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  #1381  
Old Posted Sep 20, 2011, 6:17 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ex-Ithacan View Post
If I'm not mistaken, I believe the waterfront is one of the designated areas for development. Hard to understand why people would get so upset over buildings 5 stories tall. Good old Ithaca.
Just two issues for me:

* Development would block a possible Court Street bridge across the inlet. A Court Street bridge is probably the last best chance of relieving Octopus traffic without reviving plans for the Cayuga Expressway.

* It would eliminate irreplacable marine-related services and industry.
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  #1382  
Old Posted Oct 5, 2011, 10:54 PM
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^ I don't see why certain parts of the waterfront shouldn't be developed, ie. the jungle area near the scrap yard on Taber St or along the flood control channel and Cherry St. Of course any Inlet Isle development will probably not happen in my lifetime.



Looks like a mixed income residential building is going to move forward downtown. Some of the comments I've read about worry that low income tenants will turn the Commons into an open air drug market. I know there is crime in Ithaca, but after living in metro DC for the last 30 years I find the low crime rate of the Ithaca area, and the "traffic jams" on the west end somewhat amusing.

From the Ithaca Times on-line

Posted: Wednesday, October 5, 2011 6:26 am | Updated: 4:46 pm, Wed Oct 5, 2011.


An architectural rendering, created by Holt Architects, of what the proposed Breckenridge Place complex will look like

Quote:
Ithaca: INHS moving forward with downtown housing complex

Long in the works, the downtown housing complex slated for the current location of the Women's Community Building - at the corner of Seneca and Cayuga streets - is moving forward now that developers have gotten all the financing in place.

Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services and PathStone Corporation, non-profit housing developers, have announced they've gotten commitments for all of the $14.5 million in funding needed to get the Breckenridge Place apartment complex project started. INHS Executive Director Paul Mazzarella said the project is expected to break ground around May 2012.

The project will create 50 housing units - 35 one-bedroom units and 15 two-bedroom units - that do come with income restrictions for the tenants. It won't all be low-income, however, as some units will be rented to those with modeate incomes. .........................
Here's the link to the full article:
http://www.ithaca.com/news/ithaca/ar...cc4c03286.html
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  #1383  
Old Posted Oct 7, 2011, 7:09 PM
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Somewhat rlated to the article above.

From the Ithaca Journal:


Housing study shows Ithaca downtown housing full to brim

Written by
Liz Lawyer

Ithaca -- Residential buildings in downtown Ithaca have an extremely low vacancy rate, but the average quality of housing stock in the area is comparatively low, and the middle range of the rental market is largely missing from Ithaca's downtown area, a housing study has found.

Downtown Ithaca Alliance Executive Director Gary Ferguson presented the preliminary findings from a housing market study, commissioned by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance and the City of Ithaca, to the Ithaca Tomorrow advisory group Thursday. The Danter Company, an Ohio research firm specializing in the real estate industry, took a 100 percent sample of available housing downtown for the study, Ferguson said.

Ferguson said Thursday that preliminary results from the Danter study show there is an average vacancy rate of 0.05 percent downtown.

However, Ferguson said Ken Danter, president and CEO of the Danter Company, told the Downtown Ithaca Alliance on a recent visit there is a lack of mid-range housing options.

To address this, Ferguson said, Ithaca must develop a new zoning package for downtown and create a revised incentive program for developers.

"We need to have serious ways to make this work," Ferguson said. "The demand is there. Now we have to queue it up so we can take advantage of that."

The complete Danter study will be available before Oct. 20, Ferguson said.

The study factors into the Downtown Ithaca Alliance's 2020 Strategic Plan. The plan calls for 1,500 units of new housing downtown this decade. Other points of focus are overhauling The Commons and developing a transit spine connecting common destinations, perhaps even by streetcars.

Issues Ferguson said should be considered in developing these initiatives include what utility lines should be placed under The Commons to prepare for possible district heating or other technology, and what characteristics the Y- or T-shaped transit spine centered at The Commons should have -- where it should drop off passengers at Cornell University, Ithaca College and the West End, and how to make it intuitively easy to learn.



