It’s been a long road to an overhaul of one of the fast-food eateries along Main Street in New Paltz. It took corporate architect Alan Roscoe nearly a year to hammer out a plan that fits McDonald’s car-centric model while toning down the garish colors that have made the burger joint jarringly visible for longer than many residents can remember. All the details about the colors and exactly what sorts of signs could be located where on the property were finalized on November 14, 2019; construction was planned for the following spring, just in time for Governor Cuomo to put the state on “pause” as the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic hit.
The pandemic isn’t exactly in the rear-view mirror, but construction is back on the menu and New Paltz residents are now unable to feast on those particular fries and burgers until the work is complete. According to Stacy Delarede in the town’s building department, it looks likely that anyone who yearns for the chance to shout an order from inside a car with the engine idling will again have that opportunity come April. The work should be complete by April Fool’s Day.
Roscoe has said that this renovation will result in something unlike any in the northeastern McDonald’s in the northeastern United States. Initial attempts to simply upgrade to the current corporate look — with large and extensive signage to draw attention to the property in keeping a business model hugely dependent upon people idling engines in a drive-through lane — gave way to whites, greys and architecture added to be more harmonious with the New Paltz aesthetic.
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