Ithaca Builds

Mapping, photos and information for Ithaca construction and development projects

Planned Parenthood Framing & Sheathing Progress

November 13, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

I can see that some of the interior walls have been framed-out as more glass-mat sheathing has been going up along the exterior walls. Once the exterior walls are closed-in, we’ll see a colorful variety of fiber cement panels installed to compose the facade of the building, along with a brick layer to form the base. There will also be some metals panels around certain window popouts. The site plans were posted here back in May, and the renders of the outside along with exterior details are on the last page.

Breckenridge Place Paving, Landscaping, Windows & Pillars

November 12, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

INHS’s Breckenridge Place site has new paving, striping, landscaping, pillars at the entry, and the windows for the central popped-out bay along Seneca Street are going in. The two locust trees between Breckenridge and the property next door have been removed, giving a better view of the eastern facade. The 50 new units are still slated to open-up for early 2014.

Markles Flats Site Photos

November 11, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

I was in the area so I took a few photos of this site. Most of the fencing has been installed along the edges, along with the section for the baseball diamond and asphalt basketball court. Poured and tamped gravel form the pathways along with sections of concrete walkways, benches are in place, and some shrubs and saplings have been sunk in the soil. The parking lot was finished a little while back, and all the exposed soil has straw spread over it.

For the better part of the past two years, this site was remediated along with sections of adjacent roadway due to coal tar contamination from the former New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) operations that processed coal tar to fuel gas (coal tar is carcinogenic due to the chemicals generally found in high concentrations). There was an enormous tent over the site, lots of trucks, and street closures. The Ithaca City School District (ICSD) owns the block, and sought plans to demolish the former industrial Markles Flats building back in late 2009, but lost that initial decision in a ruling before the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission (ILPC). Two subsequent rulings (an appeal before the Tompkins County Court, then the State Supreme Court Appellate Division) allowed the demolotion to move forward due to the conclusion that the ILPC could not determine what the school district could do with its property. There was considerable local discussion on the disagreement (one, two, and three). I never took a photo of the building myself, but here’s an image link of the former building.

The old remedial plan PDF from the NYSDEC is embedded below, along with a shot of the groundwater results- the plan presents some maps towards the end showing where contamination had to be removed or neutralized.

Seneca Way Landscaping & Photo Update

November 10, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

The Newman Development/ Warren Real Estate project at 140 Seneca Way is set to open less than two months from now. There’s been considerable landscaping progress since I last swung around- new concrete poured for the western lot and ground-level parking beneath the building, as well as soil and plantings. Besides the fill-in of the missing section of facade, I doubt we’ll see much more change on the outside beyond this point. It’s been nice watching this one go up- definitely a swift pace. Browse the first project page here for photos going all the way back to the demolition of the former Challenge Industries building.
Not long from now, Ithaca will be welcoming 32 new one-bedroom apartments, six two-bedroom apartments, and 8,600 square feet of office space for Warren Real Estate and the Park Foundation.

Gates Hall at Night

November 7, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

These came out quite grainy, but hopefully they give a sense of what this building looks like at night. With all the glass, it’s lit-up like a Christmas tree on every floor, and I imagine the new entryway will have a bunch of floods illuminating the cantilever ceiling, as well as plenty of spots lighting the entryway. Speaking of the entry, the feet-structures are still coming along, and there’s a new concrete wall along the corner of Hoy and Campus Roads, where the level entry will be (the opposing side will have stairs from the sidewalk, shown below).

Press Bay Alley Photo Update

November 6, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

Here are some photos taken today of the Press Bay Alley site. The steel-framed glass panels have been installed along each of the bay headers, and within the past couple weeks, stud walls have been framed onto the cinder block walls. Next up, I imagine electrical runs will be made, then insulation batts will be stuffed into the stud cavities, and sheetrock to finish.

Planned Parenthood Updated Photos

November 4, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

Here are some updated photos from last week of the Planned Parenthood project on Seneca Street in the west end Route 13 split. There’s more progress on exterior wall-framing, sheathing, and some new interior wall framing. I can also see a bunch of new HVAC ductwork along the ceilings on the second level, an electrical panel with conduit runs for temporary lighting, and pipework on the ground level.

Collegetown Terrace Updated Photos

November 3, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

Here are some photos of the Collegetown Terrace project taken this past week. Building 5’s southern face has been filling-in with sheathing and facade panels, as is the north side, which is fully-sheathed and a bit further along. I’m not sure what to make of the lone cinder block wall at the eastern edge, but I assume it’s for an elevator/stair tower. The remaining stories above the parking section here may be on hold until the tower is complete.
Building 6’s framing has whizzed right along, and the steel framing on the western end is building up. It’s amazing to see how fast this building has been done- it was only about a month ago that the structural concrete for the first three floor levels had just been set.

Building 5:

Building 6:

Belle Sherman Cottages Lot 19 Foundation Set & Modular Pieces on Site

October 31, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

Agora Development’s Belle Sherman Cottages Lot #19 (sold back in June) has a fully dug and set foundation, and the four modular pieces from Simplex Homes in Scranton, PA are on site. The first two pieces are carefully hoisted onto the foundation by crane, levelled and secured, then the next two are hoisted and set in place. The adjoining walls and ceilings are secured with steel plates and create a double-sized cavity space (which is actually quite advantageous for sound suppression), and I was very surprised at how non-modular the interiors were from a tour back in the Summer- the build quality is also superb. Carina Construction will probably be putting this up in short time.

Hobby Lobby Paving & Sign Done

October 31, 2013 // by Jason Henderson

The sign is up, paving complete, lights are on- and yes, there are three Christmas trees in the front entry already. If the store hours and opening day are correct, this store opens November 11th, Veteran’s Day at 9am.

Hobby Lobby replaces the Old K-Mart, which was closed October 2011.

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