The Link:
http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...sing-full-brim
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  #1384  
Old Posted Oct 9, 2011, 1:53 AM
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This was a pleasant surprise when I read the online Ithaca Journal today:

Hotel owner proposes second tower for Ithaca's Holiday Inn

Plan would provide more meeting space

Written by
Liz Lawyer

5:31 PM, Oct. 7, 2011


Ithaca -- The owners of Holiday Inn Downtown Ithaca are seeking to add a second tower to their building in 2013.

David Hart, president and CEO of Hart Hotels, which owns the property, said the expansion would add only a few rooms to the total room count. The biggest gain would be updated facilities and more meeting space for conferences or other groups.

"It's no secret that hotels do really well on the weekends because of events that come out of the campuses," Hart said, "but our business levels, for us and everyone else, during the week are significantly less. That's mainly because we don't have a meeting facility in town" to attract groups during the week.

Deputy Director for Economic Development for the City of Ithaca Phyllisa DeSarno said the proposal is being welcomed by the city.

"We in the city are very pleased," DeSarno said. "The impact that this kind of new enhancement project at the Holiday Inn will bring the city is like a gift. A lot of places in the Northeast are begging for these kinds of projects."

DeSarno said she anticipates the center would bring an infusion of business to downtown. Hart has not yet formally approached the city, he said, but he expects to start the process within a few months. DeSarno noted that the project seems to be within existing zoning, simplifying the process.

Hart said the hotel was built in 1972 as a Ramada Inn, with the 10-story tower added in 1985. The three older wings of the building, which extend north, west and south of the tower, would be demolished to make way for the new tower, he said.

The hotel now has 180 rooms. After demolishing the older wings and adding the new, nine-story tower on the Clinton Street side of the building, the count would be only slightly higher at 192, but the rooms will be new, with modern amenities, Hart said.

On the north side of the building, Hart wants to add a new conference center and meeting space, and an expansion to the kitchen and a new ballroom. In the end, the hotel will have 12,000 square feet of meeting space, Hart said.

"We believe it's a great opportunity in downtown Ithaca to have a meeting or conference center," he said. "Having been in business in Ithaca for 20 years, we know where our soft spot is, and that's meetings during the week."

The new tower would also feature a rooftop entertainment area, which would overlook the city, Hart said.

The expansion would likely add 20 to 25 more jobs to the hotel, Hart said. Construction is estimated to begin in November 2012.


Here's the link:

http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...text|FRONTPAGE


Don't laugh at 9 stories, that's kinda tall for Ithaca.
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  #1385  
Old Posted Oct 11, 2011, 5:10 PM
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The housing market in Ithaca is quite binary outside of student rentals. It's mostly large lot subdivisions or subsidized low/mod/senior housing, with almost nothing in the middle.
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  #1386  
Old Posted Oct 14, 2011, 10:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyburbia View Post
The housing market in Ithaca is quite binary outside of student rentals. It's mostly large lot subdivisions or subsidized low/mod/senior housing, with almost nothing in the middle.
I suspect developers are going to build the type of housing which is in demand, especially in today's cautious financing market.



Speaking of development, here's an article concerning development status in the Town of Ithaca (from the Ithaca Times):


Ithaca town planing committee continues West Hill development discussion

Posted: Thursday, October 13, 2011 11:22 pm
By Dialynn Dwyer


Thursday's meeting of the Town of Ithaca Planning Committee continued discussions on possible development scenarios for West Hill.

West Hill is just one of three areas the Town of Ithaca is looking to focus on developing, the others being a portion of South Hill and area surrounding East Hill plaza. There is a current moratorium on a portion of West Hill, allowing the town time to plan the smart growth and nodal development they want for the area, which is part of the town's focus on sustainability in the re-writing of the Comprehensive Plan.

