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  #1601  
Old Posted Nov 2, 2013, 4:10 PM
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A couple of short videos; the first one about the countryside surrounding Ithaca, and the second about downtown (more of a commercial)>

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  #1602  
Old Posted Nov 2, 2013, 4:14 PM
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An update on the Seneca Way project from the Ithaca Times.

Seneca Way project: bringing more residents to downtown Ithaca

Posted: Wednesday, October 30, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 5:13 pm, Fri Nov 1, 2013.
By Bill Chaisson

140 Seneca Way is a 56,000 square-foot, six-story mixed-use building going up on the curve that connects East State Street with East Seneca Street. The Holt Architects-designed building will be the new home of the Park Foundation and Warren Real Estate, as well as 33 one-bedroom and five two-bedroom apartments.
“This is the first true mixed-used building in Ithaca,” said Bryan Warren of Warren Real Estate and the largest single personal investor in the Seneca Way project. “The city likes to see mixed use now, but that wasn’t always the case. I talked with Mac Travis because Center Ithaca was at the forefront of this here, and back then it was unpopular.”
Warren has been working with Newman Development out of Binghamton. The company also has offices in San Francisco and Philadelphia and is experienced in the construction of mixed-use buildings.
Warren moved back to Ithaca in 1998 after spending a few years living in larger cities following his graduation from college. He grew to like downtown living and when he returned home he moved into the Park Building on East State Street, across the street from his office.
In the 15 years since he became a downtown resident he has watched his neighborhood become less and less quiet. His investment in 140 Seneca Way is about making a contribution to the growing liveliness of downtown by giving people more places to live in what has long been a part of the city more heavily devoted to retail and office space.
The ground floor of the new building includes a 14-car parking garage (with two outside lots for nine and 32 cars); a bike storage room with enough space to do repairs; a large utilities room; an entrance lobby; a storage room for residents; a work-out room; and a recycling room.
“We had to chisel this out of solid rock,” said Warren. “It wasn’t just shale either; it was real rock. And then over toward State Street we hit soggy ground, so we had to drive pilings. It was a little bit of everything.”
The utility room is an immaculate shrine to the idea of having back up. There is a gas-fired Lochinvar boiler and an identical one right next to it. An amazingly small Shield hot-water heater is mounted on the opposite wall with an identical back-up next to it. There is a third hot-water heater, said Warren, just in case everything goes wrong. “But,” he grinned, “that’ll never happen.”
The view from the fifth floor is impressive. Residents will be able to look over the rooftops of Ithaca to the western wall of the Cayuga valley.
The one-bedroom units cover 950 square feet and the monthly rent includes heat and hot water, while your electric bill will be your own.
The kitchen is open to a large living room that is combined with a dining area. The bedroom has two large closets. Each unit has its own washer and dryer in an alcove next to the bathroom.
Although there is central air conditioning, the windows in this building are “operable.” You are not sealed in.
If you want even more fresh air, there is a roof terrace carved into the southwest corner of the top floor.
The apartments that face south and east into the hillside have windows that look out into the tree canopy and a rocky cliff. At one point during our visit we saw a deer gingerly picking its way through the trees, a few hundred yards from the Commons.
In deference to neighbors who live behind 140 Seneca Way, the rear of the building was “stepped down” to decrease the mass that borders the backyards of people living along East Seneca Street. The top floor of the building is truncated to break up the height of the wall that faces these neighbors.
At 1,650 square feet the two-bedroom apartments are as large as a typical house a century ago. The units include a master suite and an additional bathroom for general use.
All the apartments will have hardwood floors, which will be available in both darker and lighter finishes. The color schemes on the walls will also have two alternatives. The kitchens will have solid surface “granite” counters and stainless steel appliances.
Warren noted that downtown is accumulating the amenties needed to serve residents. It now has a pharmacy, and he is pushing to add a walk-in clinic.
Eight of the apartments have already been reserved with deposits. Warren expects the building to be completed in mid-January 2014.
CSP Management is handling the rentals at 140 Seneca Way.


Here's the link:
http://www.ithaca.com/news/seneca-wa...9bb2963f4.html
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  #1603  
Old Posted Nov 16, 2013, 1:32 PM
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An update article from the Daily Sun:




City of Ithaca: Sweeping Redesigns of Commons Is 'On Track'
Connor Archard / Sun Senior Photographer
The first phase of the Commons redesign will conclude by the end of November 2013.

