This slowly allowed stores to obtain alcohol after, of course, having obtained a license.

The Giuliani administration wants to change the law to allow stores of up to 200,000 square feet in manufacturing zones as a right.

The plan would allow stores in many cases to open "as of right," meaning without special permits or community approvals.

But despite new laws allowing large stores, expansion is slow.

As a result, a manufacturer can ship an item faster, allowing stores to keep less stock in warehouses.

It might include a grandfather clause to allow only stores that had more than one cat before the law's enactment to keep them.

That money will be used to fix up existing buildings, allowing stores and restaurants to move in.

City planners have said the 35,000-square-foot store needs a special permit allowing large retail stores to open in industrial areas.

They let customers pay more quickly, allow stores to check credit cards more easily and keep better records.

The Mayor's retail initiative has provisions for zoning changes that would allow stores up to 200,000 square feet.