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  #1741  
Old Posted Sep 17, 2014, 10:51 PM
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I hadn't seen anything about this proposal for quite a while, and wasn't sure it was still active (From the IJ):




(Photo: JAGAT P. SHARMA ARCHITECT)


Developer seeks abatements on Clinton Street apartments

David Hill, dwhill@gannett.com | @Ijdavidhill 4:03 p.m. EDT September 17, 2014


A public-information meeting is scheduled for Thursday evening on landlord and developer Jason Fane’s application for tax abatements for the 36-unit apartment complex he has proposed for a hilly site next to Ithaca police headquarters on Clinton Street.

The meeting is 5 p.m. in the Borg-Warner Room of the Tompkins County Public Library, 101 E. Green St.

Fane filed plans in November 2012 for 130 E. Clinton St. The plans are for three buildings of 12 units each, situated between the existing Terrace Hill building and the police headquarters. It’s a hilly site between the street and Six Mile Creek. The site comprises .59 acres and the buildings will have about 17,300 square feet, according to the application.

Construction is expected to take about 18 months.

The abatements are sought under the city’s Community Investment Incentive Tax Abatement Program, which is designed to stimulate development and density in the city’s downtown. Applicants may also seek a break on sales taxes on equipment and materials.

The program gives discounts on the increase in city, county and school district property taxes caused by new development of a site. The standard program begins at a 90 percent abatement on the increased property tax in the first year and is phased out over seven years.

Projects require approval of and endorsement by the city and are subject to approval by the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency.

The project is estimated to cost $4.6 million, according to the application, which also notes that Fane has been in business since 1968 and has commercial and residential rental property in New York and Toronto as well as several buildings in downtown Ithaca and Collegetown.

The application says the project is on an in-fill site “that will contribute to the dense and vibrant downtown corridor in Ithaca.”

Here's the link:

http://www.ithacajournal.com/story/n...ment/15787655/



Here's more info about it from the project page at Ithaca Builds website:

http://ithacabuilds.com/category/cur...-e-clinton-st/
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  #1742  
Old Posted Sep 18, 2014, 9:01 PM
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Here's a longish video of a motorcycle ride thru parts of Ithaca:

He doesn't get to the city for the first 2 1/2 minutes, and only hits downtown for about 4 blocks. Ends up at Cornell. I forgot what bad shape the Ithaca streets get to be.

Video Link
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  #1743  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2014, 11:29 AM
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Ref: the post two above this one (#1741), Looks like the developer is going to have it his way or nothing. btw, he's not the most highly regarded landlord in the city.

From the Ithaca Times:

Jason Fane: No Tax Abatement, No Project


By Michael Nocella
He Can Live Without It
Local developer Jason Fane.

Posted: Thursday, September 18, 2014 8:27 pm | Updated: 10:27 pm, Thu Sep 18, 2014.
By Michael Nocella reporter@ithacatimes.com | 0 comments


ITHACA—Jason Fane holds all the cards. The well-known developer made that perfectly clear during a public information session for his proposed housing project at 130 East Clinton Street Thursday, Sept. 18 in the Tompkins County Public Library.
Although the project was approved by the city in Nov. 2012, Fane is now seeking tax abatement assistance from the city and county through the Community Investment Incentive Tax Abatement Program (CIITAP) incentive program.
The program—available to certain parcels within the downtown BID and West State St./Waterfront areas—offers seven years of stepped tax abatement to projects that qualify and are approved. The three requirements to be eligible for the program are size, density, and location. With its Clinton Street address and proposed three-story, 36 unit apartment building, Fane and his team confirmed the project is indeed qualified to apply. The next step will be the application process through the Industrial Development Agency (IDA), and then another public hearing before it gets approved.
One resident in attendance questioned why Fane—a millionaire developer who has made a lot of money from his properties in Ithaca—would need a tax break from local municipalities. Fane and his team noted that since they conceived the project in 2011, and since its been approved in 2012, materials to construct the project have escalated. According to the Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA), the project is $1.1 million over budget. DIA Executive Director, in a press release, noted the following as reasons why Fane’s project is worthy of tax incentives:
The project will locate 36 units of housing in downtown, within easy walking distance of shops, food and beverage, and entertainment. This is where we want to encourage housing to be built.
By locating at 130 East Clinton St., the project helps relocate transient residents and students out of South Hill, directly benefiting the South Hill neighborhood.
These are moderately priced units—not at the high end and not at the low end. They fill an existing and unmet niche.
This project has a funding gap. This is precisely why the CIITAP program was created; to fill such gaps and to incentivize projects to locate into the heart of our community where we want them to be.
Despite Ferguson’s enthusiasm, Fane bluntly admitted that he wasn’t the biggest fan of the project’s evolution.
“If I had to do this project again,” he said, “I wouldn’t.”
Fane added that the project still will be a welcomed addition to the city, and thinks it will ultimately be successful, however, he would not move forward with it without getting approved for the tax abatement.
“I’m not determined to do this project,” he said. “I have plenty of other projects in other cities that [he’s more enthusiastic about].”
Another resident said asked why the units won’t be “affordable housing.” Fane, who previously noted rent prices have yet to be determined, had some fun with his response.
“They’ll all be affordable—they’ll all be rented,” he quipped.