NOVEMBER 14, 2013 1:06 AM

By TYLER ALICEA

e replacement of utilities on the Ithaca Commons is set to wrap up later this month before the start of the holiday season, paving the way for the $10-million Commons redesign project to be completed in Summer 2014.
Construction for utilities is on track to end on Nov. 27, which will be followed by a break in construction until March 2014, according to Project Manager Michael Kuo. When completed next summer, the redesigned Ithaca Commons will feature improved aesthetics, amenities and repaired infrastructure — which, in some places, was over 100 years old.
“The real hope here is that [the redesign will be] a shot in the arm for economic development,” Kuo said.
Due to the scope of the project, which began construction in April and is set to be completed in July 2014, the redesign is taking place over the span of two construction years, which typically run from March until November, according to Kuo. Since construction does not typically take place during winter months, the project will necessitate a winter break, Kuo said.
In addition, the break will allow businesses to continue operating without construction-related interruptions during the high retail season before the holidays.
“I think it’s important to have that break and to make the Commons as accessible as possible,” Alderperson Graham Kerslick (D-4th Ward) said, adding that the Commons will get busier in the following weeks.
So far, businesses on the Commons have remained open during the construction. According to Gary Ferguson, executive director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, the Commons redesign has had varying impacts on businesses’ performance. Regardless, Ferguson said he believes there are still a lot of people visiting downtown.
“The message we always want to send out to people is that downtown is still open. We want to see you more than ever,” Ferguson said.
However, once construction of the new streetscape begins in March, some businesses may have storefronts temporarily blocked in order to allow the city to repave the pedestrian mall and fully complete the redesign of the Commons, according to Kuo. Currently, construction is limited to the center of the Commons, leaving walkways and buildings accessible to pedestrians.
“We’re really trying to figure out a way to minimize the duration of the burden,” Kuo said, adding that construction workers will try to juggle the need to act quickly and the need to complete the large amount of work properly.
Overall, the construction team is trying to be as transparent as possible by providing the community with weekly updates and by ensuring individuals remain informed about the project, according to Kuo and Tammy Baker, outreach coordinator for the project. According to Kerslick, business owners have voiced their appreciation for having open communications about the project.
Although businesses will have to continue to work with construction workers in the following months, many business and building owners have already benefitted from the utility upgrades currently taking place, according to Kuo and Ferguson.
Increasing water volume to buildings, adding fire sprinklers or replacing sewering sewer lines are just some of the improvements building owners have been able to take advantage of, according to Kuo.

Here's the link:
http://cornellsun.com/blog/2013/11/1...sign-on-track/
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  #1604  
Old Posted Nov 16, 2013, 2:03 PM
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Another new hotel? Quite possibly, agenda item on the City Planning Board November meeting:

Project:   Site Plan Review — 4‐Story Hotel 
Location:  371 Elmira Rd. (Tax Parcels #128.‐2‐7.1 & #128.‐2‐8.11) 
Applicant:  Optima Design & Engineering, for Ithaca Hotels, LLC 
Anticipated Board Actions in November:  Declaration of Lead Agency & Public Hearing  
Project Description:  The applicant proposes to construct a 4‐story, 11,769‐SF hotel with approximately 76 rooms 
and 76 parking spaces.  The 1.4‐acre project site contains two contiguous tax parcels, containing a 7,500+/‐ SF office 
commercial building, fronting Elmira Road, and an auto‐body shop in the rear ― with access from Spencer Road and 
large  paved  parking  areas.    Project  development will require  demolition  of  both  buildings  and the removal  of 
approximately  0.25  acres  of  vegetation.    Site  improvements  include retaining walls,  a  privacy fence, walkways 
landscaping, lighting, and bike racks.  The project is in the SW‐2 Zoning District.  This is a Type I Action under both the 
City  of  Ithaca  Environmental Quality  Review Ordinance  §176‐4  B.  (k)  and  an  Unlisted  Action  under the  State 
Environmental Quality Review Act, and is subject to environmental review.  Parcel consolidation will be required.  

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  #1605  
Old Posted Nov 16, 2013, 2:32 PM
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A tour of the flats part of Ithaca (including a touch of downtown). Mr. Bonny sure covered a lot of ground in 5 minutes.
Good stuff.

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  #1606  
Old Posted Nov 23, 2013, 3:08 PM
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Another "Best Of...." rating for Ithaca.
From The Ithaca Journal:


Traffic on Cayuga Street passes the west end of The Ithaca Commons. / File Photo

Ithaca rated best college town in U.S.
High on acadmics and living, low on post-college opportunities

3:31 PM, Nov 21, 2013

Written by
David Hill


Ithaca is the top college town for college students, according to the American Institute for Economic Research College Destinations Index 2013-2014, out today.

Ithaca was first among the smallest communities ranked, ahead of Ames, Iowa, State College, Pa., Crestview, Fla., and Iowa City, Iowa.

New York was the top-ranked major metro area, San Jose the top mid-size metro, and Boulder, Colo., the top small metro.

“In today’s economic climate, simply attending a great university isn’t enough,” said Steven Cunningham, Chief Economist at AIER. “The city or town the university is located in can have as much an effect on a student’s experience and future prospects. With the economic recovery taking root, more businesses are opening throughout places we studied and that leads to greater opportunity for students, both now and in the future. Our aim is to provide an additional resource to students and their parents to help them evaluate their college decision.”

AIER describes itself as conducting independent research to educateindividuals, and taking no advertising in its publications.

