Paint to Pot: Something New in Store for Binghamton’s West Side

A place where paint was sold for more than a half-century is about to be turned into a marijuana shop in Binghamton.

A company that wants to sell cannabis products at the West Side storefront that had been home to Daniels Paint and Decorating Center.

Bert Scherer, who had operated the paint business for several decades, said the building he owns at 242 Main Street is under contract although the sale hasn't been finalized.

The state Cannabis Control Board has approved a license for Vivid Wellness LLC to set up the pot store just east of Glenwood Avenue.

The Main Street store was closed after Meldrim's Paint acquired Daniels Paint and Decorating Center in September 2023.

Mayor Jared Kraham told WNBF News the West Side site didn't pose the same concerns he's expressed about a planned cannabis shop that would be set up on Vestal Avenue.

In that case, the operators of the Hacienda Mexican restaurant said they were surprised to learn from reporters that a license for a marijuana store had been approved for their building.

Kraham noted setting up a cannabis business there "would be basically booting out" a locally-owned restaurant. He suggested it would be better for pot shops to be "filling vacant storefronts" in the city instead of displacing existing businesses.

In a March 2024 letter to the state Office of Cannabis Management, Kraham noted the applicant seeking to open on the West Side will be required to obtain a special use permit from the city. The operator also must follow Binghamton's rules pertaining to building modifications and sign permits.

The prospective operators of the Vestal Avenue and Main Street stores could not be reached for comment on their plans.

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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.