Here;s the link:

http://www.ithaca.com/news/jason-fan...d89512935.html
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  #1744  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2014, 11:48 AM
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Now for something a little more refreshing and fun. A downtown food spot is expanding. From the Cornell Sun:

Waffle Frolic Will Expand Next Month

SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 11:44 PM
By SAMANTHA ACRICHE


Downtown eatery Waffle Frolic will expand its space into the adjacent building, which will provide the restaurant with more seating and a venue for local artists.
Once construction is complete, the eatery will be better equipped to handle increasing foot-traffic, according to Alexis Randall, owner of Waffle Frolic. Randall added that she hopes construction will be completed by the Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival on Oct. 3.



Waffle Frolic will expand into the adjacent when construction is completed by Oct. 3. (Connor Archard / Sun Sports Photography Editor)


Waffle Frolic will expand into the adjacent space when construction is completed by Oct. 3. (Connor Archard / Sun Sports Photography Editor)
“My hope is that everyone likes it,” Randall said. “My whole drive was creating a space that I wish I had when I was in college.”
The new space for Waffle Frolic will not be one solely for eating waffles, but also as a venue for local artists, according to Randall.
“I just sort of want to go back to what my initial vision was, having small performances and open mic night,” Randall said. “The space will really make it enjoyable for the performer and audience.”
Tyler Pearson, an employee at Waffle Frolic, said he hopes the coffeehouse-like atmosphere of the addition will attract more customers as both a leisure space and work environment.
“I hope the people will be a lot more receptive in staying to eat and hanging out and using this environment as work instead of just a busy waffle house,” Pearson said.
Built-in countertops — with cutouts for laptop cords — side the newly renovated space, creating the ideal workspace for customers, according to Randall. The new addition will be quieter as it is closed off from the rest of the eatery.
Construction on this project began in early May, Randall said. From then until August, workers and employees worked continuously throughout the summer to complete the renovation.
Randall added that there were a lot of obstacles along the way, but that she was able to accomplish everything with the help of her employees, neighbors and parents.
“It was a really great opportunity to start from scratch and really know what our market is going to be,” Randall said.
When Randall opened Waffle Frolic four years ago, she said she never could have imagined its future success.
“A lot opening Waffle Frolic initially was just having had this idea for something I wanted to do in the future at some point,” she said. “But then for different reasons, it was kinda like, why wait … when I will have so much more to worry about?”
Between the Waffle Frolic expansion and the impending completion of the construction of the Commons next spring, Randall said she is optimistic for the future of Waffle Frolic, saying that foot traffic will be at an all-time high.
She also said she plans on capitalizing on the increased traffic by using the new space for large events and by creating more Waffle Frolic merchandise such as t-shirts, reusable coffee mugs and some of their trademark food items.
For now, however, Randall said she wants to focus on finishing the expansion so she can work on other projects she has in mind for the eatery.


Here's the link:

http://cornellsun.com/blog/2014/09/1...nd-next-month/
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  #1745  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2014, 10:38 AM
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FINALLY

From the Cornell Sun:

Ithaca Approves Development After Years of Deliberation

September 24, 2014 2:06 am

By ZOE FERGUSON


After years of planning and evaluation, the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board finally approved the new multipurpose building Collegetown Crossing to begin work at a meeting on Tuesday evening.
Collegetown Crossing will be a mixed-use building project that will combine residential and commercial properties in one 8,600 square foot building immediately south of Ithaca Fire Station No. 9. The project will consist of a new building at 307 College Ave. — designed by architect Jagat Sharma — with 46 apartments and 96 residents, according to the project description presented to the Planning Board Tuesday.
In addition to apartments, the building will include several commercial storefronts, including a GreenStar Cooperative Market, according to Josh Lower ’05, the developer of Collegetown Crossing.



A rendering shows a proposed vision of Collegetown Crossing, which was approved by the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board Tuesday, which will be located at 307 College Ave. Courtesy of City of Ithaca

