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Manhattan Borough President Seeks Rent Mediation For Mom-And-Pop Businesses

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A proposal by Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer would give small businesses a year-long reprieve if their landlords try to boot them out.

As WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported, Brewer still mourns mom-and-pops that closed years ago.

"Remember Grossinger's Bakery on West 86th Street?" she said.

Manhattan Borough President Seeks Rent Mediation For Mom-And-Pop Businesses

It's not a new issue, and Brewer said her idea is not a new one.

"Rent mediation has been bandied about for many years, decades even, but in a different way," she said.

Under Brewer's proposal, if a landlord seeks to jack up a store's rent, a mediator would try to work out a deal. If one cannot be reached, the business would receive a one-year extension so that it has time to find a new space. In the meantime, its rent would increase by no more than 15 percent.

"And we think it holds up legally," the borough president said.

Brewer also wants to raise the long-standing cap on street cart permits, saying they give small-business owners a place to start.

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