Dan Tasman, the Assistant Director of Planning, presented six possible development scenarios of complete build-out under different zonings, listing the total number of units that would exist under each. The scenarios divided West Hill into three neighborhoods- North, Central, and South- and broke down the number of units in each neighborhood under each zoning scenario. The zoning scenarios ranged from the existent Medium Density Residence zoning (MDR) to a Traditional Neighborhood Density (TDR) with high density.

Tasman then asked the three Committee members Rich DePaolo, Bill Goodman, and Pat Leary to draw what they envisioned for the area. What they ended up drawing in dry erase markers over a map of West Hill came close to the first conceptual development scenario that Tasman presented shortly after.

The conceptual outline, which presented a possible scenario of development of 1800 units, depicted the primary centers of development in the north, central, and south areas containing a range of higher density mixed use units in the centers of the neighborhoods with lower density single family units and open space surrounding the areas of higher density. A road connecting the centers of the three neighborhoods was part of the map, with the thought that public transportation could come to each central hub. The thought was raised that in order to control the areas of higher density, zoning outside the centers of development could be changed to lower density areas.

Several members of the committee emphasized that the scenario is just a working concept to show what maximum build-out would be half-way between the fourth and fifth zoning scenarios that were developed. Further studies will be conducted, models made, and the members will continue to mull over possibilities and concerns regarding development on West Hill for their meeting next month.



Here's the link:
http://www.ithaca.com/news/article_1...cc4c03286.html
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  #1387  
Old Posted Oct 14, 2011, 10:54 PM
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Looks like this project is still alive. From the Ithaca Journal:


Seneca Way building project approaches final approval


7:14 PM, Oct. 11, 2011
Written by
Liz Lawyer

Ithaca -- A project to replace the old Challenge Industries building at the intersection of East State Street and Seneca Way with a new mixed-use building is likely to go forward, the project developer said.

Bryan Warren, a principal in Fall Creek Development of Ithaca, which is building the Seneca Way building, and president of Warren Real Estate, said the next stage in the process is to get final site plan approval from the city Planning and Development Board.

The board has already granted preliminary site plan approval, Warren said. Variances have been approved through the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Warren said demolition on the Challenge building, a former factory, could start in late spring 2012. He estimated the project may take nine months to complete.

The proposed building would include a parking garage at the street level, with commercial space in the floor above it, and 32 one-bedroom and six two-bedroom apartments in the upper stories. It will also include a workout room, a rooftop terrace, and bike storage.

Warren said the approval process has taken longer than he expected. Original financing for the project has fallen through in the year since he took the project to the city, but he is looking to secure alternative financing in the coming months.

The apartments will be "high-end," he said. There has already been interest in the commercial space, which will house Warren Real Estate offices, along with other tenants.

"We feel good about the Ithaca market," Warren said. "I think things are still very healthy here. For the most part, we still feel good about it, though it put a lot of strain on us, having the approval process take so long."

Residents neighboring the site on Seneca Street raised objections to the project, saying it threatened the historic nature of their neighborhood. Alterations to the project plan addressed some of the concerns. The project also hit a few hitches because of the smallness and odd shape of the lot, Warren said.

"Every time we were troubleshooting, we came up with different obstacles," he said.



Here's the link:

http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...final-approval
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  #1388  
Old Posted Oct 19, 2011, 12:09 AM
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I think some kind of Tompkins government building is inevitable. I prefer the old library site. From the Ithaca Journal:



The Tompkins County Legislature's Capital Plan Review Committee is considering adding two or three stories to Building C on Buffalo Street which now houses the Board of Elections and the County Assessment Office. The possible new space, one of several options, would in addition house the County Office for the Aging, as well as Planning and the Ithaca Tompkins County Transportation Council. / SIMON WHEELER / STAFF PHOTO

Tompkins investigates Center of Government idea
Legislature has one year to vacate courthouse
7:15 PM, Oct. 17, 2011

Written by
Liz Lawyer

Ithaca -- Plans for a Center of Government building to house departments and agencies of the increasingly squeezed Tompkins County government could take several possible forms, the legislature's Capital Plan Review Committee discussed last week.