Lower said that he hopes to begin construction in spring 2015 and have the building available for apartment rentals by the 2016-17 academic year.
Lower has been presenting modified proposals for the new building since 2010, when The Sun first reported his initial request for a Board of Zoning Appeals variance to the city’s parking laws. Lower’s requests were rejected in 2013.
Without the parking variance, which would have allowed him to move forward with his project without creating 57 parking spaces on the site, Lower’s project was stalled until the Common Council approved its new form-based zoning, which removed the minimum parking requirements on the College Avenue portion of Lower’s project.
Ithacan Stephanie Hayes spoke during the public hearing in favor of Collegetown Crossing.
“This is something that would benefit this community hugely,” Hayes said. “What is proposed would actually do something for the entire community.”
Hayes added Collegetown Crossing would make her feel that she has “a place that is my home again.”
“There’s no reason to stay [in Collegetown] anymore,” she said. “This project actually starts giving back to what was there.”
After 45 minutes of discussion, the Planning Board unanimously voted to approve the project. Lower thanked the board members for devoting their time to the project for the past four years.
“I appreciate all the time and energy that you, especially the staff, have put in over the years. I think we have a better project,” Lower said. “Thank you for all of the late hours you have put in.”
After the hearing, Prof. Garrick Blalock, applied economics and management, a member of the Planning Board, described the magnitude of “excitement” about Collegetown Crossing that he has witnessed among Cornell students.
“The level of excitement when you tell the Cornell undergraduate body that there is going to be a real grocery store in Collegetown — people are really excited about it,” Blalock said. “I think that it’s going to be an enormous addition to the character of Collegetown.”
The project site will extend across the block between College and Linden Avenue and will include a public cross-block walkway to provide a pedestrian shortcut between these two major roads.
Collegetown Crossing will also include a new heated bus shelter for TCAT passengers within the building’s College Avenue facade. The bus shelter will be to the south of the building, next to the entrance of the GreenStar, Lower said, and will be intended to help improve TCAT passengers’ experience.
“There are a lot of people in our community that depend on our public transit,” Lower said. “Having a bus stop where people can wait in a heated, climate-controlled area is really big. We’re trying to help improve the system here, and we really want to make this nice.”
Members of the planning board expressed approval for the new heated bus shelter, which will be paid for entirely by Collegetown Crossing at no expense to TCAT.
“When I was an undergrad, the principal downtown bus stop was in the Rothschild’s store,” said, John Schroeder ’74, who is also the production manager of The Sun. “This has happened in the past. There is a history, so you’re really re-establishing part of that history.”
Daniel Keough grad said he had been involved with Collegetown Crossing for several years and was happy to see it approved.
“I was a volunteer advocate a number of years ago as the project was being proposed for the Planning Board,” Keough said. “I’m very excited that it has gone through the Planning Board phase and successfully been approved. It’s an incredible transit-oriented development and will bring better access to healthy foods in Collegetown.”
“This Collegetown Crossing project is the one that inspired me to learn about city planning and to apply to Cornell,” Keough said.
Through tears, Lower thanked his family and friends for their continuing support of the project.
“I’m really fortunate that I have this opportunity,” Lower said. “I can’t tell you how lucky I am to be able to build a bus stop, to bring a grocery store, to build this pedestrian walkway.”
Lower said that he sees an increasing “demand for walkable places and spaces where you can have things within a few blocks.”
“I think that this is just a shift in our thinking and the demands of our society,” Lower said. “I’m just trying to give the market what the market’s looking for.”
With the addition of Collegetown Crossing, Lower said he hopes to add an element of community that he feels Collegetown lacks.
“I live in Collegetown. It’s my neighborhood, and this is something that’s missing from the neighborhood,” Lower said. “I have an opportunity to provide it.”


Here's the link:

http://cornellsun.com/blog/2014/09/2...-deliberation/
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  #1746  
Old Posted Oct 1, 2014, 4:34 PM
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There is a new MIPII (Most Important Person in Ithaca). Cornell University has selected a new President to replace the outgoing President who is taking the position of Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. The new president will also be the first female to ever hold the position in the school's 150 years. Here's three articles covering the news:

From the Cornell Sun
http://cornellsun.com/blog/2014/09/3...ale-president/


From Ithacating in Cornell Heights (Visiteur's blog)
http://brancra.wordpress.com/2014/09...dam-president/


From the Ithaca Voice (a few suggestions to help her in Ithaca)
http://ithacavoice.com/2014/10/edito...ext-president/

Welcome to Ithaca Madam President.
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  #1747  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2014, 7:19 PM
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Some development news for the Ithaca area from the Ithaca Voice:

http://ithacavoice.com/2014/10/ithac...pment-updates/


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  #1748  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2014, 10:12 PM
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Cornell has agreed to increase funding for the Ithaca area transit system (from the Ithaca Times):

Cornell Agrees to Increase TCAT Contribution

Posted: Thursday, October 2, 2014 5:50 pm | Updated: 8:51 am, Fri Oct 3, 2014.
Staff reports

According to Joe Schwartz of Cornell Media Relations, at a Thursday, Oct. 2 meeting, representatives of the Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit, Inc. (TCAT) Board of Directors and senior leadership of Cornell University met to discuss the university’s response to Resolution 2014-09, adopted by the TCAT Board of Directors on Aug. 28.
At the Oct. 2 meeting, the university committed to increase its payment to TCAT and both parties agreed to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create a more sustainable funding model for the future of the system.
The specifics of the university commitment will be released after the full TCAT Board has been briefed on the details.
Both parties emerged from the meeting heartened by the significant progress made.
“Today’s meeting marks an important step forward in ensuring the sustainability of this vital transportation resource,” said Frank Proto, Vice Chair of the TCAT Board. “We appreciate Cornell’s renewed commitment to the future of the system and pledge to do our part to explore additional potential sources of funding as we work to position a healthy TCAT for the long term.”
“TCAT’s service is vital to the health of our campus and the greater community,” said Cornell president David J. Skorton. “Our commitment today is a commitment to the future of TCAT. But it is just one step in a process to ensure a workable, economic model for the future. I look forward to continuing to work with the TCAT Board on these critical financial considerations over the coming months.”


