BY JOSH DAVISNorth Country This Week

Updated on July 1 to remove photo of the Midtown Plaza from 2024.

CANTON— Village officials say the sooner the former Jubilee plaza in Canton can be demolished, the better. 

The former Jubilee shopping center will be demolished to make way for the Midtown Plaza project, which Village Michael Dalton discussed at the June meeting of the village board. 

On June 17, Dalton noted that the National Environmental Policy Act process for the project has gone to its final review.

“I think we’re in pretty good shape,” Mayor Dalton said.

Village officials expressed eagerness to see the existing structure demolished, but did not provide any insight on when that could take place. 

Trustee Anna Sorensen asked for an estimate of how long the current step will take, though no such timeline was provided in response. 

“It plods along at the pace it plods along,” Dalton said.

Before demolition, a federal Finding of no Significant Impact (FONSI) will also need to be completed, which declares a proposed project or action will not have a significant effect on the human environment, meaning a more intensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required.

Officials also expressed concerns that the site continues to be accessed by trespassers. 

“We did have an uninvited visitor in there recently that broke in,” Dalton said, adding that the building has once again been secured to prevent access.

“They’re keeping an eye on it, the sooner we get that down…” he continued. 

Officials joked that a “party in the plaza” will be hosted to celebrate the demolition of the existing structure. 

No official action was taken related to the project. 

In October, Midtown developer the Vecino Group was granted tax breaks from local stakeholders including the town and village of Canton, allowing a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement. 

That agreement was facilitated by the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agency (IDA).

In September, the first-floor innovation center planned for the project received  $1.5 million in funding through the New York Power Authority’s Northern New York Power Proceeds Allocation Board. 

The plaza property was purchased in 2023 by the village of Canton, which issued a request for proposals that was awarded to the Vecino Group, which will eventually own and manage the building to be developed on the site.

Past discussions of the project have indicated that the complex will include commercial, residential, and retail spaces, and will include an entrepreneurship center operated by SUNY Canton.

The residential space is expected to be a mix of market rate and affordable housing one and two-bedroom apartments, operated by the developer.

The Vecino Group is also in the process of redeveloping the Congdon Hall building in downtown Potsdam for senior housing. The developer also completed the Quarry project in Potsdam. 

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