Embedded below is Hart Hotel’s Community Investment Inventive Tax Abatement Program (CIITAP) application for property tax abatements on the value of improvements on the tax parcel through the expansion project. Public meeting is tonight at 5:30pm in Common Council chambers, and I believe the Ithaca Journal’s cover this morning noted that the proceedings will be broadcast on Channel 13.
Hart Hotels CIITAP Application
August 19, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
Collegetown Terrace Mitchell Plaza, Historic Elements
August 18, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
The cobblestone entry area in front of the Fitness Center/Entry Pavilion is called “Mitchell Plaza” and contains interpretive elements from the Jane A Delano home that was demolished for construction. The home served as a residence for nurses and nursing students for the nearby Ithaca City Hospital, named for Jane Delano, whom almost single-handedly created the American Red Cross Nurses Corps. The arcade wall contains the original brick and granite window trim, and the open doorway is in fact the original doorway from the home. See below for the interpretive elements PDF, and a memorandum about the home.
Iacovelli Apartments Complete/Resolution of Outstanding Site Issues
August 16, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
The 602 West Seneca Street Indian Chief logo has been covered-up on the sign out front, there’s a proposed Meadow Street-side entry sign for “Seneca Apartments,” and a new entry gate as well as new trees. The corner office area contains plans for new planters and hardie board boxes are proposed for the office entry and residential entryways along Seneca Street. Besides new plantings, the attached resolution of outstanding site issues points out that the foundation’s floating slab was constructed and poured so that it props-up above grade due to poor soil quality, and has been covered with gravel to mask its appearance.
Here are the proposed plans:
And the resolution narrative:
Breckenridge Place Done with Bricks
August 16, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
Brick facade is complete and more windows have been installed. From here on out the exterior changes will feature the remaining windows, window shades, the steel-framed glass sections on the overhang stack on the Seneca Street side, a finished roof (I think the green roof as an overhang on the ground floor has been axed in the final design), and a large sign at the Seneca-side entryway.
Seneca Way Working on Final Storey
August 15, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
The final storey of Seneca Way is being framed-up, and at the final height, it makes a significant visual impact coming down the hill. This project has made tremendous progress throughout the Summer. Back in the beginning of May, they had just completed the heavy steel-framed deck for the third storey.
Press Bay Alley Knockout for Window
August 15, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
Blocks have been removed for the full-length window on this side. Steel framing and windows should arrive on site shortly for the installation on each garage bay. Should be a quick and fascinating transformation.
Collegetown Terrace gets Landscaping, more work on Building 5
August 15, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
Of all the projects going on right now, this one is definitely the most panorama-friendly. Building 5’s construction is rolling along, with some new light steel framing alongside the heavy steel framing put up a few weeks ago. I don’t know for sure, but I’m guessing that the heavy steel framing must be for a multi-level parking section of the building, which shows a car entrance and separate exit on the site plan.
The landscaping makes a big visual impact. The bright-colored facades on Buildings 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4 along State Street blend into the hill much better now, and I couldn’t tell you what any of these plants are, but they look quality. Once the rest of the landscaping is complete and we have a good rain, I believe we will see the final look.
Cayuga Green II Revised Plans, Going Higher
August 14, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
Here’s what we’ve been waiting for: revised plans from Bloomfield/Schon + Partners on their new project next door to Cayuga Place, (an apartment building they put up back in 2008 containing 68 apartments). This new building’s proposal is higher than the previous plan, and contains an additional six units, bringing the total to 45 planned units. The total Gross floor space is nearly 50,000 SF on a footprint of 6,920 SF at seven stories (was previously four).
What I like right off the bat is the fact that the new plan completely conceals a bare concrete wall of the parking garage. It probably would have looked a bit odd if it were done at four stories and you could still see it from the east. As far as unit breakdowns and floor plans, everything is contained in the site plans below, and the application letter spells out the major revisions. The footprint has been re-configured to have one cut-in instead of the previous three to accommodate the curve of the parcel, and it has also shrunk by 2,480 SF, which will allow for more green space along the Six Mile Creek Walk.
Planned Parenthood Footer Forms
August 14, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
Planned Parenthood’s footer forms are taking shape, the southern and eastern sections look complete, and the northern and western sections have been dug out. There are stacks of form panels on-site, so once the remaining forms are in place, we should see some concrete trucks out here.
State & Mitchell Intersection: Final Design
August 14, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
Here’s the final design for construction documents for the State & Mitchell intersection. This will surely be a major transit enhancement for this area, and I hope to continue to see more civic transportation projects that account for pedestrian and cyclist safety (noting the recent cyclist fatality on Warren Road). Ithacans tend to walk, bike or ride public transit to work at drastically higher rates than the State and US averages, so taxpayers should expect to see their money spent on projects that benefit their transit choices, especially since these transit options are less polluting and resource-intensive.
The bids for this project were due-in back on July 3rd, so we should probably be hearing some news on timing soon.