It ranked the college communities based on an array of federal demographic, economic and educational data.

Ithaca got top ratings among college towns in research capacity, defined as academic research and development expenditure per capita; degree attainment as defined by the percentage of 25- to 34-year-olds with a bachelor’s degree or higher; accessibility as determined by people who commute via public transportation, bicycle or on foot; and the percent of workforce in the creative class.

Other top-three rankings for Ithaca were in the college students per 1,000 population, diversity as reflected in the share of students who are not U.S. residents, and in establishments per 100,000 people in arts, entertainment and recreation.

But Ithaca was 17th in “brain drain or gain,” the year-to-year ratio of people with a B.A. degree living in the area, and low in other measures of professional opportunity. It was ranked 11th in income per capita, at $34,643; eighth in entrepreneurial activity, defined as the net increase in the number of businesses per 100,000 people; and in the unemployment rate of 4.8 percent — which is consistently among or the lowest in New York but evidently higher than that of other college- and university-oriented small communities. The rated college town with the lowest unemployment rate was Iowa City, at 3.1 percent

More on the survey is at https://www.aier.org/cdi.

Here's the link:
http://www.ithacajournal.com/article...nclick_check=1
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  #1607  
Old Posted Nov 23, 2013, 3:14 PM
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A step forward for the Harold's Square project downtown (from the Journal):


A Green Street side view of the proposed Harold's Square project. The six-story apartment building is proposed at the south side of the complex, set back from The Commons, to the north of the Green Street parking garage that is superimposed but, out of place in this rendering. Plans may have changed slightly since this rendering. / Chaintreuil Jensen Stark

Harold's Square gets first OK for tax breaks
IDA also approves package for new Beechtree owners

6:51 PM, Nov 21, 2013
Written by
David Hill

Harold’s Square, the combined storefront, offices and apartmentcomplex planned for a site between The Commons and Green Street and reaching up to 11 stories tall, won initial approval Thursday from the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency for tax breaks under the city’s downtown-density incentive program.

The board also gave initial approval for an incentive package for BTRNC, the company that took over running Beechtree Care Center, the 120-bed nursing home on Albany Street in Ithaca formerly known as the Reconstruction Home, in September, with plans to run it for profit.

Over 10 years, it will pay an estimated $656,000 in taxes combined to the city, county and Ithaca City School District, with about $679,000 abated over the period, whereas it pays none now as a not-for-profit organization, according to its abatements application. It will pay the full amount after the 10-year abatement period.

Harold’s Square is planned for space occupied by the former Race office Supply, Alphabet Soup and Night & Day stores on the Commons. At an estimated cost of $38 million to the developers, it will add an estimated $15 million to $20 million to the tax rolls when completed, and add nearly 57,000 square feet of much-needed office space downtown, said Heather Filiberto of Ithaca, director of economic development services for Tompkins County Area Development, which staffs the IDA.

Under the seven-year abatement plan, Harold’s Square would have about $2.2 million in property taxes forgiven but pay a like amount to the city, county and school district, and have about $1.4 million in sales taxes reduced over two years.

Harold’s Square principal David Lubin of Horseheads said the abatement is important because the first few years are the toughest in any new business. Construction is expected to take 18 months, starting likely in early 2014, he said.

Here's the link:
http://www.ithacajournal.com/article...-OK-tax-breaks
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  #1608  
Old Posted Nov 23, 2013, 3:20 PM
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I hope something will come of this. The old building is in disrepair and the downtown location would work for several different kinds of projects. From the Ithaca Times:

Tompkins Seeks Interested Buyers for Old Library Site

Posted: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 10:40 am

ITHACA – On Tuesday night, the Tompkins County Legislature, by a vote of 13-1, authorized the release of a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the County’s Old Library Property, at the corner of Ithaca’s Cayuga and Court streets in the DeWitt Historic District. (Legislator Frank Proto voted no; Legislator Nathan Shinagawa was excused.)
The RFEI, to be released next month, will invite expressions of interest from prospective developers who would purchase or lease the property for redevelopment, as a first step of considering redevelopment options before soliciting complete proposals from selected respondents. All those interested in making a proposal to redevelop the Old Library property must participate in the RFEI process. Responses are due in March 2014.
The RFEI document states the County’s interest in selling or leasing the property “at fair market value for redevelopment that will make a positive contribution to the community that is not only compatible with, but also will strengthen and enhance the quality of the surrounding neighborhoods.” As part of the discussion, wording of the document was modified to detail examples of the types of public and private uses that might be proposed. Legislator Proto, a member of the Capital Plan Review Committee, expressed concern about that deviation from more general wording that he said had been carefully crafted by the committee.
The RFEI approach, recommended by the Capital Plan Review Committee, is seen as what County Administrator Joe Mareane has described as a “filtering” process. Proposals will first be reviewed by the County’s Planning Advisory Board, then by the appropriate committee of the Legislature (yet to be determined), which will forward all responses to the Legislature with its recommendations regarding which respondents should be invited to submit proposals in response to a formal Request for Proposals (RFP), to be issued by the County. The intended review schedule for sale or lease of the property projects selection of a developer before the end of 2014.

