BY ADAM ATKINSON

North Country This Week

CANTON — The village board held a public hearing on funding assistance for the new Dairy Queen through the state’s Community Development Block Grant program.

The hearing, held at the village meeting Feb. 17, is required by state law to release the funding to the business.

The CDBG, which Canton applied for in 2019, allowed the village access to up to $300,000 for the Dairy Queen rebuild project at 51 Gouverneur St. The grant, however, will only reimburse $195,000 in equipment and machinery purchases needed in the reconstruction of the restaurant. Village Economic Development Director Leigh Rodriguez said there was some confusion regarding the grant amount, but clarified that the grant was reimbursing $195,000 in equipment purchases and the Dairy Queen would not be getting additional money through the program.

The business reopened last year in a brand new building after the construction of new building following an arson of the old restaurant in 2018.

The entire rebuilding project cost more than $970,000 and will help create 13 full-time equivalent jobs over two years.

According to a press release from the state last year, the CDBG grant will cover the purchase of new kitchen equipment including freezers, ice cream machines, worktables, and a state-of-the-art Point-of-Sale system that can integrate online and call-in orders and help expedite drive-in and walk-in orders.

The CDBG program is administered by the New York State Office of Community Renewal (OCR), and provides resources to eligible local governments for housing, economic development, public facilities, public infrastructure, and planning activities, with the principal purpose of benefiting low/moderate income persons. 

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