Some Ithaca news

[Ex-Ithacan]

Nice little video with pics of downtown and The Ithaca Festival parade(2010).

• Video Link

[Ex-Ithacan]

Short video about the Tompkins County Public Library located in downtown:

• Video Link

The library is in the southern part of downtown (it's the large square building with the rounded entrance seen in the lower middle of this pic).

[Ex-Ithacan]

Another potential lodging option in downtown Ithaca (from the Ithaca Times):



Avi Smith and Matt Yarrow are working on the property at 408 E. State St., slated to become an inn and bar. (Photo by Rachel Philipson)

Local businessmen plan inn for Ithaca's State Street

Joseph Murtagh
Reporter

Over the years, the historic white property at 408 State St. has had many names: the McCormick-Cowdery House, the Duncan Hines Institute, and most recently, Unity House. Now, thanks to a local entrepreneur named Avi Smith, the building is set to have a new name: the Argos Inn.

Smith purchased the property last year and is renovating it with the plan of turning it into an eleven-room boutique hotel with a downstairs bar and lounge. He said smaller hotels like this are becoming popular in cities like New York and San Francisco where they serve as alternatives to chain hotels.

"It's going to be different from the typical hotel," Smith said. "We want it to have the feel of a country inn, like a traveler's hotel, warm, welcoming, with a big dining room. They'll be a nice bar downstairs too, with a cocktail list like the ones you find in Manhattan."

An Ithaca native, Smith has a background with development projects in the area, having purchased and renovated the Brooktondale Market in Brooktondale, NY. For his work on that project, he last year received an award from Historic Ithaca, a local nonprofit that advocates for the preservation of historic buildings. Recently, Historic Ithaca hosted an open house at the building, with a wine and cheese reception in the downstairs parlor, which Smith said generated a lot of excitement about the building.

"It was great to see a bunch of Ithaca folks come in here and see what we're doing with the place," Smith said. "We plan to make this a public space, and people were very receptive to that idea."

Attracting the interest of groups like Historic Ithaca has been especially important, said Smith, given the building's interesting history. Originally built in the 1780s by Revolutionary War officers who had been ceded plots of land following the war, the building later became the official establishment of several Ithaca "presidents," which was the term used to refer to Ithaca's political leaders before the city was granted its charter. During the 1950s the building also housed the world headquarters of Duncan Hines.

Smith plans to call the business the "Argos Inn," named after Ulysses' dog in the Odyssey, who recognizes his master after Ulysses returns to Ithaca after many years at sea. Construction has paused for the moment on the inn, as Smith waits for the building to be registered with the National Registrar of Historic Places. The advantage of getting the registration, Smith said, is that the building becomes eligible for tax credits to defray construction costs.

"Once we get approved by the Registrar, we're in line to receive a 20 percent tax credit from the state and a 20 percent tax credit from the federal government, making for a 40 percent tax credit overall. That's really going to help with our construction costs moving forward."

Smith plans to resume work on August 1st and to be open for business by May 2011.



Here's the link: http://www.ithacatimes.com/main.asp?...50&TM=44165.28


The building is the white house to the right of the large pinkish building in the middle:

[Ex-Ithacan]

I know the numbers aren't huge compared to other airports, but for a small city this is good news:

Tompkins airport to launch parking expansion earlier
Lot often maxing out as passenger traffic increases
By Stacey Shackford •sshackford@gannett.com • June 16, 2010, 6:25 pm

A takeoff in passenger numbers has forced the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport to tackle a $140,000 parking lot project earlier than anticipated.

Airport Manager Bob Nicholas appeared before members of the Tompkins County Legislature's Budget and Finance committee on Monday asking for a three-year loan to cover the expense, which he expects to be able to pay back, with 3.5 percent interest, solely using annual parking lot revenue.

He said the lot has already generated $46,000 more than expected this year due to increases in passenger numbers, which were up 8 percent last month.