Here's the link:

http://www.ithaca.com/news/cornell-a...69e225f68.html
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  #1749  
Old Posted Oct 3, 2014, 10:15 PM
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Another funding issue (for the local airport) which is at least temporarily resolved:

Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport to Get Three-Year Pass on Hefty County Bill

Posted: Friday, October 3, 2014 10:43 am
By Staff Reports

As the Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport struggles to boost ridership and fill financial holes, Tompkins County Legislators are likely to give the local airport a three-year pass on a significant annual bill.
On Thursday, Oct. 2, legislators acting as the Expanded Budget Committee – tasked with leading changes to County Administrator Joe Mareane's proposed 2015 budget – heard from interim Airport Manager Mike Hall as part of ongoing budget meetings with department heads. As recommended in Mareane's budget, Ithaca-Tompkins Regional will get a three-year reprieve on an annual $126,000 county bill for administrative services. Instead, the $126,000 annual bill will be picked up via county reserves.
Hall told legislators that the reprieve will provide near-term relief as the airport addresses the challenge of a 25-percent decline in business over the past three years. The ridership decline has been fueled by an unstable market affected by the consolidation of major airlines, poor airline service reliability, hubs easily affected by weather, and the airlines’ planned transition to larger planes. Hall said the airport is actively negotiating with the airlines, analyzing the market, and making other internal adjustments—all part of meeting the goal of increasing business to return to the level of 2010, which he said is achievable and would both significantly reduce airline fees and increase Airport revenue.
“There is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Hall said, “and we can work our way out of it.”
The recommended budget, with total expenditures of $180 million and local dollar spending of $83.3 million, would increase the tax levy by 2.34 percent, which is below the County’s projected property tax cap. The increase would raise the tax bill by $6.34 for the owner of a median-value $165,000 home—an amount that would be returned by the state under the new state property tax freeze law.


Here's the link:

http://www.ithaca.com/news/ithaca-to...58b17aa8e.html
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  #1750  
Old Posted Oct 5, 2014, 8:45 PM
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Bill gates visits Ithaca to dedicate a new building he helped fund (from the Cornell Sun):




Here's the article:
http://cornellsun.com/blog/2014/10/0...ence-building/

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  #1751  
Old Posted Oct 5, 2014, 9:19 PM
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Here's an article from the Ithaca Times about an effort to get a bar/reataurant in a small town outside of Ithaca to reopen.

Group Forms to Revive Tburg's Rongo

Posted: Saturday, October 4, 2014 12:15 am | Updated: 8:14 am, Sat Oct 4, 2014
By Glynis Hart

The Rongovian Embassy to the United States, beloved “town center” of Trumansburg, may yet rise from the ashes on Main Street.
A community group headed by Bob Thomas “has emerged intent upon resurrecting this historic bar/restaurant,” according to a resolution passed by the Ulysses town board. The resolution not only supports this group in their endeavor, but has been forwarded to State Senator Tom O’Mara and Assemblyperson Barbara Lifton.
“This team comprises a core of leaders from various walks of life in Ulysses including our business, hospitality and musical communities among others, and whereas this team has apparently obtained sufficient funding to restore ‘The Rongo” to its former place as a hub of our community… and whereas, this idea to date has encountered nothing but enthusiastic affirmation by the vast majority of Ulysses and Trumansburg residents…”
“We believe it can once again be a desirable community and social resource for the people of Ulysses, and (the town of Ulysses) urges the NYS Liquor Authority to look favorably upon the application submitted by ‘the Rongo’ to serve alcoholic beverages in the restaurant, which establishment will once again assume an important position in the social life and economic fabric of the town of Ulysses,” reads the proclamation.
Although a valiant effort to get the closed restaurant going again was made by current owner Tom Covell, “diverse factors such as undercapitalization and management problems caused it to shutter its doors in 2012.”
The storied watering hole opened in 1973. According to local lore, Rongovia was a reference to Vietnam, where everything was wrong- thus, Wrongovia.

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  #1752  
Old Posted Oct 5, 2014, 9:33 PM
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This isn't really good news, but more personal for me. I lived and went to TC3 college in Dryden back in the 70s. Not a big community (maybe a couple of thousand people) located about 10 miles outside of Ithaca. Kind of a tragic time for the village;

End of the 20th Century Seemed to Promise Better Times for Dryden - See more at: http://centralny.twcnews.com/content....gs40zwO1.dpuf

The video might not play for you, but the article says it all.