Here's the link:

http://www.ithaca.com/news/tompkins-...a4bcf887a.html
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  #1609  
Old Posted Nov 23, 2013, 3:32 PM
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Interesting article about one of the crime hotspots in Ithaca.
Unfortunately, I don't think the recommendations (even if ever implemented) would have much of an impact on that area. From the Cornell Daily Sun:



The West Village Apartments in the City of Ithaca’s West Hill neighborhood have seen an uptick in crime in the last few years. (Akane Otani / Sun Managing Editor)

Landscape Architecture Class Seeks to Improve West Hill Neighborhood

NOVEMBER 20, 2013 1:04 AM
By DAVID JANECZEK

Cornell landscape architecture class is working on a plan to improve Ithaca’s West Hill neighborhood, which has in the past been plagued by crime and tensions between high-density, low-income housing residents and other homeowners in the area.

The class has explored a variety of options from implementing relatively standard urban planning concepts — like the addition of bicycle lanes, better street lighting and greater pedestrian accessibility — to targeting West Hill-specific problems, like the preservation of open space and the problems associated with the lack of a large community meeting place like a neighborhood school or a community center, according to Prof. Thomas Oles, landscape architecture.

The students in Landscape Architecture 3010: “Integrating Theory and Practice I” hope to produce a plan to “preserve West Hill’s character, beauty and community values, while giving residents access to new resources and amenities,” according to the class website.

Among the challenges facing the West Hill community is a high rate of crime. The West Village Apartment complex, a low-income housing development on West Hill, has been the site of multiple stabbings and the shooting of an off-duty police officer in the last two years, The Sun previously reported.

The class, which is made up of 12 upperclassmen, is intended to help students bridge the gap between the theories they have learned in the classroom and the challenges presented when those concepts are applied in a real world environment, Oles said.

“We’re trying to create something new, and it’s also a new way of working for the students. They haven’t worked collaboratively in a single group to produce a single output,” Oles said.

Oles said the class valued input from the community and attempted to involve residents of the community throughout the process. Chief among these outreach efforts was the decision to open up class meetings to members of the West Hill community, a rare move in a design studio class, according to Oles.

Oles says that he hoped this move would help the classroom become “a space of dialogue, not just of production.”

In addition to opening up class meetings to the community, students hosted a public event to hear about residents’ hopes for West Hill, made several trips to the community to speak to residents about their neighborhood and created a website to keep interested residents informed about the class’s progress.

Mujahid Powell ’15 said he thinks the course has challenged him to combine a theoretical and practical approach to landscape architecture and urban design.

“While the class still uses its knowledge of design and planning theory regularly, this project has largely been focused on working collaboratively with local residents to develop a vision [that] reflects the community’s desires and needs,” Powell said.

At the end of the semester, students will produce a book with their suggestions for improving West Hill. Oles said he hopes the book will be widely distributed throughout the West Hill community, as well as to planners and architects.

A main objective of the project was to create a final product that can be read by residents who do not have an educational background in urban planning or landscape architecture, according to Oles.

“Our goal has been to create something that can be read and understood and accessed by a wide array of people,” Oles said.

The students will present their report on Dec. 14 at the Museum of the Earth on West Hill. Oles anticipates that the full book will be ready in January.


Here's the link:

http://cornellsun.com/blog/2013/11/2...-neighborhood/
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  #1610  
Old Posted Nov 23, 2013, 3:42 PM
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I hope some kind of development can finally happen on this property. It's a great location.
From the Cornell Sun:

Former Factory Inches Closer to Cleanup

NOVEMBER 15, 2013 1:00 AM
By EMMA COURT

A former gun factory located off West Campus entered the public comment phase of a government program that aims to clean up environmental contaminants and promote commercial development.

The site is participating in the Brownfield Cleanup Program, which is administered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

The program aims to address the environmental, legal and financial barriers that often hinder the redevelopment and reuse of contaminated properties, according to a guide to the program.

The draft for the cleanup of the former Ithaca Gun factory is now complete, and public comments about the plan will be accepted for the next month. The site was likely contaminated during the course of its occupation by Ithaca Gun Company from 1885 to 1986, according to NYSDEC’s work plan for the site.

In the course of manufacturing firearms and ammunition, the factory also conducted activities like spray-painting, forging and metal plating, according to the work plan.

“Prior uses by the Ithaca Gun Company appear to have led to contamination of both on-site and near off-site areas,” the work plan says.

Located on Lake Street and approximately 1.6 acres in size, the property is currently vacant. Zoned for industrial use, it has been home to the Ithaca Manufacturing Company — a producer of manufacturing equipment — as well as another gun producer, W.H. Baker & Company.

