Binghamton Drive-Up Cannabis Store Construction Work Completed

A closed fast-food restaurant in Binghamton has been remodeled for a planned marijuana retail operation.

The former A&W shop at 439 Court Street on the city's East Side will have a drive-up window to allow cannabis buyers to make their purchase without the need to leave their car.

Albany-based AOW Construction started renovation work in the vacant building in January.

The company is one of ten selected by New York state cannabis regulators to design and construct future marijuana stores. The firms are developing about 150 "turn-key sites" across the state.

It's not known who will be awarded a license to operate the Binghamton shop. State officials have not said when they plan to select the operator and it's unclear how soon the store could open.

The A&W restaurant was built at the site after Manjot Dhillon acquired the property where Parisi's Twin Freeze ice cream shop had operated for decades.

The fast-food place shut down in February 2018, less than two years after it opened.

A few Binghamton residents spoke out against the proposed marijuana store at a city planning commission public hearing. But the panel approved the project, noting the site was in a zone the city established for cannabis retailers.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.