© Ithaca Builds, 2024
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.
May 22, 2013 // by James Douglas
Concurrent with the development at Collegetown Terrace, the City of Ithaca is redesigning the intersection of State and Mitchell Street. With 589 additional bedrooms being added to the immediate area, the chosen design for the intersection will remove the traffic island, widen State Street by nine feet, add a bike lane “jug handle,” and traffic signals. The cost of the entire project is being split equally by the City of Ithaca, Cornell University, and Novarr-Mackesey, developers of Collegetown Terrace. Final design plans are below.
May 15, 2013 // by James Douglas
And the (de)construction continues…
May 14, 2013 // by James Douglas
The Old Elmira Road Complete street project looks to reclaim the portion of Old Elmira Road (from the traffic circle to Route 13) from the auto-oriented development that the Southwest area is mostly comprised of. Portions of the street will be better integrated into the adjoining neighborhood. Sidewalks, two bicycle lanes, and improved landscape features are being constructed to encourage pedestrian and bike traffic along the thoroughfare.
The Old Elmira Road Complete Streets Project is being funded with a $680,000 grant from the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council, approximately $300,000 from sidewalk assessments (paid by the property owners), and the remaining sum from the City of Ithaca, for a total of $1.3m.
This project caused significant consternation with business owners, upset at being assessed thousands of dollars for the construction of new sidewalks. It remains to be seen whether this instigates a larger discussion about how sidewalks are paid for, with some calling for parking benefit districts to be employed (parking revenue would be kept in the area collecting the parking revenue and used for civic improvements, rather than going to a general fund).
May 14, 2013 // by James Douglas
The Commons is being rebuilt from the ground up, completely overhauling the original 1974 design. The Commons Rebuild will replace the existing water & gas mains, sanitary lines, storm drainage, telecom & electric service, and the existing surface design with an emphasis on open space (good-bye, pavilions.), and also serve as a hub for TCAT busses.
The Commons rebuild is being funded with $4.9m from the City of Ithaca, $3.5m from a Federal Transportation Administration State of Good Repair grant, $1.8 from the Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council, $600,000 from the NYS Department of Transportation, and $500,000 from the Downtown Ithaca Alliance (the Commercial Business District’s “BID”, or Business Improvement District, funded through an additional tax levy on parcels in the CBD).
Phase one of the Commons Rebuild, including deconstruction of the current surface and replacement of the underground utilities is scheduled to wrap up before winter hits in December 2013. Phase two, the construction of new surface elements and amenities, is expected to last for five months, with an expected start date of March 1, 2014, ending in July.
Be sure to check out the project site for even more updates.
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.