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  #1753  
Old Posted Oct 10, 2014, 10:53 AM
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I know the article tickles the idea of Ithaca becoming another hi-tech center a la Silicon Valley, but still an interesting and encouraging read (from the Ithaca Voice):

Quote:
National spotlight shines on Ithaca’s growing startup scene

By: JEFF STEIN

Ithaca, N.Y. — Two recent stories in national publications have highlighted Ithaca’s growing startup scene — and questioned how or if the city of gorges can compete with the Big Apple and Silicon Valley.
the link to the whole article is here:

http://ithacavoice.com/2014/10/natio...startup-scene/
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  #1754  
Old Posted Oct 10, 2014, 10:57 AM
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Here's another bit of good news (from the Ithaca Times):

Quote:
Ithaca Hotel Market Enjoys ‘Record Summer’

Posted: Wednesday, October 8, 2014 9:26 pm | Updated: 10:05 am, Thu Oct 9, 2014.
By Michael Nocella

ITHACA—It is no wonder hotel owners are licking their chops at a chance to join the Ithaca hospitality market. According to Ithaca/Tompkins County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) Director Bruce Stoff, the market enjoyed a “record summer,” in which one downtown hotel owner reported more than a 90 percent occupancy rate (available rooms that are sold divided by the number of rooms available) with an average daily rate (ADR) of more than $200.
The link:

http://www.ithaca.com/news/ithaca-ho...3b421ad9a.html
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  #1755  
Old Posted Oct 10, 2014, 11:02 AM
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Of course it's not all good news. Plenty of unhappy merchants on the delays with the Commons rebuild. From the ithaca Times:

Quote:
What's the Holdup on the Commons? Downtown Merchants Pushed to Edge By Delays

Posted: Wednesday, October 8, 2014 2:15 pm
By Michael Nocella and Bill Chaisson

Ithaca Commons business owners seemed to have reached their collective boiling point. A crowded Common Council chamber included many store owners during a Wednesday, Oct. 1 council meeting. Those who spoke voiced overwhelming distress over the fact that the reconstruction of the Commons will spill into spring 2015—well past its original planned finish date of July 2014.
here's the link:

http://www.ithaca.com/news/what-s-th...72e369844.html

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  #1756  
Old Posted Oct 15, 2014, 10:07 PM
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Suburban sprawl has hit the fast growing Town of Lansing northeast of Ithaca. The Village of Lansing is already filled with shopping malls/centers and all that goes along with that. The Tompkins County Airport is nearby. And there are hundreds of housing units under construction or proposed for the southern part of the Town. Here's an in depth article from the Ithaca Times which covers what is going on:

http://www.ithaca.com/news/boomtown-...cd69922e8.html
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  #1757  
Old Posted Oct 18, 2014, 1:17 PM
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Ithaca is certainly not a perfect place. Many of the problems which plague cities with less resources than Ithaca are still present in this Ivy League outpost. From the Ithaca Journal:


Ithaca's West Hill a community in conflict

Andrew Casler, acasler@ithacajournal.com | @AndrewCasler 4:38 p.m. EDT October 17, 2014

On a sunny, early-fall afternoon, parents look on as small children playfully call for one another and run across sidewalks at the West Village Apartments.
This pleasant scene is contrasted, however, by a history of high-profile violent crime, and many in Tompkins County consider the West Hill neighborhood one of the most dangerous in Ithaca. Incidents and statistics support that impression.
The apartment complex was the site where Jamel Booker, of Ithaca, shot Ithaca Police Officer Tony Augustine on Oct. 11 2012.
During a brawl a year later, Dante D. Sweat, of Ithaca, attempted murder, endangered the welfare of a child, burglarized a residence and assaulted women with a knife, stabbing one victim in the throat.

Numbers show a deeper problem. The West Hill neighborhood leads the city for violent crime, determined by by average number of reports to police between 2011 and 2013. Ithaca Police Department data show:

• Reported assaults (21)

• Domestic disturbances (149)

• Gunshot or penetrating traumas (5)

• Shots fired (15)

And West Hill had the second highest average, next to Northside/downtown, for disputes or fights in progress, 205; harassment, 184; sex offenses, five; and weapons, two.

City leaders, police, building owners and West Hill residents recognize the severity of the problems, partly attributed to drugs, isolation and tension between police and residents. Money has been invested in more patrols, community policing and neighborhood gatherings. It's too soon to tell whether those efforts are working, but all agree there is more work to be done.
Joeanna Deas, a West Village resident, said she loves the views from her apartment, but violent crime in the area has led her to stay inside with her doors locked after nightfall.
"In the daytime I feel OK, but at nighttime I don't feel so comfortable, and that's why I try to be in before dark," Deas said.

A neighbor, Michele Mills, of Abbott Lane, recognizes West Village can have a peaceful atmosphere, too, and enjoys talking with her neighbors about improving the neighborhood.
She said people throughout Tompkins County can stereotype West Village residents as dangerous criminals.
"They don't realize that we, just like everybody else, walk on two feet, we want to live, we want our children to have a life that's good," Mills said. "We want role models for our children ... role models to make them want to be something when they grow up."


The West Village Apartment complex consists of one long building at the top of the area and sections of one and two story apartments lower on the hill.(Photo: SIMON WHEELER/STAFF PHOTO)


Source of crime

Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick attributed West Hill's high violent crime rate in part to geographical isolation.
Transportation for West Hill residents is difficult, making it hard for youngsters to stay for after-school activities and for others to apply for jobs, he said.