Aging facilities and a request for more space in the county courthouse by the New York State Court System are requiring the legislature to look for more office space. Committee members are investigating whether a Center of Government building to house many of the county's departments in one place makes financial sense.

The committee was presented with several options in September, ranging from improving current buildings to constructing a whole new building on the site of the Old Library. Other options include adding two or three stories to the Buffalo Street building that currently houses the Board of Elections.

The legislature recently moved the County Office for the Aging out of the courthouse to the Human Services Annex. But the legislature chambers and offices themselves will be next to move out of the courthouse to make room for the state courts.

Legislature Chair Martha Robertson, D-Dryden, said Judge Robert Mulvey agreed to give the legislature another year to plan for the move. At one point, the state courts were asking the legislature to vacate and renovate the space by the start of 2012.

Robertson said the county will be responsible for reconfiguring the space to suit the court's needs, but the extent of renovations will be decided by the courts.



Here's the link:
http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...overnment-idea
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  #1389  
Old Posted Oct 21, 2011, 11:26 PM
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Another Ithaca Journal article ref: the need for housing (apartments mostly) downtown:



The Cayuga Green Apartments east of the Tompkins County Public Library, is an example of new housing in Downtown Ithaca. The building was completed in 2008. A housing study commissioned by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance suggests downtown can support around 1,300 new units of housing in the next five years. / SIMON WHEELER / STAFF PHOTO

Study: Ithaca housing demand outpaces supply
1,000-plus units needed to meet five-year demand, consultant finds

Written by
Liz Lawyer

Ithaca -- A housing market study commissioned by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance to support its 2020 Strategic Plan indicates the downtown area could add as many as 1,350 new housing units in the next five years to meet existing demand.

For the study, the Danter Company, an Ohio-based real estate research firm, took a 100 percent data sample of available housing in an approximately 16-block area comprising downtown, between Buffalo and Clinton Streets on the north and south, and Albany and Aurora Streets on the west and east.

In addition, the study identifies an Effective Market Area, or the smallest geographic area that will contribute 60 to 70 percent of support, or potential residents, for new development in the downtown area.

Downtown Ithaca's Effective Market Area includes the city, part of West Hill, Cayuga Heights and a good chunk of the Town of Ithaca, and much of the Village of Lansing.

The 2020 Strategic Plan for downtown calls for 1,500 new units of housing in Ithaca during the decade leading up to 2020. The Danter Study, released Thursday, suggests that 350 for-sale units and 1,000 rental units, could be supported by the downtown Effective Market Area.

There are 5,063 conventional, not condominium, apartment units, 4,793 of them market-rate, rather than subsidized or involving tax credits, in the downtown market area. The study found there is an extremely low vacancy rate in the market-rate units of housing in the study area -- 0.5 percent. Nearly half of the apartments in the downtown market are occupied by students.

The study says there is evidence of a rental housing shortage not only in Ithaca, but in Tompkins County, regarding all levels of housing, but that the middle of the market is particularly lacking.

"Ithaca is missing the middle of the market -- ALL rents have moved well beyond what would usually be considered 'the middle,'" the study says.

It goes on to suggest a strategy encouraging non-student rental housing development within a moderate range -- $700 to $900 for Ithaca.

The full study can be found at www.danter.com/studies/ithacacity,nyd1104.pdf.



here's the link:
http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...text|FRONTPAGE
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  #1390  
Old Posted Oct 24, 2011, 10:41 PM
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I know these lists are not always "important", but for a small city these can put a smile on citizens' faces.

From the Ithaca Journal.

BRIEFLY IN BUSINESS Ithaca named a top place to retire

Ithaca -- As a college town Ithaca attracts its fair share of young students. It turns out it's also an ideal place for those leaving the workforce behind.

The city was recently ranked a top 10 best place to retire by U.S. News & World Report. The magazine noted the affordable median home price in the area, the proximity to Cornell University and Ithaca College, as well as access to a wide variety of speeches, concerts, and sporting events.

