ATLANTA — A beloved fixture in Atlanta’s Castleberry Hill neighborhood is now closed due to a city ordinance, leaving the future of the long-running tattoo shop City of Ink in question.
The City of Atlanta’s Code Enforcement shut down the shop, placing a stop-work order on its door in April. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday to determine whether the shop can remain open.
City of Ink co-founder Miya Bailey says he opened the shop in 2006, years before the ordinance that is now threatening its existence.
“It was all abandoned at the time, so we said we’d get the shop open, we’d sell art, add tattooing to the process. That was fast money,” Bailey said.
For nearly two decades, City of Ink has not only provided tattoos but served as a cultural hub, even appearing in music videos popular with millennial audiences.
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“That’s the engine that funds everything. Everything is at risk without City of Ink,” Bailey said, referring to the revenue that helps keep community spaces and galleries afloat.
The ordinance in question, passed in 2008, restricts tattoo shops from operating within certain distances of one another. But Bailey contends his business should be exempt, as it predates the regulation.
“I’m operating like I am grandfathered in, so I never thought we’d have a problem with that since we were there before the ordinance,” he said. “I believe in the mayor and him keeping his word. He said he’s going to work it out.”
Plushette Ellis, Castleberry Hill Economic Business Development Chair, said the issue goes beyond zoning laws.
“I think at stake is erasing the history and culture of Atlanta through the lens of gentrification,” Ellis said. “But also we should be investing in arts and culture. That is Atlanta.”
Bailey agrees that what’s really at risk is the soul of the community.
“It’s not about tattoos. It’s about community. It’s about legacy. It’s about culture. It’s about employing people and keeping jobs in Atlanta,” he said.
Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers reached out to Code Enforcement for comment. Officials confirmed receipt of the request and said they would follow up.
The hearing is scheduled for Thursday at noon.
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