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S10559Senate2025-2026 SessionSame asA11457

Allow Alcohol Sales Near Church

Official title

“Exempts certain property from the prohibition of alcohol sales within a certain distance of a school or place of worship”

Sponsor Brian KavanaghSD-27Affects Economy
Status
Senate Floor Calendar
Impact
3/10
Low
Outcome
Companion signed

Bill progress

Signed via A11457

What's happening

This bill allows alcohol sales at a specific property near a place of worship in Manhattan.

Why it matters

  1. Carves out a highly specific exemption. to New York’s general rule prohibiting alcohol sales within 200 feet of schools or places of worship, applying only to a precisely described property in Manhattan—setting a precedent for property-by-property legislative exceptions.

  2. Could significantly impact development and business opportunities. for the designated property, potentially increasing its value and attractiveness for restaurants, bars, or similar establishments that rely on alcohol sales to be profitable.

  3. Reflects the influence of local interests and negotiation. , as the exemption likely responds to unique circumstances or lobbying from property owners or developers, highlighting how state law can be tailored to accommodate specific economic or community priorities.

  4. May spark debate about fairness and consistency. in alcohol licensing, as other property owners near schools or places of worship might seek similar exemptions, raising questions about whether such carve-outs undermine the broader intent of existing public safety laws.

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Who cares

  • Local Restaurant and Bar Owners/Developers

    Businesses or developers seeking to open a new restaurant or bar within the specified parcels in Lower Manhattan will benefit from the exemption to the current prohibition on alcohol sales near places of worship.

  • Real Estate Owners and Investors

    Owners or investors in the specifically described properties will see increased property value and development potential due to the newly permitted alcohol license eligibility.

  • Likely concerns

    Nearby Places of Worship

    Churches, synagogues, and other places of worship in close proximity may have concerns about the impact of nearby alcohol-serving establishments on their congregants and community relations.

  • Local Residents and Community Boards

    People living in or near the affected area, as well as community boards that review liquor license applications, will be interested in how this exemption might change neighborhood dynamics, foot traffic, and quality-of-life issues.

Headline styles

Allow Alcohol Sales Near Church

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Brian Kavanagh

Senator · Senate District 27

Chair, Housing, Construction And Community Development

No co-sponsors yet.

History

  1. Substituted by A11457B
  2. Ordered to third reading cal.1691
  3. Committee discharged and committed to rules
  4. Print number 10559a
  5. Amend (t) and recommit to commerce, economic development and small business
  6. Referred to commerce, economic development and small business

Companion bill

The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.

A11457Assembly

Allow Alcohol Near Churches

Signed by Governor · Sponsor Charles Fall

Impact 3 · LowSigned into law

Full text

2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

10559--A

IN SENATE

May 21, 2026

Introduced by Sen. KAVANAGH -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and Small Business -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

AN ACT to amend the alcoholic beverage control law, in relation to an exemption for certain property from the prohibition of alcohol sales within a certain distance of a school or place of worship

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Subdivision 7 of section 64 of the alcoholic beverage control law is amended by adding a new paragraph (e-18) to read as follows:

(e-18) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subdivision, the authority may issue a retail license for on-premises consumption for a premises which shall be located within two hundred feet of a building occupied as a school, church, synagogue or other place of worship, provided such premises constitute a premises for the sale of food or beverages at retail for consumption on the premises located wholly within the boundaries of the county of Manhattan, bounded and described as follows:

AS TO THE FEE PARCEL:

ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of New York, bounded and described as follows:

BEGINNING at the corner formed by the intersection of the Easterly side of Greenwich Street with the Southerly side of Thames Street;

RUNNING THENCE Easterly along the Southerly side of Thames Street, 119 feet 3-1/2 inches to the ground now or late belonging to James Walker and formerly leased to E. Devoe and M. Williams;

THENCE Southerly along the same, 79 feet 8 inches to the Southerly line of land conveyed by the Rector, Church Wardens and Vestrymen of the Protestant Episcopal Church of St. Stephens of the City of New York to The Hamilton Building Company by Deed dated February 1, 1907 and

EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

[ ] is old law to be omitted.

LBD15941-02-6

recorded February 4, 1907 in Liber 110 Cp 42 Sec. 1 in the Office of the Register of the County of New York;

THENCE Westerly along the same, 106 feet 10 inches, more or less (deed) 107.01 feet (actual) to the Easterly side of Greenwich Street; and

THENCE Northerly along the said Easterly side of Greenwich Street, 82 feet 7 inches to the point or place of BEGINNING.