"If your parents have to work two jobs, or if you have a single parent, sometimes that means you can't get that after-school job, you can't stay after and join the chess club, which depresses your other activities," Myrick said.
"What's true all over the country is drugs — drugs drive crime," Myrick added. "They drive property crimes, violent crimes because you have addicts who are driven to steal to feed their addiction, you have dealers who use violence to protect their trade."

Shawn Chilson, a West Village resident, said he was moving out because the neighborhood is a bad environment for his son.
He said the neighborhood doesn't offer a lot of activities for kids.
"A lot of kids raise a lot of hell," Chilson said. "There are kids running amok at midnight; there's stuff getting broke."
Chilson added that police often drive through the West Village parking lot, but officers often don't get out of the car and talk with people.
"It's just that, they drive by," he said. "If they see something going on, they stop, but if they don't see anything they just keep it moving and go on to the next street," he said.


Police seek inroads

Ithaca Police Chief John Barber said he's focused on beating West Hill crime by creating relationships with residents and moving beyond that drive-by image.
"By and large, you have a lot of good people living up on West Hill in some of these housing units, and unfortunately you also have some people who have other motives, whether it be to sell drugs or commit crime, etc.," Barber said.


Dan Banas, of Seattle, tries on some of the Ithaca Police Department’s equipment as he and his sister Susan Brown of Ithaca, and a resident of West Village, tour the IPD’s SWAT vehicle during community gathering held in August by the management company of the West Village apartment complex. SIMON WHEELER/Staff Photo (Photo: The Ithaca Journal ID 1 216188, SIMON WHEELER/Staff Photo)


Owner of the West Village apartment complex, Omni New York LLC. authorized $12,000 funding for extra police patrols at the apartment complex in August 2013.
Newer statistics to show whether that effort has helped are not yet available.
On the beat, Jamie Williamson is one of the Ithaca police officers engaging in patrols to foster relationships on West Hill.
"We want folks to see that we are there to help them out," Williamson said. "We realize that these person-to-person connections that we make on these patrols play an integral role in helping to establish and/or reestablish these relationships," Williamson said.
"As a police officer, if you're just in a car and you drive by and wave to somebody, that's nice, but you're really not going to get that personal connection that we know is so integral to helping foster these relationships."
Williamson said during one patrol a boy who was skateboarding talked with police officers, and after seeing police equipment, said that he wanted to be a cop when he grew up.
The relationships can pay dividends for police work, too, Williamson said, noting witnesses are more likely to share information if they trust police.

Neighbors seek change


Seeing the crime reports, West Hills resident Mills decided to try to address the issues in her neighborhood with community organizing and tenant patrols.
"I said, 'You know what, maybe if we come together as a family it could be different,' " she said.


West Village residents line up for cotton candy and shaved ice during an August party held by the management company of the large privately owned apartment complex.(Photo: The Ithaca Journal ID 1 216188, SIMON WHEELER/Staff Photo)


A lot of people come into West Village, commit crimes and then leave, Mills added. "We tenants have to take a stand."
She began hosting community cafes at the West Village Apartment complex community room, where tenants gather for food, childcare and community organizing.
And for the last two years she has sometimes gone around the apartment complex conducting a "tenant patrol," she said. Mills makes sure that children are safe and they're being watched by parents during patrols.
"Instead of low (self) esteem, a lot of people have no esteem, so build up your esteem," she said. "Know that you can be anything that you want to be, all you've got to do is try, put your first foot forward and the second one will follow it."

Police, meanwhile, continue to patrol, hoping to connect with West Hill residents and find a community driven solution to the neighborhood's crime.
"Nobody wants crime where they live and the police department can't do it alone," Barber said. "It really takes the efforts of a community to help resolve and stop these issues that occur."

Follow Andrew Casler on Twitter: @AndrewCasler

Findings

• West Hill police beat had the highest average in the city for reported assaults, 21; domestic disturbances, 149; gunshot or penetrating traumas, five; and shots fired, 15 from 2011-2013.

• Police and city leaders acknowledge the problem, and they are working to foster relationships on West Hill and reduce violent crime. Neighbors are seeking solutions by holding community events.

• Perceptions still exist that it's not safe to be outside at night and police aren't doing enough to curb crime.


Here's the link:
http://www.ithacajournal.com/story/n...rime/17447613/
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  #1758  
Old Posted Oct 23, 2014, 10:18 PM
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Here's an article which is "typical Ithaca" as far as community involvement goes (from the Ithaca Times):

10k Members Strong, Greenstar Just Grows and Grows

Posted: Wednesday, October 22, 2014 11:12 am | Updated: 11:26 am, Wed Oct 22, 2014.
By Charley Githler

