Friday, October 16, 2026 | St. Lawrence County, NY
CANTON — Officials from Empire State Development were on hand today to acknowledge the demolition of downtown Canton’s Midtown Plaza which began earlier this month.
The leveling of the long …
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CANTON — Officials from Empire State Development were on hand today to acknowledge the demolition of downtown Canton’s Midtown Plaza which began earlier this month.
The leveling of the long abandoned plaza building on Miner Street, home of the former Jubilee grocery store, will advance a planned $27 million-plus mixed-use project that will bring new housing and SUNY Canton’s Entrepreneurship Center to the North Country.
The work underway at the site will prepare the property for redevelopment, representing an important step toward returning the core downtown site to productive use, said village and state officials.
Developed by Vecino Group, the project will combine modern downtown living with state-of-the-art space dedicated to regional entrepreneurship and business development.
New York State has committed more than $6.8 million in taxpayer dollars to support the redevelopment.
“The Village is excited to see the Midtown Plaza project moving into the next phase,” said Village of Canton Mayor Michael E. Dalton. “Projects like this often take time to come together and this is no exception. Now that funding and approvals for demolition are in place, it is important from a public safety perspective – and extremely rewarding – to see this huge step forward. We are so pleased to be a part of the dynamic partnerships that are making this transformative redevelopment happen. Good things are happening in the Village.”
“SUNY Canton is thrilled to see this project moving forward after years of hard work and productive partnerships,” said SUNY Canton President Zvi Szafran. “We are grateful to the Village of Canton and the Vecino Group for believing in this transformative vision for Canton and we look forward to our continued work together to bring it to life.”
The $27.75 million project calls for a three-story, approximately 71,500-square-foot building on six parcels that will be consolidated into a single property. The development is planned to include 60 apartments, a 10,000-square-foot Innovation Center on the ground floor operated by SUNY Canton, and 2,500 square feet of commercial or retail space.
“This is an important step toward bringing Midtown Plaza back into the daily life of downtown Canton,” said Rob Holzman, Vice President of Planning & Acquisitions for Vecino Group. “We’re honored to help shape its next chapter and grateful to the Village, SUNY Canton and our funding partners for their collaboration and commitment to moving this project forward.”
The project will also deliver substantial site improvements, transforming parking lots and surrounding grounds into an attractive 3.76-acre public space seamlessly integrated with Canton’s Main Street corridor.
The project has changed over time as plans and financing have developed, but the central elements, housing and an innovation center, have remained.
The Midtown Plaza property had been largely vacant since 2000, when its anchor tenant, Jubilee supermarket, closed. Rite Aid later occupied space at the plaza before leaving in 2018.
The Village of Canton purchased the property in 2023 and issued a request for proposals for its redevelopment. Vecino Group was selected for the project and is expected to own and manage the new development.
The village later acquired six parcels at 19 Miner St. from Garry Cohen, a New York City businessman, for $1.28 million.
The demolition, which kicked off earlier this month, is expected to be completed by late October.
The project is proposed to receive a 33-year payment in lieu of taxes agreement. Under the proposed arrangement, annual payments would begin at $20,000 for the first three years, increase to $49,200 in the fourth year and rise over the remainder of the agreement.
PILOT payments would be distributed among the Village of Canton, Town of Canton, St. Lawrence County and Canton Central School District based on each jurisdiction’s share of property taxes.
The property has an assessed value of about $746,000 but currently generates no property-tax revenue because it is owned by the village. Under the proposed PILOT agreement, payments to the taxing jurisdictions would total nearly $160,000 during the first five years and more than $2 million over the 33-year term.
The state is redirecting more than $6.8 million in taxpayer dollars to support the redevelopment, including:
The project also drew federal taxpayer dollar support. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded $2.641 million via Congressionally Directed Spending, supported by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. National Grid further contributed a $300,000 grant through its Brownfield Redevelopment Assistance Program to assist with site abatement, demolition, and site preparation.
“Today marks and important step as we begin to transform this long-vacant plaza into a vibrant community asset that will provide much-needed housing to the North Country and contribute to the economic growth of a region that has so much to offer residents, businesses and visitors,” New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley said. Mosley was on hand for a ceremony Thursday announcing the start of the demolition.
“This project provides proof that there are creative opportunities for new housing even in places like old, abandoned shopping centers, and Governor Hochul is capitalizing on those opportunities here in Canton and throughout the State. The Department of State is thrilled to be contributing to the project’s success through the NY Forward program. Congratulations to Canton for taking this major step forward in the revitalization of its downtown,” Mosley said.
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