Canton-Potsdam Area Celebrates Two Groundbreakings
Celebrations Mark the Start of the Nature’s Storehouse Expansion and Potsdam’s DRI Projects
On April 2, 2026, the Canton-Potsdam area in New York celebrated the start of two high-profile, community-centric projects, and LaBella is proud to play a significant role in both initiatives.
Nature’s Storehouse
A ceremonial wall-breaking marked the start of construction on a $662,000 expansion and rehabilitation project at Nature’s Storehouse, a full-service natural food store located in Canton, New York.
Supported by a $497,000 NY Forward grant, the project will create a seamless floor plan that integrates the store’s current location with an adjacent historic building, adding a new café with table seating for customers and expanded retail space throughout.
LaBella is providing full-service design for the 2,000-square-foot expansion, including envelope improvements, masonry repairs, and complementary functionality between the two areas.
Attendance at the groundbreaking ceremony included New York Secretary of State Walter T. Mosley, District 116 Assemblyman Scott Gray, and several other local officials.
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Potsdam DRI
The Village of Potsdam broke ground on its $5.26 million Streetscape and Riverwalk project. As a highlight of the Village’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) state grant, the project will beautify downtown and strengthen the connection with the Raquette River waterfront.
The Streetscape enhancements will revitalize the Market Street Historic District by increasing pedestrian access, improving sidewalk conditions, and strengthening connections with the waterfront. Improvements will include new sidewalks and decorative pavements, safety upgrades, street lighting, amenities, new trees, and wayfinding.
The Riverwalk component will feature new pedestrian and park amenities, a skateboard park, a shared-use path, wayfinding, and an artwalk.
LaBella has served as a trusted consulting partner to the Village for these projects since their inception as a community and economic development concept outlined in the 2013 Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan.
Following improvements to Garner Park and the creation of Brooks Street within the downtown business district, LaBella initiated design work with the Village to prepare implementation plans for the Streetscape, Artwalk, and Gateway components of their anchoring community and economic development DRI project.
While initial DRI project work began in fall 2025 for the Artwalk and Raymond Street sections, the ceremonial groundbreaking marked the start of the most visible efforts in the community.
Made possible by New York State grants, these projects support the local economy, enhance accessibility, and highlight the environments that reflect the charm of the Canton-Potsdam area.