The possibility of environmental contamination on the site was first suspected when lead bullets were found in the gorge area near the property, according to the work plan. The Environmental Protection Agency led soil removal activities mostly around the site — although there was some removal activity on the property — in 2000. The site owner in 2001 funded a site assessment and investigation; the buildings on the site were removed in 2009.

Since then, “post-demolition site investigation activities have included surface soil screening, sampling and groundwater sampling,” according to the work plan.

The NYSDEC is concerned about the presence of lead in the site’s soil and the presence of tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethene in the site’s groundwater. There is no risk of this contamination reaching the drinking supply in Ithaca, since “the area is served by a public water supply that obtains its water from a different source not affected by this contamination,” according to the NYSDEC website.

However, those who enter the site could be affected by the contaminants if they disturb the soil in any way. “Currently, there are no buildings on the site, so inhalation of site contaminants in indoor air due to soil vapor intrusion does not represent a concern for the site in its current condition,” according to the NYSDEC website.

Here's the link:

http://cornellsun.com/blog/2013/11/1...er-to-cleanup/




The property is where the old blueish building on the left side of the middle is located (sorry for the crummy old pic I took many years ago).
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  #1611  
Old Posted Nov 26, 2013, 11:05 PM
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It is nice to see projects come to fruition and accolades coming Ithaca's way.
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  #1612  
Old Posted Dec 1, 2013, 2:33 AM
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I gotta agree with ya ckh. Check out the new Seneca Way pics on the Ithaca Builds site:

http://ithacabuilds.com/


Here's a follow up to the "Best College Town" mentioned in post #1606.

http://www.businessinsider.com/why-i...ca-is-gorges-1

Hit the arrows above the picture on the right to see the reasons.
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  #1613  
Old Posted Dec 6, 2013, 9:30 AM
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Extensive article about the Public Transit System (TCAT) in Ithaca. From the Ithaca Times:


Ithaca Public Transportation: Popular, Award-winning, and Under-funded


Posted: Tuesday, November 26, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 1:43 pm, Wed Dec 4, 2013.
By Bill Chaisson editor@ithacatimes.com |

