don’t know why they haven’t.”

Writer Grace Donnelly contributed reporting to this story.

This story was provided by WABE content partner Decaturish.