Other highlights included the gorges, bicycling opportunities and the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail.

-- Staff report

link here:
http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...xt|FRONTPAGE|s
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  #1391  
Old Posted Oct 24, 2011, 10:47 PM
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Some more interesting news for the Ithaca area (from the Ithaca Journal):

Ithaca-Tompkins airport wins sustainability award

The Ithaca_Tompkins County Regional Airport has won a first place award for its Sustainable Airport Master Plan.

The 2011 Airports Going Green award will be presented to local airport officials Oct 31 during the 4th Annual Airports Going Green Conference in Chicago. The award recognizes outstanding leadership in pursuit of sustainability within the aviation industry.

- Staff reports


the link:
http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...xt|FRONTPAGE|s
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  #1392  
Old Posted Oct 27, 2011, 7:58 PM
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An article regarding the City Planning and Development Board's review of a few projects. I'm most interested in the Seneca Way project (another article from a different source to follow), and the new to me Johnson Boatyard housing development. From the Ithaca Times:

Ithaca: City Planning and Development Board sees site plans for Gates Hall and waterfront

Posted: Tuesday, October 25, 2011 11:50 pm | Updated: 1:10 am, Wed Oct 26, 2011
By Dialynn Dwyer

Final site plan approval was granted for both the Seneca Way Apartments (to be located at 140 Seneca Way) and Fairfield Inn (to be located at 359 Elmira Road) at the meeting of the Planning and Development Board on Tuesday, October 25. After each resolution passed with minor additions and modifications, chairman of the board John Schroeder expressed how much the proposals had improved through the process.

Clearer pictures of the plans for the new Cornell Computer and Information Sciences Building (CIS) were brought before the board by the project's manager, John Keefe. While both the preliminary approval of the plans and the SEQR passed unanimously for the future ‘Gates Hall,’ as it is to be referred to by most, there were two points of the design that had members of the board concerned and which they asked be examined for the next meeting.
Concerns were raised over the landscaped design in the front of the building where slabs of stone are raised in step-like formations that are meant to imitate the formations within the surrounding gorges, according to Keefe. Board members expressed that in terms of risk management the formation would rate very high, being located on a college campus. Board member Tessa Rudan expressed the element of the design as “really risky,” and feared it would open up unintended consequences.
Chairman John Schroeder expressed concern that as part of the presented design, the Hoy pillars were moved against a wall, no longer serving their original intent as a gateway to Hoy Field. Both concerns are being evaluated for the next meeting with the board.
A sketch plan of the Johnson’s Boatyard Housing project was presented by board member John Synder, who is the lead architect on the project. The sketch included three phases of development- the first being a construction of around 20 townhouses beginning in 2012. The second and third phases include the construction of mixed use, residential and retail buildings on the section of the property closest to Willow Avenue. The mixed use buildings would be between 2-4 stories- a definite decision has not yet been made. The sketch was well received by the board.
In other business:
- A sketch plan of a proposed compact car parking lot for the staff of Alternatives Federal Credit Union, to be located at 634 West Seneca Street, was presented.
- A modified site plan review was considered for the Aurora Street Dwelling Circle.
- The board discussed an amendment to zoning procedures that would mandate the notification of property owners that would be affected by proposed zoning changes. There is currently no such requirement.


here's the link:
http://www.ithaca.com/news/article_6...cc4c03286.html
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  #1393  
Old Posted Oct 27, 2011, 8:00 PM
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Cornell Sun article on the Seneca Way project:


Holt Architects rendering

City Approves Seneca Way Building

OCTOBER 26, 2011
BY JOSEPH NICZKY

he Seneca Way apartment project won final approval from the Ithaca Planning and Development Board Tuesday night.

The board voted in favor of the project six votes to one, with only Jane Marcham ’51 voting against it.

The five-story building on the corner of Seneca Way and East State Street will contain parking space, commercial space on the ground floor and apartments above, according to John Schroeder ’74, Planning and Development Board chairperson and The Sun’s production manager.