AS TO THE EASEMENT PARCEL:

Easements, for the benefits of Fee Parcel, over the parcel of land described below, for light and air, and unobstructed view, above a lower limiting plane at an elevation of 129.38 feet above Datum Level (such Datum Level 2.75 feet above the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Datum, mean sea level, Sandy Hook, New Jersey), as described in (and subject to the terms and conditions of) (i) Section 2(c) of that certain Zoning Lot Development and Easement Agreement dated September 7, 2012, between 86 Trinity Place LLC, as Owner, and 22 Thames Street LLC, as Developer, recorded 10/9/12 in CRFN 2012000398746 in the Office of the City Register of the City of New York and (ii) that certain Light and Air Easement Agreement dated September 7, 2012, between 86 Trinity Place LLC, as Grantor, and Henry II Thames LP, as Grantee, recorded 10/9/12 in CRFN 2012000398750 in the Office of the City Register of the City of New York.

ALL that certain plot, piece or parcel of land, situate, lying and being in the Borough of Manhattan, County, City and State of New York, bounded and described as follows:

BEGINNING at a point on the Easterly side of Greenwich Street, distant 82 feet 8 inches Southerly from the corner formed by the intersection of the Easterly side of Greenwich Street with the Southerly side of

Thames Street;

RUNNING THENCE Southerly along the Easterly side of Greenwich Street, 178 feet 2 inches to the Northerly face of the Northerly wall of the building erected on the premises adjoining on the South;

THENCE Easterly along the Northerly face of the Northerly wall of the building on the premises adjoining on the South and on a line in continuation thereof, 107 feet 1-1/4 inches;

THENCE Northwesterly on a line forming an angle in the Northwest quadrant of 84 degrees 12 minutes 20 seconds with the last mentioned course, 47 feet 8-1/4 inches to the centre of a party wall;

THENCE Easterly along the centre of said party wall, 52 feet 2-1/2 inches to the Westerly side of Trinity Place;

THENCE Northerly along the Westerly side of Trinity Place, 124 feet 7-3/4 inches to the Southerly face of the Southerly wall of the building erected on the premises adjoining on the North;

THENCE Westerly along the Southerly face of said wall and on a line drawn in the continuation thereof, 74 feet 5 inches;

THENCE Northerly, 4 inches;

THENCE Westerly and partly along the Southerly face of the Southerly wall of the building adjoining on the North, 107 feet 1-3/4 inches to the point or place of BEGINNING.

§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Sponsor's memo

Title of bill

An act to amend the alcoholic beverage control law, in relation to an exemption for certain property from the prohibition of alcohol sales within a certain distance of a school or place of worship

Purpose or general idea of bill

To authorize the State Liquor Authority to issue an on-premises retail license for a specifically identified property in Lower Manhattan that is otherwise restricted under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law's 200- foot rule regarding proximity to a place of worship.

Summary of provisions

Section one of the bill amends subdivision 7 of section 64 of the alco- holic beverage control law by adding a new paragraph (e-18) creating a narrowly tailored exemption to the 200-foot rule for a specifically described premises located wholly within Manhattan. The bill permits the issuance of an on-premises retail license for the sale of food or bever- ages at retail for on-premises consumption at the designated location. The bill contains a detailed legal description of the affected parcel and associated easement parcel.

Section five of the bill sets forth the effective date.

Justification

Under current law, the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law generally prohib- its the issuance of an on-premises liquor license for establishments located within 200 feet of a building occupied exclusively as a church, synagogue, or other place of worship. White this restriction serves an important public purpose, there are circumstances where a narrowly tailored exemption is appropriate due to the unique characteristics of a particular property and surrounding commercial environment.

This legislation authorizes the State Liquor Authority to consider and issue a retail license for a specifically identified premises in Lower Manhattan that would otherwise be prohibited solely because of its prox- imity to a place of worship. The property is located in a dense mixed- use commercial area where restaurants and hospitality establishments are common and contribute significantly to neighborhood vitality and econom- ic activity.

The bill does not create a broad statewide exemption or weaken the underlying protections of the 200-foot rule. Instead, it provides a site-specific remedy applicable only to the parcel described in the legislation. Granting this exemption would support economic activity, commercial occupancy, and activation of the property while preserving the State Liquor Authority's broader regulatory authority over licens- ing, public safety, and operational compliance.

Prior legislative history

This is a new bill.

Fiscal implications

None to the state.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.