Senator Salazar Rallies for Jimmy’s Corner and Small Business Rent Stabilization

Julia Salazar

April 10, 2026

Lawmakers and supporters gather for Jimmy's Corner and Small Business Rent Stabilization

Senator Salazar, Jimmy's Corner owner Adam Glenn, lawmakers, and supporters rally for Jimmy's Corner and Small Business Rent Stabilization

New York City, NY – Owner of Jimmy’s Corner Adam Glenn, Senator Julia Salazar, Assemblymember Emily Gallagher, Small Business United, small business owners and additional lawmakers rallied in support of Jimmy's Corner and Small Business Rent Stabilization (S8319 / A5568A). Jimmy’s Corner is an iconic, locally owned bar in Times Square. Yet Durst Organization – a real estate company – is attempting to evict them, despite their lease not ending until 2029.   

   

Small Business Rent Stabilization would protect at-will tenants, prohibit unaffordable rent hikes, and guarantee lease renewals for small businesses in New York City. Under this legislation, the current owner of Jimmy’s Corner could be considered an at-will tenant and therefore protected. 

 

Lead Bill Sponsor State Senator Julia Salazar:  

“Jimmy’s Corner is a beloved small business and member of the community. It has had an impact that corporate businesses could never replicate. Unfortunately, there are countless small businesses just like Jimmy’s that are being squeezed out of our city. Big landlords are charging rents so high that the only business owners who can afford to pay are corporate chains. Or, they’re keeping storefronts vacant until larger, wealthier tenants come along. This is a toxic and now commonplace pattern that is shuttering our small businesses, putting New Yorkers out of work, and turning our vibrant neighborhoods into chain malls. Small Business Rent Stabilization would be a lifeline for local businesses in New York City by capping outrageous rent hikes, guaranteeing lease renewals, and protecting at-will tenants. ”    

  

Lead Bill Sponsor Assemblymember Emily Gallagher:  

“Small, local businesses make our neighborhoods vibrant, our communities safer, and our city unique. But increasingly, you have to be a huge chain or a venture-backed business to make it in this city. Landlords leave storefronts vacant while they wait for these cookie cutter establishments to come in and price out beloved local counterparts. The Small Business Rent Stabilization Act will protect our local businesses and ensure NYC continues to be a place where they can thrive.” 

  

“What is happening with Jimmy's Corner—recently described by a patron as “the only real bar in the neighborhood”—perfectly illustrates how unfairly tilted the scales are for small businesses right now. Our government has left New York City’s commercial tenants largely unprotected. Current policies fail to recognize that these establishments provide essential services, create jobs, and contribute deep social and cultural value—often for decades. In this case, that legacy spans 54 years. Yet all of that can be erased overnight, and even leveraged for profit by landlords. The story of Jimmy’s Corner is a wake-up call. It underscores the urgent need for the city to finally establish meaningful protections for commercial tenants and we need to start with the most fundamental of them all, the passage of commercial rent stabilization,” said Olympia Kazi, cofounder NYC Artist Coalition and Music Workers Alliance 

  

"Jimmy's Corner is a New York institution, but could soon be forced to close its doors as a result of a dubious eviction proceeding," said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing. "Nearly half of New York State's workforce is employed by small businesses, but drastic rent hikes and corporate greed have pushed thousands of these businesses to close in recent years. We need to act to lend a hand to New York City's beleaguered businesses by supporting Assemblymember Gallagher's legislation, the Small Business Rent Stabilization Act, which will protect at-will tenants, prohibit unaffordable rent hikes and guarantee lease renewals for small businesses across our city." 

 

“Local businesses are the backbone of New York City, but far too many are being forced out by skyrocketing commercial rents and price-gouging. Small-business rent stabilization will help protect the very neighborhood institutions that create jobs, build community, and give NYC its quintessential character. I am proud to support this effort and thank Assemblymember Gallagher and Senator Salazar for sponsoring this important legislation,” said Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon. 

  

Recent Examples  

  • Gino’s Pizzeria in Brooklyn: Miami-based Tristar Management recently bought the building and raised Gino’s rent from $10,000 to $25,000, forcing Gino’s to shut down. 
  • Caffeine Underground (Bushwick), closed on March 31 after 9 years. They said: "Rents are suffocating the scene." 

 

Small Business Rent Stabilization Act:   

  • Prohibits unaffordable rent hikes for small businesses in NYC   
  • Guarantees lease renewals for small businesses in NYC  
  • Protects at-will tenants with the right to request a written lease  
  • Creates the Commercial Rent Guidelines Board to set maximum annual rent increases for commercial tenants  

  

Why we need this:   

  • Small businesses in our city are struggling to keep up with corporate-level rent hikes. Commercial rents are being raised to levels only national and global chains can afford, effectively pricing local businesses out.    
  • Vacancy is indirectly incentivized. Currently, many landlords will wait for a national chain that’s willing to pay three times the rent, rather than rent to a local business that will serve the community.    
  • The upward mobility ladder is breaking. Small businesses have been the entry point to American economic success for generational New Yorkers and newcomers alike. When rent doubles overnight, it derails generational wealth building.  

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