The primary issue delaying the project’s approval was its proximity to a residential neighborhood, Schroeder said.

“It abuts a residential neighborhood,” he said. “People who live in this neighborhood ... were concerned that this five-story building was up against their yards.”

The solution was to move two apartments on the top story from the back of the building to the front of the building, according to Schroeder. The change is intended to increase the privacy of the backyards directly up against the building, and it makes the building shorter there, too, he said.

To provide additional privacy, the north side of the building has opaque privacy glass, rather than transparent glass.

“Most of that is a spandrel glazing, so there’s really just windows up high so as to not compromise security into the backyards,” said Steve Hugo of Holt Architects, the firm that designed the building.

Site light fixtures are designed to reduce light coming from the site at night and entering the surrounding neighborhood, so that residents will not be bothered.

“We have sharp cutoff [light] fixtures in the parking lot … no light spillage to the adjoining properties and the neighbors,” said Prof. Peter Trowbridge, landscape architecture, whose firm, Trowbridge & Wolf Land­scape Architects, was involved in the design of the project.

Schroeder said that the Seneca Way project will satisfy needs of the downtown area.

“We’re getting a substantial amount of commercial space, and that is much appreciated,” he said. “It’s giving much needed housing and commercial space to downtown.”
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  #1394  
Old Posted Oct 29, 2011, 6:45 PM
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^^ I was wondering what the Aurora St Dwelling Circleare mentioned in post #1392 could be. Finally found something about it. Here's the link:

http://newearthliving.net/what-we-do...elling-circle/


A rendering of sorts:

http://newearthliving.net/what-we-do...irdseye_view1/

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  #1395  
Old Posted Nov 7, 2011, 11:49 PM
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Some new housing for older folks at a project across the highway from Ithaca College.
From the Ithaca Journal:

Longview patio project approved

10:15 PM, Nov. 2, 2011

Longview is one step closer to building patio homes.

The Town of Ithaca Planning Board granted preliminary site plan approval for the new patio homes project Tuesday night. The project will have to go back to the board for final site plan approval.

The project, off Bella Vista Drive to the south of the existing Longview building, would have 11 duplexes totaling 22 rental units. The ranch-style homes would have a garage, two bedrooms, two baths and comprise about 1,300 square feet each. A price estimate is not yet available, Executive Director Mark Macera said.

here's the link:
http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...oject-approved

I'll try to locate some more info on this one.
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  #1396  
Old Posted Nov 8, 2011, 12:02 AM
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Not great news, but I know other places are feeling the downturn more. From the Ithaca Journal:


Economic Index: Tompkins economy cools in September

5:10 PM, Nov. 4, 2011



The Tompkins County economy continued its up and down ways in September.

The Ithaca College Index of Economic Activity dipped 1.56 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis to 157.00 from a revised mark of 159.49 in August. Job losses and a drop in homes sales dragged the index down. Gains in retail sales, air traffic, building permits and help wanted advertising were not enough to offset the downdraft. Compared to September 2010, economic activity was up 0.25 percent.

After adding 1,000 jobs in August, Tompkins County lost 2,100 jobs in September. These gyrations in employment have clouded the jobs outlook. It appears as if the county economy will add about 1,000 in 2011, but the recent volatility in the employment numbers makes any forecast less reliable. The unemployment rate was 5.6 percent compared to 6.5 percent last year in Tompkins County.

County retailers had a good September, ringing up $133.6 million in sales. This amounts to a bump of 3.97 percent over August. Compared to September 2010, the volume of retail sales was up 1.22 percent. The retail sector of the County economy has not been strong so far in 2011.

The number of passengers boarding and deplaning at Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport lofted 2.00 percent in September on a seasonally adjusted basis. Compared to September 2010, air traffic was down 2.40 percent.

Residential building permits issued in Tompkins County vaulted 98.50 percent in September. Building permits have a tendency to swing widely from month to month. For the year, building permits are on a par with last year's pace.