In 2012 Tompkins County Area Transportation (TCAT) saw people take 4.13 million rides on a bus. That was a 4.7 percent increase over the 2011 number, but it was a 48 percent increase over a decade ago. This kind of ridership is comparable to that of a city of 200,000 or 300,000. Joe Turcotte, the general manager of TCAT, has got the numbers to prove it. He has gathered data from around the country, looking at dozens of systems from cities with and without universities.
In 2011 TCAT won an award from the American Public Transportation Association, which decided that the Tompkins County system was the best in the country with a ridership of under 4 million. “It was a great honor.,” said Turcotte. “When you think about, here were all these people who knew about transportation, and they decided that we were the best. ”
The TCAT fleet includes 54 buses and that isn’t enough. “We are knowingly leaving people at stops,” said Turcotte, “and we can’t do anything about it.” The system is funded via equal share contributions from Cornell University, the City of Ithaca, and Tompkins County. The capital contributions—what would be used to buy new buses, as opposed to paying for operations—are $100,000 each.
In order to keep the fleet up-to-date four buses should be replaced each year. According to Turcotte, an ordinary diesel bus costs $420,000 and replacing four of them costs $1.4 million. (Apparently there is a volume discount.) Recently, the county legislature passed a law that began putting a portion of the mortgage reporting tax into TCAT’s capital fund.
“This will give us $600,000 to $700,000 a year,” said Turcotte. “That’s a great start toward what we need.”
But the general manager has no idea where the rest of the money will come from. “We are trying to piece together money just to replace the fleet,” he said, “never mind doing anything else.”
On the operations side of the budget the university, city and town each contribute $830,000 per year. In addition, the university pays TCAT a dollar a ride each time a member of the Cornell community swipes their card at the pay kiosk at the front of the bus. This accumulates to approximately $2.5 million each year, and it is rising. According to Turcotte, the Cornell students and staff account for 70 percent of the total ridership.
Why is ridership growing? “That’s the question of the day at TCAT,” said Turcotte.
Fernando de Aragon, the executive director of the Tompkins County Transportation Council, can martial several criteria to explain why the system is so popular.
“Cornell employees and students apparently ride free,” he said. “Of course, that’s not true; the university pays, but it makes for easy on-easy off and it’s a tremendous service. Some kids jump on just to a couple of blocks.”
De Aragon noted that many students do not have vehicles and that furthermore the university population includes a large percentage of people from other cultures for whom riding public transportation is “just the way you get around.”
“We are lucky with our geography too,” said de Aragon. “The city is in the middle of the county and it’s the main employment center. It is an advantage to have a central hub. You still have to drive a lot because there is so much rural land, so you sacrifice some efficiency, but [because of Ithaca’s central location] it isn’t as bad as it could be.”
De Aragon also praised the TCAT staff for being so methodical in the analysis of the bus routes, which allows them to get the most out of the system within the limitations of their resources.
“I don’t have any data to substantiate this, but I think there are a number of other options, like car-sharing, that complement the bus system in the region,” said de Aragon. “As a tranportation planner you want to reduce the number of drive-alone trips and provide viable options. Car-share riders tend to use mass transit more often.”
The current state of our age demographics in the United States are also contributing to the growing popularity of mass transit in general. “Boomers are aging,” said de Aragon, “and they are outgrowing their cars. The Millennials—the children of the Baby Boom—are a big wave, not quite as big as the Baby Boom, but big. They are having a significant impact, and they have a different perspective because of their relationship with technology.”
“Eighteen to 20-year-olds are choosing not to buy vehicles,” said Turcotte. “That’s got to help increase ridership.” He noted that in 2009 TCAT expanded its use of “fare media,” the conversion of TC3, Ithaca College, city, and county employee plastic ID cards into fare cards.
“It’s more of a business arrangement,” he said. “There’s no fumbling for change.”
In true Ithaca spirit, TCAT used a local software company, John Guttridge’s Brightworks, to build the fare boxes—which include the swiping devices for the fare cards—at the front of their buses. Turcotte said this raised eyebrows when he described it at professional meetings; it is unusual for such a small system to develop something like this by themselves. It is much more common, even for larger systems, to buy it from a national manufacturer.
Like Turcotte, de Aragon was not sure why ridership was growing locally, but he speculated that it had something to do with the rising cost of transportation. “Cars,” he said, “are expensive.”
The analysis of the 2010 census has recently produced a study on use of transportation. De Aragon said that it clearly supports that there is growing dependence on alternatives to the automobile for the crucial journey to work. “Among lower income people and minorities in particular this is true,” he said. “It’s critical to maintain mass transit and other alternatives to help these folks keep their jobs.”
Dwight Mengel, now the chief transportation planner for Tompkins County, cited the bus service between Ithaca and Watkins Glen as an example of maintaining service with alternatives to buses. “About three years ago we dropped commuter bus service to Watkins Glen,” he said. “Schuyler County couldn’t receive the federal funding that was supporting it. It was a well used bus route.” TCAT set up a ride-share and van-pool program to replace the bus route. “It serves 50 percent of the ridership,” said Mengel. “I don’t know where the other riders are.”
Until 2005 the county, city, and university all had separate bus systems. Mengel has been working in county transportation here since the 1980s. According to Mengel, the county system was the last to form, dating from August 1982. Cornell’s system had its genesis in the 1960s when the peripheral parking was built and school buses brought people from A to B Lot. The city’s system dates back to the turn of 20th century, when it included trolleys.
“Consolidation began in 1989. First we built the facility [on Willow Avenue],” said Mengel. “The initiative came from Bill Went, the director of transportation and mail services at Cornell. Bernie Carpenter was the head of Ithaca Transit [the city system] at the time and I was at the county.” Went suggested using the transportation at Kent State University in Ohio as a model.
