CANTON, New York (WWNY) – The village of Canton is throwing its hat in the ring once again, looking for state money to revitalize its downtown.
During the process, the village is looking for residents’ ideas.
Deb Whitmarsh has worked in Canton for more than 30 years and remembers when downtown Canton was a hub of activity.
“Just all of these years, you get to know some of the store owners and just to hear them talk about people not coming in, people just not shopping, and I think part of that is that there have got to be more businesses to get people down here and a place for them to park,” said Whitmarsh, business owner.
The village of Canton is looking to make that happen.
It is applying for money from two state programs: the state-sponsored Downtown Revitalization Initiative program that has helped communities such as Potsdam, Massena, and Tupper Lake, and a new program this year called NY Forward, meant for smaller and rural communities.
“Canton has been involved in the DRI application every year since it’s been available to apply for. We think we’ve put on strong applications, but we’ve never risen to the top and have been awarded one,” said Michael Dalton, Canton mayor.
If Canton is selected for either of the two state-sponsored programs, the village could see more than $10 million in revitalizing the downtown area.
Now, village officials are looking to Canton residents for ideas for projects that could transform its downtown.
“There’s a series of things that have potential. It comes down to what our community wants and in the end, the community’s input is what’s important for our application,” said Dalton.
The village will hold a meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m. for community members to share their ideas on what can be done to make Canton truly the hub of St. Lawrence County.
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