VILLAGE OF CANTON REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

OWNERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT OF MIDTOWN PLAZA

DUE BY: 12pm, April 30, 2024

REQUEST : The Village of Canton (Village) is seeking proposals from qualified persons or entities to purchase and develop the former Midtown Plaza and associated properties, located at 19 Miner Street and adjoining parcels (see map), Canton, New York. The relevant information is set forth below.

DESCRIPTION AND HISTORY OF PROPERTY :

Just behind some of the historic façades along Canton’s Main Street lies a derelict shopping plaza, once home to a grocery store, pharmacy, and other businesses. Twenty years ago the grocery store closed its doors. The plaza has deteriorated since then, with store after store closing, and currently stands vacant. The building and its surrounding parking lot have fallen into disrepair and create an eyesore, contribute to blight, and impede sustainable downtown economic and residential growth.

The Village of Canton has been working with SUNY Canton and the Canton College Foundation for a number of years to re-envision this space. In May of 2023, the Village took ownership of the six parcels that make up the Midtown plaza at 19 Miner Street, Canton for $1,280,000. The purpose of the project is to transform this blighted, dilapidated plaza at the center of Canton’s downtown into a mixed-use development offering new live/work housing options, premium commercial space, and at its core an Entrepreneurship Center to be operated by SUNY Canton under the conditions of a long-term lease, which will ignite innovation, spur the creation of new businesses, and be the catalyst for enduring economic and community growth.

To date, substantial grant funding has been secured. The Village has been awarded $2,000,000 from the Restore NY program that will be used toward demolition of the existing structures and abatement of anticipated hazardous materials. Abatement and demolition may begin before this contract is awarded.

SUNY Canton and its Foundation have been awarded the following funds to support the development of a 15,000 square foot Entrepreneurship Center which will be the anchor tenant:

• $1,322,000 from Empire State Development
• $2,641,000 via a congressional earmark to be funneled through the Department of Housing and Urban Development
• $111,326 from the Northern Border Regional Commission

These funds can only be used to construct an Entrepreneurship Center. Project proposals that do not include approximately 15,000 square feet designated for the Entrepreneurship

Center will not have access to these funds. The developer must follow the rules/guidelines for each grant to access these funds. The expectation is that these funds for construction will be in lieu of substantial lease payments for the space housing the Entrepreneurship Center.

In addition, the Village of Canton has been awarded a NY Forward grant and anticipates that the project developer would submit an application under the program’s open call for projects. This is expected to be announced in May or June of 2024.

SEE ATTACHMENT FOR FULL DETAILS.