The dramatic kickstart to the coalescence came in the form of a 50-degree drop in temperature in a couple of hours during winter 1989. The diesel fuel in the university and county buses—which were stored outside—gelled. The city buses were stored inside, but the garage was at capacity.
Money to build the Willow Avenue garage came in the form of a Federal Transit Administration grant procured with the help of Sen. Alphonse D’Amato. “It swept together $3.2 million in federal funds,” said Mengel. “The project cost $6 million.” It opened in 1992.
Further consolidation occurred between 1992 and 1997, with the “Four Bs” leading the way—County Legislator Barbara Blanchard, city Public Works Commissioner Bill Gray, Cornell’s Bill Went, and Bill Mobbs, the county commissioner of public works. “It took two iterations to resolve,” said Mengel. “We brought in Rod Gehring from Michigan in 1998, organized a new management team and planned a consolidated system.” Mengel was the project manager for the effort to integrate all the services. They immediately saw a 10 percent rise in ridership, while trimming routes by 2 or 3 percent.
They entered a period of innovation, adding bike racks to the front of buses and instituting bus Route 10 (the most popular in the system with frequent service to Cornell). “These things were initially not supported by the existing management team,” said Mengel, “so I decided that we should have a new rule: ‘If we don’t like it, we should probably do it.’ And that’s what happened.”
In 2005 a non-profit was formed, Turcotte was hired as general manager, and all the administration was put under one roof; everyone became a TCAT employee. That our transportation system is run by a not-for-profit is a bit odd. According to Turcotte, around the United States, most are either extensions of a city or county government or run as for-profit enterprises. Many become a “transit authority,” a distinct classification with respect to a larger government body.
“It’s a bit of a challenge to run TCAT as a non-profit,” said the general manager. “New York State inspects the vehicles twice a year. That’s not a bad thing, but we have accommodate and prepare for it.” Turcotte explained that if TCAT was a transit authority it would become a single line in the state budget. “Right now we’re in what is called a ‘formula group,’ which a hundred plus entities competing for a pot of money.” Instead of being allocated money from the state, TCAT is reimbursed for what they have already spent. Turcotte isn’t sure if TCAT would actually receive more money from the state if it was a transit authority. “We’re just at the mercy of the state government at that point,” said Turcotte.
Mengel recalled that in 2004 the state legislature had to pass a special law to allow Cornell, a non-municipality, to run a transit system with the county and city. The TCAT board asked the state and county legislatures if they could create a transit authority and they were turned down flatly. “There were politics that were unrelated to anything in Tompkins County,” said Mengel, “that caused them to say no to the creation of any more authorities.”
According to Mengel, authorities can organize under the state Public Authorities Law and have a board appointed by the governor, or under the Public Transportation Law, and have a locally appointed board. Only Utica had done it the second way and there were questions as to its sustainability. The Tompkins County insistence that it was different from Utica went unheeded.
While Turcotte doesn’t see how TCAT could get more money from the state, the federal government doesn’t seem like an option either. “Population works against us at the federal level,” he said, “because population is the primary criterion. Broome County gets more money than we do, but they have declining ridership and will probably have to scale back service.” Broome County transportation receives twice as much money as TCAT.
In addition to searching for more funds, TCAT is always looking for ways to save money, ideally through innovation. In a fleet of 54, eight buses are diesel hybrids. Normal diesel buses get 3.5 miles per gallon (mpg); hybrids get 4.5 mpg but cost $620,000 and therefore take 30 years to pay for themselves.
Centro, the regional transit authority, has pursued natural gas-fueled buses. “You need a high-speed fueling station,” said Turcotte. “It’s a multi-million dollar capital investment up front. They did it years ago up there. We’d have to partner with other fleets to make it work.”
“We’ve been chosen to host a hydrogen fuel-cell bus,” Turcotte said. “The idea originated at Cornell. The researchers wanted to design a fueling station and they approached us in order to find a practical application. We’ll get a free bus out of it, if we like. Or we’ll send it back if we don’t. We aren’t afraid to push the envelope.”
The TCAT staff is still trying to find a place for the fueling station on the Willow Avenue campus, which is extremely crowded right now. “If someone decided to donate five buses to us right now,” Turcotte said, “we’d have nowhere to put them.”
According to the TCAT manager, diesel engines are “getting better” when it comes to emissions and have essentially reached zero particulate emissions through the use of urea filters. He has looked into biodiesel, but TCAT would have had to have the fuel trucked in and the cost was prohibitive. The TCAT bus fleet uses 400,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year.
Turcotte frequently hears the suggestion that TCAT should use smaller buses on some routes in order to save money. But he said that if you follow most of the big buses through their routes, they will all be full at some point.
At some future date, when the system is able to add routes and reach into more thinly populated portions of the county, then smaller vehicles may be deployed. “Right now we are looking for the technology for real-time dispatching in order to pick up people on demand,” said Turcotte. “We have to get creative with smaller vehicles. It would need to be collaborative, but we don’t have the money to do anything now.”
Right now TCAT hopes to increase the public’s awareness of how thinly its resources are stretched. Turcotte and his staff are well aware of what the Tompkins County community would like to get from their transportation system, but TCAT would like them to know until more funding is available service will be flat.
“We had a transportation plan done a few years ago,” said Turcotte. “We had 20 public hearings and asked people ‘How can we do better?’” Many people requested more midday service to the outlying towns, which TCAT can not provide because the demand is not sufficient. They were, however, able to institute a late-night service between Ithaca College and downtown, which Turcotte called a “staggering success.”
“More than ever people want public transportation,” said the head of TCAT, “but we can’t find the money.” He went down to Washington to attending a Congressional “listening session” leading up to the passage of the Federal Transportation Act this past spring. “I didn’t get the feeling that the chair of the committee [Rep. John Mica, R-Fla.] was that interested in giving money to public transportation. But the bill came out OK, considering.”


