A petition to shut down a Buckhead nightclub based on claims of increased neighborhood crime has gathered more than 2,000 signatures in about four days.
Elleven45 Lounge, located at 2110 Peachtree Road in south Buckhead, is the target of the petition, which calls the business “irresponsibly owned.”
“The owners of this bar/restaurant don’t respect our neighborhood or the codes set in place for establishments operating in this area and as a result the patrons have followed suit,” the petition reads. “We feel it is creating an unsafe environment in the neighborhood and is drawing criminal activity and behavior that should not be accepted in the residential area it resides.”
The Elleven45 Lounge is located at the intersection of Peachtree Road and Bennett Street, just a few blocks north of Piedmont Hospital. The club’s posted hours are 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday, and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Representatives for the Elleven45 lounge did not respond to requests for comment.
In 2019, the Atlanta Police Department received nearly 100 emergency calls associated with the Elleven45 Lounge’s address, as shown in department records obtained by AJC.com. However, the APD was unable to confirm some claims made in the petition.
The petition, written by Jenny Etheredge, who claims to be a resident in the neighborhood, says five shootings associated with the club had occurred in the past 11 months, resulting in four deaths. Police records indicate two 911 calls for shots fired near the Elleven45 club between June 6 and Aug. 8, with no homicides reported, APD spokesman Officer Anthony Grant said.
In the petition, Etheredge describes an incident Aug. 8 as a “gun battle” that happened in “broad daylight.” A shooting associated with the Elleven45 Lounge that damaged several cars around 8 p.m. on Aug. 8 was previously reported by AJC.com.
Additional claims in the petition include zoning violations, skirting liquor license laws and code violations related to adult entertainment. The petition claims that the club is “hosting stripper events with adult entertainers in attendance and offering specials on private rooms,” though it is common practice at many nightclubs to offer VIP areas and private rooms. The Elleven45 Lounge’s social media pages regularly advertise events with provocative photos of women.
The petition is addressed to Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlanta City Council members Howard Shook and J.P. Matzigkeit, officials at the APD and the Buckhead Coalition.
Etheredge, the author of the petition, could not be reached for comment.
The full petition can be found on change.org.
— Please return to AJC.com for updates.
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Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
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