One late amendment to the bill was to allow social equity applicants, meant to apply primarily to minority investors, to open a new shop within 1,500 feet of an existing shop. That change was meant to allow new businesses to compete with established stores that already locked in prime locations, such as Chicago’s River North and Wrigleyville areas. Sponsors said only one new store is allowed in a 1,500-foot radius, to prevent a cluster of such shops.
