BY PAUL MITCHELLNorth Country This Week

CANTON – Demolition work at 64 Main Street could get underway in a couple of weeks.

Canton Mayor Michael Dalton told board members Wednesday night that the former McDonald’s restaurant should soon be facing the wrecking ball.

JEDA Environmental Services will be handling the abatement work and demolition at a cost of $64,260.

Once razed both village and town officials will examine what to do with the vacant parcel as part of a possible Canton Municipal Building project.

The demolition price tag will be shared with the Town of Canton who approved JEDA’s bid at their November monthly meeting. 

When the town and village purchased the McDonald’s property and adjacent parking lot for $295,000 in July 2021, the idea then was to tear it down to create additional space for a proposed Canton Municipal Building project. But in March the plan fizzled when cost figures for a new municipal building surpassed $25 million.

The move to tear down the former McDonald’s restaurant lingered when members of the town board wanted to see if that building could be repurposed. A bid of $9,700 was obtained to assess the condition of the building.

At an Oct. 25 joint meeting and following back-and-forth discussion, it was agreed that the building needs to come down and the call for a site plan review was nixed.

Plans for the municipal building remain in the laps of the joint Building Committee who will be looking at which way to proceed with a rebuild or renovations to the existing structure, or find ways to pare down the cost of the project.