A co-op like GreenStar is a legal entity owned and democratically controlled by its members, with each member having equal ownership and voting rights. GreenStar itself is the second-largest food co-op in New York State, with $19 million in sales last year and 10,000 members. It’s rather remarkable, in a city of 30,000. It is indeed democratically operated, and invites participation by the member-owners—it allows members, who pay $10 per year, to serve on committees, the board of directors and work at the store for a discount at the register.
The meeting was held in The Space, a 3,400 square-foot, renovated warehouse room at 700 West Buffalo Street, outfitted with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and set up for in-house catering by the GreenStar kitchen. For a big, once-industrial space, it has a remarkably intimate feel, thanks to gentle lighting, warm colors and a very few well-chosen architectural details. There are light fixtures embedded in suspended shapes evoking a tiled ceiling and illuminated wall recesses. It’s clean and new and functional without being sterile.
Somewhere around 110 members and staff were present, and it was a gathering at which a Tom-Reed-esque “extreme Ithaca liberal” might feel perfectly at home. While it was, at heart, a business meeting for a large, democratically-run entity, the atmosphere was distinctly convivial and friendly. It’s rare and refreshing in 2014 to find over a hundred people in one space who aren’t constantly checking hand-held electronic devices.
After opening remarks by Council President 12th Moon, General Manager Brandon Kane walked the membership through the impressive amount of growth GreenStar has experienced since 2004. The Oasis (DeWitt Mall) store opened that year. In 2007 GreenStar began renting (later to purchase) warehouse space across Buffalo Street from the original store. By 2010, the BASICS program of affordable products and FLOWER program of low-income membership were operational. More recently, the expansion of The Space and adjoining Central Kitchen were completed, and the plans for a third store at 307 College Avenue were approved. During that time sales increased from $8 million to over $19 million, including $4 million worth of food produced within a 100-mile radius of Ithaca. Furthermore, 100 percent of power generated at the West End facility is renewable (hydro and wind) and 94 percent of Greenstar’s waste stream is either composted or recycled.
Generally, Kane explained, GreenStar is quite healthy financially, despite a sales-tax set-back last year and some growing-pains overstaffing in the kitchen. What followed was a video by the Agricultural Justice Project on the issues of food justice and the high standards set for awarding Food Justice certification. Being the only retail outlet to date to achieve Food Justice Certification is a testament to the commitment of GreenStar members and management to the ideals of fair treatment of workers, fair pricing for farmers, and fair business practices.
The meeting was not without its controversy. A recurrent and contentious issue at GreenStar is the sale of meat, and pending before the membership is a set of referendums concerning how and where the meat that is sold at the stores is produced.
Greenstar sold no meat at all until 1992, when member referendums approved the sale of certain types of fish and poultry. Gradually, other types of meat have been added, with certain conditions imposed, including location of suppliers (within 40 miles) and a requirement that a twice-yearly inspection by a team of GreenStar volunteers would occur to insure fair treatment of the animals. The current referendums seek to expand the radius to 100 miles and change the inspections to ‘third-party certification’.
Presenters outlined arguments in favor and against the referendums (and against the sale of meat at all) and fielded questions from the members. It was clear that opinions were many and varied. Still, the remarks and questions were focused and respectful. Voting takes place throughout the month of October, and the issue—as with all issues at the co-op—will be decided by the majority of votes cast.
Even in the face of its expansion and sales growth, the shared vision of Greenstar and its members remains. Issues of social justice, the carbon footprint of the food chain, climate change, education, ethics, supporting local business and environmental concerns were all touched on in the remarks of the speakers and the questions of the member-owners. Though a small percentage of GreenStar’s 10,000 members were present, the Fall Member Meeting reflected a healthy, dynamic and democratic institution holding true to the standards and objectives of those who started it 43 years ago. •

Here's the link:

http://www.ithaca.com/news/k-members...634c3d3f5.html
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Old Posted Oct 24, 2014, 9:25 PM
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Cornell - the engine that keeps Ithaca's economy moving forward. An article from the Ithaca Journal:

Report: Cornell generates big bucks for Ithaca, state

David Hill, dhill@ithacajournal.com | @Ijdavidhill 7:43 p.m. EDT October 14, 2014