Here's the link:

http://www.ithaca.com/news/ithaca-pu...a4bcf887a.html
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  #1614  
Old Posted Dec 14, 2013, 12:02 AM
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Article about downtown Ithaca's diverse approach to retailing (from the Lansing Star):

Downtown Ithaca a Haven for Experimental Retail

Friday, December 13, 2013 12:00 AM | Written by Evan D. Williams

In a fast-changing retail economy, downtown Ithaca is leading the way.

A number of years ago, in their provocative book The Experience Economy, business strategists Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore heralded the arrival of a new economic era. They argued that "businesses that relegate themselves to the diminishing world of goods and services will be rendered irrelevant. To avoid this fate, you must learn to stage a rich, compelling experience."

Today, business leaders agree that the experience economy has indeed arrived. With the continued rapid rise of e-commerce -- $262 billion of goods were purchased via the internet last year, up from $231 billion the year before - enterprising bricks-and-mortar retailers grasp the need to provide customers with a memorable, personalized shopping experience that you can't get online.

With over 70 one-of-a-kind, independent shops - many of them located in charming historic buildings along the soon-to-be-renovated Ithaca Commons pedestrian mall - downtown Ithaca is one of Upstate New York's most dynamic commercial hubs.

Says Gary Ferguson, Executive Director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, "It's a great place to explore and engage in what I call experiential shopping."

Ferguson reports that visitors from more populous urban areas in the region, like greater Rochester and Binghamton, are the fastest-growing segment of patrons for the downtown Ithaca retail marketplace.

"It's not because they seek basic goods from national retailers. They have plenty of those. Rather, they seek the unique, multi-sensorial quality that our walkable shopping district has to offer."

F. Oliver's Oils and Vinegars, a new boutique on the Ithaca Commons, is a prime example of experiential shopping.

Says manager Sara Wagner, "Fresh, well-made olive oils and vinegars are impossible to describe; they must be tasted. At F. Oliver's you can stop by for a guided tasting tour to experience an abundance of enticing flavors and smells - or just some advice from an experienced home cook or a smile and a chat."

Ian Golden, owner of Finger Lakes Running and Triathlon Company, says that while online running shoe sales have risen steadily, many avid runners continue to shop in-store.

"Here, you can get a full expert assessment of your running mechanics, foot anatomy, and possible injuries, and you can actually feel how the different shoe models fit. A slightly better deal online wouldn't be worth the hassle."

Ithaca Guitar Works also has much to offer that online instrument warehouses cannot.

"Playing and inspecting is essential. A huge selection of stringed instruments can be auditioned in our private trial booth, and every one of them is carefully adjusted before being displayed. They also come with 90 days of free adjustments after the sale - right here, quickly, in-house. And besides, prices here are very competitive."

Concludes Kris Lewis, a veteran downtown apparel merchant and the current Director of Retail at the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, "Interacting with a knowledgeable human being who can give you a taste of smoky chipotle-infused olive oil, or fit you with the correct running shoe for your high arches, or help you try out ten different banjos for your new bluegrass band - you just can't do that on your iPhone. As downtown Ithaca builds for its future, experiential retailing will be an essential element."


Here's the link:

http://www.lansingstar.com/business-...iential-retail
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  #1615  
Old Posted Dec 27, 2013, 11:39 AM
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Just a quick note regarding a proposed duplex on South Hill (the link):

http://www.egovlink.com/public_docum...2012-17-13.pdf
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  #1616  
Old Posted Dec 28, 2013, 2:45 PM
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I think the future looks bright for the Ithaca area, at least when compared to many other places Upstate. From the Ithaca Journal:



Ithaca's East Hill, Collegetown and the Cornell University campus as seen from Ithaca College on Ithaca's South Hill. / SIMON WHEELER/Staff Photo

Tompkins leaders place economy, infrastructure, safety and sustainability on 2014 list of priorities

Staff report
@ithacajournal

Economic development, infrastructure upgrades, safer streets and increased sustainability efforts are among the top initiatives in store for Tompkins County in 2014, according to community leaders who were asked by The Ithaca Journal to list the three most important issues their organizations are facing in the upcoming year.

From the Ithaca Police Chief John Barber to Cornell UniversityPresident David Skorton to Tompkins Chamber of Commerce President Jean McPheeters, most agreed that Ithaca and the surrounding county is thriving socially and economically, but that there is more work to be done.

As Tompkins County Administrator Joe Mareane said: “There is a momentum of economic development that we hope to sustain in a manner that will provide job opportunities for those who need it most, and will enhance the unique character of the county.”

See the plans for 2014:
• Ithaca Police Department Chief John R. Barber

• Ithaca City School District Superintendent Luvelle Brown

• Cornell University President David Skorton

• Health Planning Council of Tompkins County Director Betty Falcão

• Ithaca College President Thomas Rochon

• Tompkins Cortland Community College President Carl Haynes

• Tompkins County Administrator Joe Mareane

• Tompkins Chamber of Commerce President Jean McPheeters

To see the individual comments click on the link:

http://www.ithacajournal.com/article...ist-priorities
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Old Posted Dec 29, 2013, 1:53 AM
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Another potential apartment complex in the Cornell Heights neighborhood. (Thanks to Brian at Ithacating in Cornell Heights website).

Here's a look at the project:

http://www.egovlink.com/public_docum...2010-08-13.pdf

Here's Ithacating's entry:

http://brancra.wordpress.com/2013/12...rnell-heights/
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  #1618  
Old Posted Dec 30, 2013, 11:15 AM
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A photo gallery from the Ithaca Journal including some of the new projects in the city:

http://www.ithacajournal.com/apps/pb...nclick_check=1

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Old Posted Jan 4, 2014, 3:24 PM
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I'm posting a link to Visiteur's Ithacating blog. There are some pics of two decent sized projects in downtown:

http://brancra.wordpress.com/2014/01...december-2013/
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  #1620  
Old Posted Jan 8, 2014, 11:21 AM
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The big chill has caused Cascadilla Creek in Ithaca to freeze up causing flooding on the Northside. Here's a couple of news reports:

Video Link


Video Link
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