Township officials are holding back on paving the vacant downtown McDonald’s lot

CANTON – The vacant lot at 60-64 Main Street that once housed a McDonald’s restaurant will be covered in snow before being covered with asphalt.

At a joint meeting of the town and village councils on Tuesday, October 29, it was decided to delay paving the area until spring, citing “unexpectedly high” bids to do the paving work.

The matter was discussed briefly, with Mayor Michael Dalton mentioning the possibility of requesting a quote from the same company (Paverite, Carthage) that paved Miner Street.

“It’s on hold until spring,” Dalton said.

The McDonald’s building was torn down in June, leaving a barren area on Main Street for possible use as a parking lot. JEDA Environmental Services of Massena handled the demolition work at a cost of $64,260.

When the city and village purchased the McDonald’s property and adjacent parking lot for $295,000 in July 2021, the idea was to demolish it to create additional space for a proposed Canton Municipal Building project. But in March 2022, plans fell through when costs to build a new municipal building exceeded $25 million.

A joint town and village building committee continues to explore options for renovating or rebuilding the 60 Main Street building.