City of Alton - Committee of the Whole Meeting

629 Ridge St. in Alton, the site of a proposed tattoo parlor.

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ALTON – The City of Alton is moving forward with a redevelopment agreement with Kyle Hulker to open a new tattoo parlor in Alton.

The Alton Committee of the Whole on Monday unanimously approved the redevelopment agreement, sending it to the City Council for final approval this Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

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The tattoo parlor would be located in a two-story brick building at 629 Ridge St., on the corner of Ridge and 7th Street. Hulker is defined under the agreement as the “developer,” doing business as “Blue Bird Tattoo.”

Alderman Raymond Strebel noted the building has been sitting vacant for three years, and while it has the proper zoning classification, it doesn’t have enough on-site parking.

Under the agreement, the city would reimburse Hulker for up to 25% of the construction cost for a new concrete parking lot. With the new lot estimated at $40,000, the city’s portion is not to exceed $10,000.

Hulker was previously the owner of Alton Tattoo Company and Sherry’s Snacks, which were formerly down the street from each other on College Avenue.

A full recording of the Alton Committee of the Whole meeting from March 10, 2025 is available at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.

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