County real estate agents sold 68 homes in September on a seasonally adjusted basis. This compares with 80 homes sold in August. Compared to September 2010, home sales were off 14.75 percent. Home sales in Tompkins County have been erratic over the past two years. No trend, upward or downward, has been established. However, home prices softened further September. The average sales price was $182,500 compared to $200,600 in September 2010. The median sales price was $165,000 compared to $172,500 a year earlier.

Help wanted advertising advanced 7.39 percent. Compared to September 2010, help wanted advertising was up 10.40 percent. These increases signal an improving labor market.

Economic Index appears monthly. Elia Kacapyr is professor and chairman of the Department of Economics at Ithaca College


The link:
http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...conomy-cools-S
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  #1397  
Old Posted Nov 17, 2011, 11:10 PM
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Looks like Ithaca will be getting another restaurant (from the Cornell Daily Sun):

Chipotle Grill Will Open New Restaurant in Ithaca

November 17, 2011
By Tajwar Mazhar
The popular chain Chipotle Mexican Grill will open a new restaurant in Ithaca next year, a representative of the company confirmed this week.

The Mexican eatery is considering South Meadow St., among other options, as a location for the new store, Chipotle spokesperson Amber Gallihar said.

“We are trying to make it centrally available to the community,” Gallihar said. Gallihar added Chipotle is hoping to open the new location sometime in mid-February.

Based in Denver, Colo., Chipotle is known for delectable burritos, sizzling steaks and tasty tacos. On its website, the restaurant also touts its connections to the organic food movement, emphasizing its use of organic ingredients and naturally-raised meats.

Some students said they were excited for the store to open.

“I’m excited because I miss it from back home and I know a lot of my friends miss it too. We need our Chipotle fix,” Katelyn Fletcher ’15 said. “It’s better than fast food. It’s Chipotle.”

Other Mexican restaurants in the area include That Burrito Place on College Avenue and Mexeo on Dryden Road.

“I don’t think it will be a problem. Most students stay on campus,” said Nick Brown, an employee at That Burrito Place.

The national food chain is one of the fastest growing companies in America, recently opening locations in central and upsate New York. The nearest Chipotle, in Syracuse, N.Y., opened its doors last spring.


Here's the link:

http://www.cornelldailysun.com/secti...taurant-ithaca

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Old Posted Nov 19, 2011, 8:11 PM
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^ And another one. From the Ithaca Journal:


Ithaca Bakery owner plans Pine Tree Road restaurant
Location would be at former Olivia's site

7:26 PM, Nov. 16, 2011
Written by
Rachel Stern

Ithaca -- Gregar Brous is set to add another business to Ithaca.

Brous, owner of Ithaca Bakery, will open a new restaurant in Ithaca's East Hill area. Agava Restaurant will replace the former Olivia's on Pine Tree Road near East Hill Plaza.

The restaurant will feature a Southwestern menu and Brous said he hopes to open up in February. The project received final site plan approval from the Ithaca planning board Tuesday night.

"I have been looking for a location that I thought was appropriate for the last few years and I really like that area up there," he said. "It has a great history of solid business and it is a very underserved area. That whole East Hill, Ellis Hollow area is screaming for something good to eat."

The project involves converting the existing building into a new restaurant. There will be an 80-square foot vestibule with ramping and a 320-square foot addition on the east side of the building for a walk-in cooler, and kitchen expansion. A new rear entry will be added to the building, as well.

Brous said the restaurant will feature a seasonally changing menu and will use a great deal of local ingredients. There will be a wood-fired oven and take-out service.

The goal is to get building permits within the next two weeks. As soon as that happens, he said, construction will begin. There is about two months worth of work, Brous said.

"It is not going to be a high-end restaurant. It will be middle of the road in terms of price point," he said. "The restaurant will be accessible and available to families, grad students, or anyone in that proximity or anywhere else in town."