Cornell University employs nearly a fifth of Tompkins County's workforce and accounts for about 20 percent of its economic activity, according to a report released Tuesday.
The analysis was produced by Cornell's Division of Budget and Planning, and examined employment, purchasing, construction, students and visitors, using the data to tally the university's economic impact locally and throughout New York state. It assessed the effects as Cornell's direct spending ripples through the economy.
The last such report was in 2009.
The report said Cornell generated nearly $1.2 billion in economic activity in Tompkins County through those areas in its fiscal year 2013, the last for which data are complete. The county's gross domestic product is nearly $4.6 billion, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Statewide, Cornell generated $3.2 billion in economic activity through its payroll, purchasing and construction, with about half of that in central New York and the Southern Tier, the report said. Cornell Cooperative Extension, operating in nearly all of the state, added $450 million more.
Payroll in Tompkins County came to $772 million, and $62 million was produced through purchasing and construction. When indirect and induced impact are added, the effect in Tompkins County was $1.18 billion, the report said.
The study credited Cornell with helping Tompkins County and central New York during the recession that began in 2008, even though the university itself reduced payroll and suspended most of its construction projects.
Cornell's local workforce is nearly 19 percent of the non-farm jobs in the county.
"The long-standing, relatively low unemployment rate in Tompkins County is not entirely due to Cornell, but it is clear that the university provides a buffer in an economic downturn," the report's authors said.
When the last such report was released in 2009, it was decided that it would be periodically updated, and Tuesday's release came as the latest update was finalized, said Vice President of University Relations Joel Malina.
The report comes as Cornell marks the 150th anniversary of its founding.
"As we celebrate the university's sesquicentennial, we are recommitted to Cornell's long-standing, multidimensional relationship with New York, not only as one of the 10 largest private-sector employers in the state, but through the ongoing fulfillment of its land-grant mission of service, engagement and the betterment of society," Malina said in a statement accompanying the report.
Documenting economic impact can be important to Cornell in its relationships with government policy makers at all levels, as well as private philanthropies and individual donors, especially in an era in which rising costs of higher education for students and their families is a major public issue.
In 2013, Cornell received $656 million in sponsored grants and contracts, its third-largest source of operating revenue after tuition and fees, at $886 million, and $851 million from patient care — Cornell operates Weill Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan. Its revenue totaled about $3.6 billion.
Cornell is private but operates four academic units in a contract with New York state: the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, School of Industrial Labor Relations, College of Human Ecology and College of Veterinary Medicine, as well as Cornell Cooperative Extension throughout the state.
The report also comes as some leaders of local governments, mainly Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick and Town of Ithaca Supervisor Herb Engman, say they will continue to push the university to increase direct support of local governments. The report tallies that as about $5.6 million a year, including about $1.2 million to the City of Ithaca primarily for service from a fire department the city funds with the Town of Ithaca.
Specifically, the city, town and Tompkins County have asked that Cornell give $6.5 million to the city each year, an amount equal to the average that its Ivy League counterparts contribute in their communities, and about 7.5 percent of what it would pay were all its property not tax-exempt. That also would be enough to reduce the city's average tax bill 35 percent.
The Cornell report noted that the tax the university pays on property not used for academics amounts to nearly $2.6 million a year.
The report sought to document the effect of students, too. It said that in 2013, students at the Ithaca campus spent nearly $203 million on rent, food, books and supplies, health and personal care, and health insurance. Of that, students spent $48.3 million alone on food services.
Cornell employees total 20,719 faculty and non-student staff at all locations in New York state, with 60 percent in the Ithaca area. With about 65,000 non-farm jobs in Tompkins County as of August, according to the state Labor Department, Cornell accounts for nearly 19 percent of all jobs in the county.
The largest reason for visiting Cornell was athletic events, including summer camps, according to the report. Those activities brought 155,006 people to campus, the report said.
The report notes also that volunteering through university services and Cornell Cooperative Extension provided $27 million in services through activities ranging from volunteering at 4-H fairs to graduate business students serving on nonprofit organizations' boards in Ithaca.
The report asserted that the benefits of Cornell's economic activity are spread among people of all income levels. It said half the impact of payroll, purchasing and construction benefits households with annual incomes of $75,000 or less.
The largest income category in a table of payroll amounts is to households earning $50,000 to $75,000 a year — though the second-largest group is to households earning $100,000 to $150,000, and the third-largest above that.


Here's the link:

http://www.ithacajournal.com/story/n...pact/17269785/
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Old Posted Oct 29, 2014, 3:12 PM
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More unpleasant news for Ithaca (From the Cornell Sun):

Apparent Heroin Incidents Spark Investigation

October 29, 2014 1:04 am
By SOFIA HU

Three apparent heroin overdoses that occurred in Ithaca over a period of four days have sparked an investigation by the Ithaca Police Department.

The IPD is looking to see whether the same heroin source is causing the incidents and whether the heroin is laced with a foreign substance, according to police.

On Saturday, Travis Vorhis, 23, died on the 100 block of Chestnut St., according to police. Vorhis — whose body was found at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Saturday — is believed to have overdosed on heroin.

In a separate incident, a woman was found unconscious in the bathroom of a commercial business in the 200 block of South Meadow St. Monday afternoon. The person was revived with naloxone and transported to a local hospital, according to IPD Chief Jamie Williamson.

Naloxone — which was first purchased over the summer by the Ithaca Fire Department — is an opioid antagonist used to revive patients experiencing opioid overdoses, said Lt. Tommy Basher, public information officer for the IFD in a press release. The police department also trained its officers to use naloxone on Oct. 6, according to Williamson.

In a third incident on Tuesday morning, a subject died inside an apartment on the 100 block of West State St. Police said they believe that her death is due to a heroin overdose.

The Ithaca Police Department said it is waiting for the toxicology reports of the two deaths, which will determine whether a drug overdose caused the deaths.

Though investigators are also looking into whether the overdose victims used the same heroin source and whether the heroin was laced with foreign substances like fentanyl, “it is still too early to conclude this,” said IPD Chief Jamie Williamson in a press release.

These incidents come on the heels of a surge in the number of heroin overdoses in the region. According to the Upstate New York Poison Center, it was found that heroin overdoses in 12 upstate counties jumped 417 percent from 2009 to 2013.

Here's the link:

http://cornellsun.com/blog/2014/10/2...investigation/

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