The plan was to increase the size of the airport's long-term parking lot in 2011 because of occasional capacity problems around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the lot has already maxed out eight times this year, Nicholas said.

The expansion will bump up capacity by 20 percent, adding about 65 spaces, half of which will be gained simply by reconfiguring and restriping the lot within its current footprint. The rest will come from removing some trees, which will be replanted elsewhere, Nicholas said.

The committee gave its preliminary approval to the request, which will require a withdrawal from the county's general fund.


Link: http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...ansion+earlier

[Ex-Ithacan]

Interesting article regarding the city's water system (from the Ithaca Journal):


Then & Now: A century later, creek still supplies Ithaca's drinking water
By Mary Williams •Guest Columnist • June 18, 2010, 6:01 pm

Do you know where your tap water originates? As a City of Ithaca resident just more than 100 years ago, your water probably would have come from Buttermilk or Six Mile Creeks, and you would have had little assurance of its quality.

In fact, water quality was blamed for the local typhoid epidemic in January 1903. Creeks were used as disposal sites for tanneries and livestock waste, and were convenient locations for outhouses along their banks. At the time, plans had been ongoing for a new water supply system for the city, and some work had been undertaken. Public health concerns caused officials to speed up the project.

Several local water bodies were considered, including Enfield and Fall Creeks, and Dryden and Cayuga Lakes. In the end, original project engineer Emil Kuichling chose Six Mile Creek, as it was "the most available source," according to an Ithaca Journal report. From its headwaters in the towns of Caroline and Dryden to the Cayuga Lake inlet, the Six Mile Creek watershed spans about 50 square miles. The creek, originally called Teegastoweas by the Cayuga people, was named by early settlers for the distance between two landmark trail crossings. The creek was used to power saw mills along its banks -- at least 16 in total -- as well as at least one grist mill, the Van Natta Mill on Giles Street in Ithaca.

The plan was ambitious, controversial and expensive, costing $250,000 in turn-of-the-century currency. The project was to involve building a 90-foot-high dam, laying 24-inch iron pipes for nearly a mile (4,300 feet) along the creek and through the forest, and connecting the new reservoir (via the water pumping station at the former Van Natta Mill) to a soon-to-be-built modern water treatment facility on Water Street. Civil engineer Gardner Stewart Williams, Cornell professor of experimental hydraulics from 1898 until 1904 and head of the university's Hydraulics Laboratory, was in charge of the project. He designed and led the building of the water-filtration plant, one of the first in the country, and the unique dome dam, the first of its kind.

From start to finish, the construction occurred in remarkable time, especially considering that materials were brought down to the creek by horse and cart. Clear-cutting at the reservoir site had begun in May 1902, and the dam (reduced to 30 feet) was under way by September. Ironically, the typhoid outbreak was traced to unhygienic conditions in the creek bed during the building of the dam, which contaminated the existing water supply. But by March of 1903, the Purification Works was under construction, and by August the first filtered Six Mile Creek water from the new treatment plant traveled to the city's homes and businesses, and the supply from Buttermilk was closed off.

The Journal's special August 1903 supplement announced that the project was complete, declaring, "the completion of the large dam and filtration plant in Six Mile Creek marks a new era in the local history of Ithaca."

A second dam, 60 feet high, and the resulting Potters Falls Reservoir, with a 9,400-foot pipe to the filtration plant, were in place by 1911, and many changes have been made to the filtration plant over the years.

