A project to turn a former M&T Bank branch into a Dunkin' Donuts on Main Street in Falconer has begun. P-J photo by John Whittaker

After a temporary delay while project financing was finalized, remodeling has begun on a Dunkin’ Donuts location in the village of Falconer.

According to minutes from the Falconer Village Board’s June meeting, work had begun on the project, while those driving down West Main Street see a dumpster outside the building and a sign noting Midnight Electric is inside working on the project.

The location was the site of a M&T Bank location that closed on June 10, 2021, with the property sold to Bapa 20 W. Main St. RE LLC of Horseheads for $325,000 in October 2024.

The news came during a report from Paul Capitano, village code enforcement officer, who also said the Falconer Dollar General had reopened for business after making repairs. The store was closed in March The violation, and closure, was issued by Paul Capitano, Falconer code enforcement officer, who said a complaint was received nearly two weeks prior to the closure from a concerned resident who said the store has a host of problems with the roof, leading to multiple leaks forming throughout the building.

Capitano visited the store and saw the leaks himself, noting the leaks extended throughout the entirety of the store. Capitano stated that this could indicate large levels of mold throughout the building, as well as having noted the risk of the falling ceiling tiles throughout the store. The water is also leaking onto all of the coolers in the store, both in the middle and rear, according to Capitano. These conditions not only present a hazard to those that shop at the store, but also to those that must stay in the building for a shift.

Capitano said that upon an initial warning the store put in a ticket for repair, though store officials told Capitano that the contractor said that somebody else would have to come out before deleting the ticket. Upon reviewing the history of the location, Capitano realized that this problem was not just a recent revelation, but that violation letters can be found going as far back as 2020. Because of the long history of violations, and the severity of the problem currently, Capitano found it to be in the best interest of public safety to force the location to make the repairs before being allowed to serve anybody else.

In other news:

– Falconer Fire Department member Ian Webster asked the board to approve a gun raffle fundraiser for the department. A licensed firearms dealer will handle all the specifics, purchasing the guns, background checks and

distributing the guns to the winners; the fire department would only be responsible for the sale of the tickets. Board members unanimously approved the fundraiser.

– Board members will review a resolution at the next board meeting to amend the village’s peddling and soliciting fee schedule to add a monthly fee in addition to the per day fee. Having a monthly fee would allow a vendor, such as an ice cream vendor, to be able to get a permit for the month to eliminate having to come into the office on a weekly basis for daily permits.