Tattoo parlor marks first casualty of Hotel Chelsea renovation

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The Rising Dragon Chelsea Tattoo Company and the Hotel Chelsea
The first known casualty of the Chetrit Group’s renovation of Hotel Chelsea appears to be the Rising Dragon Chelsea Tattoo Company, a retail tenant on the hotel’s ground floor. According to the New York Times, while it remains unclear what the Chetrits have planned for that particular space, the hotel will get a gym and a rooftop bar.

The tattoo parlor has operated out of the hotel’s ground floor since 1997, and on a month-to-month handshake agreement with the hotel’s previous manager, Stanley Bard, since 2007. However, in September the Chetrits told the owner of the parlor, Darren Rosa, that he would have to leave. The shop must vacate the hotel today.

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“[Ownership] said they were looking for retail that would embody ‘lifestyle,’” Rosa said.

While the employees of the tattoo parlor will work out of another shop managed by Rosa, the fate of Hotel Chelsea is still uncertain. Most of the tenants of the building’s 83 apartments remain, and they have hired legal representation to help lend voice to their concerns regarding the extensive renovations. [NYT]