Tattoo and Piercing Studio Proposed for King Street

James Marlowe, owner of Marlowe Ink in Fairfax, is hoping to open a second location of his business, offering tattooing and piercing, at a location on King Street in Alexandria, according to an application filed with the City planning commission.

The proposed business for Alexandria, King Street Studios, would be located at 1314 King St. Currently you’ll find Marlowe’s ArtBot Gallery at the location. The gallery was previously located at the Marlowe Ink Fairfax location and specializes in “lowbrow” art and pop surrealism, according to a story from 2013 in The Fairfax Times.

Marlowe, who has owned the Fairfax location since 2001, says the Alexandria business would include a manager, two licensed tattoo artists, a rotating guest tattoo artist and a licensed body piercer.

Proposed hours appear to be:

• Sunday-Monday: 1-8 p.m.
• Tuesday-Thursday: 1-9 p.m.
• Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

A petition that looks like it was started about two months ago on change.org asks the Alexandria City Council to “Approve a Tattoo Shop on King Street.”

The proposal is on the City Planning Commission docket Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. Any member of the public can sign up to speak at a meeting. Click the following link to complete a Speaker’s Form: http://survey.alexandriava.gov/s3/Planning-Commission-Speakers-Form

PHOTO: Google map photo of 1314 King Street in Alexandria shows location of proposed tattoo and piercing studio. The location currently houses ArtBot Gallery.