Here's the link:

http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...oad-restaurant
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Old Posted Nov 24, 2011, 12:14 AM
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Some progress on some projects in the city. Can't wait to see the sketches for the new Holiday Inn addition. From the Ithaca Times online:


Means restriction on seven bridges approved by City Planning and Development Board

Posted: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 11:17 pm
By Dialynn Dwyer

Cornell University’s application for means restriction net systems on seven bridges came before the Planning and Development Board on Nov. 22. The board unanimously gave negative State Environmental Quality Review determinations for each of the seven bridges, effectively deeming there will be no impact on the environment as a result of the net systems. Chairman of the board John Schroeder stated the most telling indication of the work done on the proposal since the initial discussions in 2010, was that no one showed up for the public hearing regarding the proposal.

Preliminary site plan approval was given for phase one of the rebuilding of the City of Ithaca water treatment plant. The plans for the plant were presented for public comment in October. The plans presented to the board took into account some of comments from the public, such as concerns of light pollution and the location of the radio tower. Whether or not public access in the form of a walkway cutting across to State Street can be maintained remains under debate. The board strongly recommended that if a public walkway cannot be maintained, a sidewalk should be installed on Water Street.
A sketch plan for the Holiday Inn expansion was presented and greeted with enthusiasm from members of the board. The proposed expansion would demolish the older, two-story wings of the hotel to the north, west, and south. The demolition of those sections would be followed by construction of a second tower on the north side of the hotel. The proposed plan hopes to fill the need for meeting space downtown by creating 15,000 square feet of conference/meeting space within the new section of the hotel. The second tower would be nine stories high.
In other business:
- Modifications to the proposed Breckenridge Apartments- to be located at the current location of the Women’s Community Building - were passed unanimously. The modifications include the removal of the basement, two-ground floor apartments, and three parking spaces.
-The board unanimously gave preliminary approval for a subdivision of the properties at 620-628 Spencer Road and 357-359 Elmira Road. One of the reconfigured parcels will be the site of the future Fairfield Inn.
-Architectural details were presented for the Collegetown Terrace Apartments. Further discussions will take place regarding the details before approval is given.
- Following the presentation of clarifications to the design of the proposed Cornell Computer and Information Sciences Building at 107 Hoy Road, final site plan approval was given unanimously.
- The applicant for preliminary approval of site landscaping and shed at 208 Delaware Avenue asked that the item be pushed back to the board’s December meeting.


Here's the link:

http://www.ithaca.com/news/article_6...cc4c03286.html
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Old Posted Nov 30, 2011, 12:05 AM
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And so it goes. The Canadians invade (LOL). I wish they would have located downtown or Collegetown instead of the big box/ strip center Southwest area. From the Cornell Daily Sun:


Cold Stone Creamery Opens In Ithaca With Tim Hortons

NOVEMBER 29, 2011
BY REBEKAH FOSTER

In late October, a Cold Stone Creamery location opened on Elmira Road in Ithaca in conjunction with the Tim Hortons Cake & Bake Shop.

According to Lindsay Meehan, director of marketing and communications at Mirabito Holdings, owner of the Ithaca Tim Hortons and Cold Stone franchises, the company decided to open the new Cold Stone location “due to traffic counts and the size and nature of the local community, which includes two major colleges.”

Coldstone has standard products that it will offer in Ithaca, the same products that are offered at locations elsewhere, Meehan said.

There are currently 1,400 Cold Stone Creamery locations in the United States and Canada, according to the store’s website. The store derives its name from a frozen granite stone where an assortment of ingredients and an ice cream flavor of one’s choosing are mixed together.

The new Cold Stone location is joining a local ice cream market that includes Purity, the local ice cream parlor that has been in Ithaca since 1936, and Sweet Melissa’s, another local ice cream parlor, along with several others.

Meehan said that “we do not intend to … take any business from Purity … [we] just [want to] offer more variety and a quality product to Ithaca residents and students.” Cold Stone also has a drive-thru option whereby customers can order and pick up ice cream without leaving their cars.


Here's the link:

http://www.cornelldailysun.com/secti...ca-tim-hortons
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