Ithaca Builds

Mapping, photos and information for Ithaca construction and development projects

Project Updates

Collegetown Terrace Site Photos

June 13, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

The glass box now has glass, and the colorful State Street facades have just about been completed. There’s not much change on building 3.4, but I bet finishing that facade comes next. It’s hard to get a good glimpse of it, but the large drilling rig must mean that excavation work for building 5 and/or 6 is moving ahead. I tried to get a shot of the whole project from the opposite hill, but now that summer is in full swing, the leaves hide everything. I’ll take one in the Fall. There’s also a shot of the relatively new Giles St foot bridge. It’s nice.

Seneca Way Site Photos

June 13, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

Exterior and interior wall framing is moving along, and take a look at the forms going in along the street for the new sewer and water service. That lane has been closed off since the beginning of last week, with the municipal work expected to last three weeks, but seeing where they’re at now, I think it may take a bit longer; that’s a lot of digging.

Commons Rebuild Site Photos

June 13, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

The work zone is just about all dirt now, with the exception of Bank Alley, where the planters and walk paths are getting jacked out and hauled away. If you’re inside one of the buildings next door, you can feel the vibrations from the demolition work, which must be annoying, but it’s cool to watch it all happen.

Maguire Fiat Site Photos

June 12, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

So I assumed this was going to be torn down shortly after taking photos last week, but wow- it’s gone. What’s left is slightly strewn about and packed into a series of 30-yard dumpsters. There’s not much of anything still firmly in the ground from what I could see.

Planned Parenthood Site Photos

June 12, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

Trees have now been chopped-up and cleared, and excavating has gone by quickly. Looks like a nice level area has been cleared where the parking lot will be, so that will probably be filled-in with gravel later on. I’m still not sure about the foundation type where the building sits though, maybe slab on grade, maybe not; they’re currently excavating in that area. I’m looking forward to seeing this go up- I’ll admit, I think the design looks nice. It was done locally by Chiang O’Brien Architects (the same group that designed Ithaca College’s beautiful new boat house on the inlet).

Seneca Way Site Photos

June 11, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

Pre-fab metal stud walls are being framed-in on the third level, and some plumbing work is visible on the second level. I’m curious to see how the rest of the project is structurally supported, since there hasn’t been any additional heavy steel frame work above the third level so far. Perhaps it will be light steel framing the rest of the way up, although beyond two stories, I think that can be challenging. I guess we’ll wait and see; definitely an exciting project to watch.

Planned Parenthood Site Photos

June 10, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

Missed the groundbreaking back on May 19th, but their Facebook page has a few photos from it. Site photos taken last week- not much has changed, but now there’s a bulldozer on site, so I’d expect the fence setup and some dirt moving to commence soon and a concrete crew will probably be setting up footer forms after that.

Hawk’s Nest Preliminary Site Plan

June 9, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

Dug this up in the Town of Ithaca Planning Board documents: proposed 50-unit senior living rental apartment complex, right next door to Springwood Townhomes (Ithaca Estates Realty, the same group doing College Crossing). I’m not sure what the previous 1973 site plan contained, but the tax assessment information on this 15 acre parcel shows that most of the Springwood Townhomes were built in 1980, and the parcel carries a total assessment just shy of $2 million. Longview is just down the road towards Ithaca, which is assisted-care, but this project proposes to market towards “active adults” 55 and older that no longer wish to maintain a home. This site plan only shows the basic outline for now, but I’ll look around for more.

Project Narrative:

Preliminary Site Plans:

130 E Clinton St Revised Site Plans

June 8, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

The design on this project looks like it has changed a bit, and the render from the Six Mile Creek side offers a better idea of where on the hill this project would sit as viewed from the Creek Walk. It’s still slated for 36 units with a combination of studios, one and two bedrooms. The project narrative from the architect is below, along with the revised materials, which show the current grade and the proposed site grading.

Project Narrative:

Render:

Elevations:

Floor Plans:

Belle Sherman Cottages Site Photos

June 7, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

Looks like sales have picked-up, and Lot #2 and Lot #19 have joined the ranks of the parcels that have sold. Lot #14’s modular pieces showed-up and have been speedily assembled. Local builders Carina Construction specialize in these Simplex Modular Homes, which have caught on due to their price, build quality, and increasing customization. Early modular home units were plagued by narrow design possibilities, but now the opposite is true, and offerings have expanded to multi-family and even dormitory housing (their modern design products look quite cool too). Once enough sales have been made, and these lots fill-in, I wouldn’t be surprised if we were to see the three-story modular townhouse units begin development towards the back end of the lot.