© Ithaca Builds, 2026
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
June 6, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
Former Greentree Nursery building; CAT excavator is on site, so I could see this demo happening soon.
June 6, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
This one is looking closer to done than before- no more faux brick panels laying around, and there’s a new sign on the Route 13 corner displaying the temperature outside and the address of the building.
June 5, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
Fence is up, a couple trucks are in, and there are some gravel and dirt piles here and there. I wonder if they’re testing the soil and preparing for excavation.
June 5, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
More State Street facades going up on buildings 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3, and the swoop-style building 3.4 shows some work as well. The multi-colored panels look interesting and rather unique for Ithaca. Can’t wait to see how the entry pavilion turns out- I imagine it won’t be long before we start seeing some framing work for the glass panels.
June 4, 2013 // by Jason Henderson
It’s Alive! Well, no, but it sure is green. This is the new Magnolia House on Meadow Street (Route 13) on the West End, a project by Tompkins Community Action. It will contain (when finished this Fall) 14 residential units for women needing housing and assistance to get back on their feet. Ithacating’s article about the Magnolia House points out the copper cladding, that has now weathered to a nice green patina. The Ithaca Times article also notes that the cost is roughly equivalent to brick cladding. The architects, (Travis Price Architects) have done previous projects incorporating this material siding where they are based in Washington, D.C. (see the Lenzner House).