After more than 100 years, Six Mile Creek, home to great blue herons, snapping turtles, mink and other wildlife continues to supply us with drinking water. We will see what changes the next 100 years bring -- and hope that we will still be enjoying the creek in 2110. In addition to the likelihood of the city's current water treatment plant being replaced in coming years, citizen volunteers are testing the water quality of the creek through the Community Science Institute. For more information, see http://communityscience.org




The 30-foot dam on Six Mile Creek, completed in 1903, was the first dome dam ever built. Civil engineer and Cornell professor Gardner Stewart Williams originally designed a 90-foot dam, but was forced to revise his plan at the request of the Ithaca Water Works Company. (Photo provided)




This photo shows workers in the Six Mile Creek bed during the building of the 60-foot Potters Falls Dam. Water was diverted to allow for construction. The dam, completed in 1911, created an additional reservoir for the city water supply. (Photo provided)


The link: http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...drinking+water

[Visiteur]

Some projects proposed for Ithaca's West End neighborhood:

***

Three new developments are coming to Ithaca's West End — a high-end family apartment complex, a single-room apartment complex for women recovering from substance abuse and another parking lot for customers of Purity Ice Cream.

Quantcast

Ithaca's Planning and Development Board heard initial plans for the projects Tuesday night.

* Developer James Iacovelli and architect Larry Fabbroni presented plans for a 24-unit building on Seneca Street at Meadow Street.

The parcel includes several older homes and a commercial property, which has been used for a Roto-Rooter plumbing business and used car lots, Fabbroni said. It would be redeveloped into two four-bedroom and 22 two-bedroom units in "stately brick buildings," he said.

Board member Jane Marcham asked how much Iacovelli intended to charge for rent and he didn't answer, saying the high cost of quality building in that area would have to be covered.

"We're not looking for low (-income) housing there," he said.

Zoning in that area of the city doesn't require any parking spaces, though Iacovelli is proposing to build 14, based on existing need at a similar complex, Fabbroni said.

The project is slated to include two fitness centers, two laundry facilities and a small play area, Fabbroni said.

Planning board Chairman John Schroeder said he "very much appreciate(s) that you're adding housing in the West End of the city."

Iacovelli's project is tentatively scheduled to be back before the planning board in August.

* Tompkins Community Action Executive Director Lee Dillon presented plans for a new supportive housing complex for formerly homeless women in recovery for substance abuse.

Magnolia House, which will be built at 309-320 N. Meadow St., will be next to Chartwell House, a similar housing complex for men operated by TC Action.

"We've been very successful in helping those folks turn their lives around, reunite with their families, get jobs, all kinds of great outcomes," Dillon said. "We're hoping this would do the same."

TC Action obtained a $2.7 million state grant toward construction of the 14 studio apartments, a community kitchen, children's space and laundry.

Board members praised the project as filling an important social need.

"I think it's a great idea. Right on," said board member Bob Boothroyd.

Magnolia House will come back to the planning board in July.

* Purity Ice Cream co-owner Bruce Lane presented plans to build a new parking lot across from Purity on the corner of Meadow and Cascadilla. Lane said he's purchased two lots there, one vacant and the house at the corner, which will be torn down.

Lane said Purity views itself as an "anchor" in the West End, which he called "one of the less appreciated parts of the city." He said he hopes to someday redevelop the Purity lot into retail, office, and maybe residential.

***

Not too thrilled about Purity tearing down a house for a parking lot, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for redevelopment of that lot in the near future.

[Ex-Ithacan]

^ You beat me to the punch on this one Vis.

I'm interested in the higher-end apartment complex. I wonder what it's going to look like. If I recall correctly the city has incentives for building up instead of out on the West End. A 24 unit building could be 5 to 6 stories.

[Visiteur]

Eh, when I read through the article I get the impression that there's going to be multiple buildings spread out over a good sized chunk of property. Two floors definitely, maybe three. But I can't see this project pushing any higher than that. Of course, I could be wrong, and any new development in that part of town is more than welcome.

[Ex-Ithacan]

^ I missed the s at the end of building in this sentence:

The parcel includes several older homes and a commercial property, which has been used for a Roto-Rooter plumbing business and used car lots, Fabbroni said. It would be redeveloped into two four-bedroom and 22 two-bedroom units in "stately brick buildings," he said.


