Urban Core’s Press Bay Alley Project has begun, with plans to convert these old Ithaca Journal press bays into micro-retail/arcade spaces. The block knock-out alongside the scaffolding on the Green Street side will feature a top-to-bottom window, and the garage doors will be replaced with steel-framed glass. In the meantime since plans were being drawn, the spaces have hosted the Arcades Project and several other events. It will be interesting to see what retail businesses decide to sprout here, and if other future projects in the area incorporate micro-retailing into their developments.

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).