BY JOSH DAVISNorth Country This Week

CANTON – A derelict building in Canton could be demolished to make way for a fitness center, following initial clearance from Canton’s Village Planning Board in May

The gym is envisioned by Ralph, Isabella and Susan Sears at 11 Riverside Drive, the former Napa Auto Parts location.

The roughly 5,000 square foot building would include a 1,500 square foot mezzanine for cardio equipment, with free weights and other equipment located below. It will also include three bathrooms, including one with a shower.

Isabella noted that the building will feature glass at the rear overlooking the river, and hopes to replace the dilapidated building with something more “appealing.”

“What’s there right now is obviously terrible,” he added. 

“We think it would be nice, you come around the corner…and that building is just no longer there; just a view of that river” Sears said. 

Isabella and Sears bought the property about two years ago and received a New York Forward grant worth roughly $807,000 to create a commercial fitness hub at the site. Sears noted that they are not yet certain what the total cost for the new building will be. 

Sears noted that the initial plan was to rehabilitate the existing building, but a consultation with an engineer in March determined that “the building’s not in good condition.”

“There would have been almost nothing left of the building to save,” Isabella said. “It made much more sense to put in a nice new building for a similar cost,” he added. 

Sears and Isabella are seeking approval to demolish the building and erect a new one slightly further north on the site of the current Pike’s parking lot. The new parking lot would be located roughly where the former Napa store is located. The two also wish to place the building closer to the street to move it further from the Grasse River.

Once complete, the fitness center would feature 24/7 access through the use of a mobile app. Cameras will monitor activity within the gym in lieu of additional staff. 

There is currently a 24/7 fitness facility in Gouverneur, though the nearest workout spots for Canton residents consist of  the gyms located at SUNY Canton and St. Lawrence University. 

Board member Morgan Elliott noted that “the hours are tough” at the college gyms, “especially when the students are out.” Isabella suggested that the gym could also cater to older community members. “We were all kids once, but that doesn’t mean we want to hang out with kids.”

“It’s frustrating when you want to go and you can't,” Sears added. 

Isabella noted that the lack of restrictions on operating hours could appeal to certain professionals including nurses and police. 

Village Planning Board Chair Barry Walch asked about the scale of the project. Isabella said he expects about 300 gym members, with about 10- 20 people expected in the building at a time, based on similar fitness centers. 

Isabella also described a “full circuit” of both cardio and weight machines slated for the facility. 

The Planning Board unanimously approved a motion to send the Riverside Drive project ahead to the village Zoning Board of Appeals and Board of Trustees. A publlic inpute meeting is planned for June 11.  A story with more details on that will follow.