Atlanta businesses push back on proposed liquor license pause as leaders seek to curb Edgewood Avenue violence
After a string of violent incidents occurred along Atlanta's Edgewood Avenue corridor in recent years, business owners, residents and city leaders are weighing new strategies aimed at making one of the city's busiest nightlife districts safer.
Among the proposals under consideration is a resolution that would temporarily suspend new alcohol licenses for businesses opening along the corridor for six months. The measure was discussed during the Atlanta City Council's Public Safety and Legal Administration Committee meeting on June 22 and is one of several recommendations stemming from the Edgewood Corridor Public Safety Task Force.
Edgewood Avenue has long been known for its restaurants, bars and nightlife. But local business owners say improving safety will require a broader approach than limiting new liquor licenses.
Cyrei Daniel, owner of Sweet Me Good Bakery and president of the Historic District Business Association, said business owners have been meeting with city leaders and task force members to identify practical safety improvements.
"One thing that came out was best practices around ID scanning, best practices around when people are jumping from place to place to place. We want to make sure that we're kind of keeping track of how traffic is moving," Daniel said.
The task force's December report also recommended expanding police-connected surveillance cameras, increasing lighting, improving coordination among businesses and law enforcement, and investing in youth violence-reduction initiatives.
During the June 22 committee meeting, task force member Dorthey Hurst said the recommendation to temporarily pause new liquor licenses came directly from community members.
"That recommendation came from the community," Hurst said. "We support small businesses and we actually want them to thrive. They cannot do that with continuous violence and violent crimes."
Not all business owners agree the proposal would improve safety.
Bobbie Robinson, who owns several Harold's Chicken and Ice Bar restaurants, including one on Edgewood Avenue, said collaboration among existing and future businesses would be more effective than limiting new alcohol licenses.
"I don't think that if they put a temporary stop on the alcohol licenses that will deter any negative activity," Robinson said. "Whoever the new businesses are that have the liquor license, they just need to work together with the current business owners."
Longtime Edgewood resident Jacob Vickers also questioned whether the proposal could have unintended consequences.
"No one wants to feel like you've gotten pigeonholed into having to submit to something because of some vested interest that's out of your control," Vickers said. "I'm worried that something like that could create frustration in the community."
Daniel said business owners are instead focused on strengthening communication with the Atlanta Police Department and expanding the city's new nightlife ambassador program.
"The simple thing of just having officers in the space — having the new nightlife ambassador program working in tandem with business owners — it's implementing those kinds of things outside of having to pass a resolution," she said.
Business owners also hope the conversation surrounding Edgewood Avenue extends beyond crime and nightlife.
"When people come to the Edgewood area, they need to know that they've got just a plethora of places to go — restaurants, bakeries, art galleries, clothing stores, boutiques," Robinson said. "If visitors know they can come here and feel safe, that's the thing right there."
With the Fourth of July holiday approaching, business owners told CBS News Atlanta they are treating public safety with urgency as they work alongside city leaders to improve conditions while preserving the corridor's vibrant character.
