© Ithaca Builds, 2026
May 28, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
Various photos taken from the past couple weeks- the iconic center railway crossing is currently being dug up, and some deeper digging is taking place on the western end. It must be quite a challenge to avoid all the existing pipework- see the full plans from Sasaki (one of the earlier posts on this project) for a sheet showing a map of the existing piping.
May 22, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
Big photo update for a big project site- I’ll grab a few shots from the other side of the hill at some point as well since it gives a really good view of the entire project. The order of these shots goes from the units along State St starting at the Mitchell intersection and progresses down State and onto South Quarry then behind, ending around Quarry Apartments. Building 3.4 is coming along (the one still being assembled), and you can see Building 5’s foundation being prepped. It’s quite amazing how much work has already been done, and furthermore, how much more is ahead. From looking at the site plan, this project is still only about half-way (or perhaps even a bit less).
May 20, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
The Commons (as we have known) was built in 1974. Scores of cities in the US around that time were converting sections of their downtowns to pedestrian malls, but many have since abandoned the pedestrian mall concept in favor of thoroughfares with street parking. What’s made the Commons Rebuild so interesting is the fact that after all these years, we’re just now getting a glimpse of (approximately) what it looked like almost a hundred years ago.
Here’s a shot I took today, in front of what is now the Colonial Building, and a shot from 1901 at roughly the same spot.
Most of the buildings in this shot lie in the Ithaca Downtown Historic District (on the National Register of Historic Districts), so it’s been nice seeing all the facades that have kept with age, and without the trees in the way, it’s like walking back in time.
Demolition is moving along, and if you haven’t had a chance yet, I recommend swinging by and checking out the mural project organized by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance. Each section of barricade will contain murals by local artists.
And here’s a rendering from Sasaki Associates (the re-design consultants) showing what the Commons will look like once completed (and the new trees have filled-in). I imagine it’s actually going to take some re-adjusting back once the project is complete, and the sight lines are partially blocked again, but for now, I’ll enjoy it.
May 19, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
So I’ll admit, a new hotel on Route 13 isn’t all that interesting to me, but it’s still worth a post. The Marriott website for this Fairfield Inn & Suites hotel has a render of what the main entrance (southwest-facing) will look like, and it’s opening for business in August. The hotel sits right next door to Manos Diner, a popular fixture for many locals and also college students looking to eat breakfast at 4am. It looks like the facade work will be coming to an end soon.
There was also an accident on this site back in January when two brick-layers fell through an elevator shaft they were working near. I haven’t seen anything further on that.
May 17, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
There’s an Ithaca Times article that describes this project well- the concept is to take these six existing garage enclosures and turn them into small retail spaces. This is sometimes referred to as “Micro-retailing,” a common fixture in many metropolitan areas that have focused a lot of effort on urban infill development. Can’t wait to see who fills these spaces, and I imagine that demand will be relatively strong. There aren’t many other options in Ithaca for retail spaces at this size, and it’s a good location. There’s also a poster hanging-up in the alley indicating that an entertainment venue will be part of this project, in the recently renovated building across from these garages (occupied by Life’s So Sweet and Brightworks Computer Consulting).
May 17, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
May 16, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
We’re a bit late to the party on this one, but it’s quite a triumph of a project. The original building was started around 1831, and this renovation has been two years in the works to transform this building (the former Cowdry House) into a LEED-certified boutique hotel.
There’s even a Youtube video showing the original stone treads being replaced, and the Facebook page is packed with nice photos of the entire renovation.
Also, Historic Ithaca’s Kristen Olson provides a nice write-up here:
May 16, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
Nestled between the Rhine House and the new Iacovelli Apartments, this would seem to be the future site of Planned Parenthood along West Seneca St. At the time of Ithacating’s Article, the houses were still up, but they’ve since been demolished and trucked away, leaving behind this nice flat lot seen here. The building design looks quite fresh (see last page of the site plan post), and the three separate driveways onto the previous four parcels will be consolidated into one entry/exit drive.
May 15, 2013 // by James Douglas
And the (de)construction continues…
May 14, 2013 // by James Douglas
After several public hearings, this was the plan chosen for Old Elmira Road, although this drawing is not the final version, only a preliminary drawing of the final plan.