McDonald's to demolish old Scotia eatery

PHOTOGRAPHER: Michael Lamendola

McDonald’s will demolish a blighted, vacant restaurant it closed in 2005 at the entrance to Scotia, following pressure from county officials.

The global fast-food corporation will take down the one-story, brick building by the end of June and clean up contamination at the site, a former used car lot and onetime gas station, said Ray Gillen, chairman of the Metroplex Development Authority.

“McDonald’s has agreed to do the right thing,” Gillen said.

Metroplex will provide McDonald’s with $25,000 toward the cost of landscaping the site once work is done. McDonald’s will fund all other project costs.

“It is a long time coming,” said Scotia Mayor Kris Kastberg. “That site has sat vacant for so long. Susan [Savage] started it off by writing a letter to the company and then turned it over to Metroplex, which has more enforcement abilities.”

Kastberg said the village is considering the site for a new municipal center, replacing the outdated center that now houses police, fire and clerical offices.

Savage said getting the McDonald’s site cleaned up was one of her goals.

“I have been working on this project for two years,” she said. “That vacant, overgrown building detracts from all the improvements we have made on our Main Street.”

Gillen said the site contains “significant petroleum contamination in excess of DEC standards.” The state Department of Environmental Conversation investigated the site in 2007. “It has oily soil,” he said.

Gillen said the restaurant “occupies a major footprint of the village. It is across from Collins Park and sends the wrong message about redevelopment of the village.”