Supporters of a proposed commercial rent-stabilization law packed the sidewalk outside the Durst Organization’s Times Square offices on Friday, April 10, 2026, pressing Albany to step in before more small storefronts get pushed out. The crowd of longtime regulars, neighborhood activists and local electeds rallied around one emblematic fight: the battle to keep Jimmy’s Corner alive on West 44th Street.
Adam Glenn, who runs the famously narrow boxing-memorial bar his father opened in the early 1970s, joined State Senator Julia Salazar and Assemblymember Emily Gallagher at the rally and spoke about keeping a Jimmy’s in the neighborhood, according to amNY. Organizers used Jimmy’s Corner as the real-world example behind S.8319/A.5568, a pair of bills they argue could stop the kind of displacement the bar now faces.
What the Small Business Survival Act Would Do
The bill, S.8319 in the state Senate, would create a Commercial Rent Guidelines Board to set maximum annual rent increases for commercial tenants and give small businesses a default lease renewal term, among other protections. Backers say the law would cap unaffordable hikes, guarantee lease renewal rights and add penalties for overcharges and tenant harassment, according to the New York State Senate’s announcement. Supporters are pitching it as a way to keep neighborhood anchors from being priced out by speculative landlords and sky-high asking rents.
Jimmy’s Corner’s Fight With Durst
Jimmy’s Corner has become the test case for that argument. The Durst Organization moved to end the bar’s tenancy after the death of founder Jimmy Glenn, and owner Adam Glenn sued in December 2025 to block a lease termination and preserve his rights through the lease’s stated end. The landlord says it informed Glenn ahead of time and offered $250,000 to help relocate. That timeline and the offer were reported by CBS News.
Pushback From Landlords and Developers
While small-business advocates argue S.8319 would protect Main Street, real-estate players warn it could chill investment and trigger lawsuits. The Business Council of New York State has publicly opposed the bill and flagged constitutional concerns over restrictions on owners’ control of property, and trade coverage has documented the broader push-and-pull in Albany over how far commercial rent rules should go. See analysis from The Business Council and coverage in The Real Deal for the industry perspective.
Legal Implications…