Thursday, July 31, 2014

Deal Reached on Bill That Would Create 75 New Liquor Licenses for Boston Neighborhoods

It looks like Boston--and specifically, neighborhoods of Boston--could have more places to get a drink in the future.

BostInno is reporting that a House and Senate committee has agreed on a bill that would add 75 liquor licenses to be used in "main street districts" of the city, or places such as Roslindale Village, Fields Corner, Dudley Square, Upham's Corner, the center of Jamaica Plain, Allston Village, and a number of other spots throughout the city. The article says that one stipulation is that any license issued to a restaurant or bar would not be allowed to be transferred to another neighborhood of the city.

Universal Hub also mentions that the bill would allow new licenses to be issued not only in main street districts, but also in urban renewal areas, empowerment zones and municipal harbor plan areas, which means that an area such as the South Boston waterfront would be included, since it is considered a municipal harbor plan area.

[August 14 update: According to a Twitter post from @BostonMagazine, Governor Patrick has signed the Economic Redevelopment Bill that includes the addition of 75 liquor licenses for the city.]