Today's Boston Globe outlines a new battle going on at Faneuil Hall pitting the national chain stores and restaurants against local merchants.

General Growth, the company that bought the Rouse Company a few years ago, continues to raise rents and lower its marketing budget as it depends increasingly on national tenants to fill long-vacant and difficult spaces.  City Hall is concerned and demanding a meeting with General Growth.  While the city has no leasing authority, but it can put pressure on General Growth by delaying licenses for a restaurant or bar.

Harry Collings, executive director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, told the Globe,  ''We're concerned about retaining the character of Faneuil Marketplace," Collings said. ''At night, the area is becoming too much of a party place and that's not the original intent."

Sounds like another shot in the battle for local distinctiveness in our globalizing, merging, consolidating, franchising world.

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