Speculation that a dispensary could replace the popular Hacienda Mexican Restaurant has sparked concern from community members and local political figures.

In October, New York’s Office of Cannabis Management issued a marijuana dispensary license to Tranquil Ark, LLC for the restaurant’s current address on Vestal Avenue, where the business currently operates. Tranquil Ark, LLC must apply to the City of Binghamton Planning Commission. They will need a special-use permit and a public hearing would be held for residents to share their opinions on the change.

Restaurant owner Jose Rodriguez voiced concern about the developments, claiming that building owner Vincent Altadonna did not notify him about the situation, even after the approval had been given a month prior. Altadonna, who also operates Grande Pizzeria on Front Street, said that the dispensary offered him $300,000 more to purchase the building than Hacienda was considering.

“I’ve been inviting … Hacienda [to] buy the building for quite a few years,” Altadonna said in an interview with 12 News. “But unfortunately, Hacienda doesn’t want to pay the price the other guys pay.”

Altadonna said he is looking to retire, and that after 54 years in the restaurant business, he wants to “get out of it” and sell the building. He did not immediately respond to Pipe Dream’s request for comment.

Mayor Jared Kraham expressed opposition to the replacement but clarified that it is not a “done deal.” If Tranquil Ark, LLC fails to obtain a special-use permit, the restaurant could continue operations.

“I’ve heard from a number of residents regarding the Hacienda Mexican Restaurant site being approved at the state level for a cannabis retail location,” Kraham wrote in a statement released last week. “I reiterate that cannabis retail locations should fill vacant storefronts or support revitalization of business districts in need — not locations that already have a productive active use.”

Kraham wrote a letter to the state’s Office of Cannabis Management describing his concerns, including worries about the dispensary’s location, which sits just 0.3 miles from MacArthur Elementary School and Park, meaning they would have to ensure their marketing did not appeal to minors. The site is also less than a mile from another licensed cannabis dispensary, Just Breathe.

The letter mentioned its impact on Hacienda, with the mayor’s office voicing disapproval of an application that could harm the restaurant, as they were unable to confirm that the “location would not displace an existing business” and were happy to discuss alternative options.

“The purchase agreement makes reference to the lease for Hacienda Mexican Restaurant either expiring or being terminated prior to closing on the property,” the letter reads. “In either case, the purchase agreement represents that the existing business would no longer be in operation at the site and provides a mechanism by which the new owner could force the tenant out via ‘termination.’ We cannot in good faith support an application that would cause an existing business to be displaced.”

The Office of Cannabis Management recently wrote that a new cannabis shop would satisfy location regulations implemented by the Cannabis Control Board — that any dispensary must be 1,000 feet from another dispensary in municipalities with more than 20,000 people and 500 feet from a school or public youth facility. The board noted that they cannot weigh in on a landlord’s leasing decisions, so the existing tenant does not factor into their consideration.

Some Binghamton residents expressed concern with the potential opening of another dispensary, with some reflecting on the city’s changing atmosphere.

“I don’t think we should be getting rid of a local restaurant for another weed store, because this restaurant has been here for a decent amount of time now,” Nate Kick, of Binghamton, told WBNG. “Hacienda has great food, a great atmosphere and I don’t think we need another weed store around here.”