Must be why there are two fitness & laundries. But I can't figure out which corner it is. Some houses and a commercial building don't seem to match up with the view on Bing Live Search. Of course it could be the east side of Meadow between Buffalo & Seneca.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Guest opinion piece from the Ithaca Times:
While Mr. Depaolo has legitimate concerns, I'm not sure the Town (or city) of Ithaca will move fast enough in developing guidelines which permit the growth needed for the hoped for nodes. I would certainly rather the nodes and planned growth than sprawl which has been seen elsewhere in Tompkins County.


Development Details Important

Rich Depaolo
Ithaca, NY

Ithaca is growing. Development is inevitable, but the type and scope of development must be based on deliberate, comprehensive processes, accounting not only for the rights of property owners and developers to build, but for the desire of existing residents to preserve their neighborhoods and quality of life.

To attempt to balance those interests, the Town of Ithaca has undertaken a revision of its 1993 Comprehensive Plan, the document that forms the basis for the zoning ordinance that determines where, and to what degree, development can occur. This has been a slow process. Two years down the line, the discussion is only now turning to the central questions of where, what type and how much development should take place.

Meanwhile, there are several high-profile projects already progressing. On West Hill alone, three projects accounting for nearly seven hundred housing units are in various stages of individual review. Yet there is no process to quantify the cumulative impact of development there, or anywhere else in the Town or City, for that matter. This patchwork approach to planning is inherent in our current system, where individual projects receive microscopic scrutiny, but regional questions go largely unanswered. So, what happens if we do build a development "node" of up to six thousand people around Cayuga Medical Center, as Tompkins County's Route 96 Corridor Management Study recommends? Building it would more than triple the population of West Hill. What would that do to traffic, air and water quality, emergency service vehicle access, livability for existing residents? Who will pay for the infrastructure necessary to build a livable, sustainable community there? At this time, we simply do not know the answers to those questions.

Yet, we continue to usher in new projects. A couple of projects are being shaped through the use of Planned Development Zones, a process that allows for otherwise non-conforming uses to be integrated, fulfilling (on a micro-scale, at least) the objective of mixed-use nodal development. But, again, what is the big picture? If we are seriously considering a mini-city around the hospital, for example, shouldn't the whole area be a Planned Development Zone? Or, should the Town's entire zoning ordinance be revamped to encourage mixed-use development and densities that allow for transportation hubs, pedestrian facilities and preservation of open space? And, since a node needs to have at least several thousand people in order to be self-sustaining, shouldn't the viability of building one on West Hill be evaluated alongside plans for nodes on East Hill and South Hill? Can we build all three areas successfully, without doubling the population of the Town? And, considering our topographic realities, what impact would that have on transportation systems, particularly in the City of Ithaca?

Clearly, development pressure has outpaced our ability to effectively manage it. As a community, we have arrived at a critical fork in the road and must find the will to embrace planning concepts that quantify regional as well as project-specific impacts, even if that means slowing or pausing the rate of growth. While there is symbolic participation across municipal boundaries in the development of land-use policy and related infrastructure, there is no binding authority, little cohesion and, as a result, a lingering perception among residents that municipalities are not collectively engaged in solving and preventing growth-related problems. For the sake of our greater community, it is time for the Ithacas and their neighbors to openly address differences in planning philosophies, as each municipality affects the other. The pace of large-scale development should be re-examined while infrastructure capacity is comprehensively analyzed, full-buildout and lesser scenarios are quantified, and mechanisms for sharing costs with large developers are considered.

---

This guest opinion was written by Rich DePaolo, a member of the Ithaca town board.



Link for the article: http://www.ithacatimes.com/main.asp?...rticleID=12112

[Visiteur]

http://www.ithacatimes.com/main.asp?...48&TM=34939.42

The news article discusses a 260-unit development with commercial offerings slated to be built near Observatory Circle out in Varna. Ex, did you hear anything about this project? This is the first I've heard about it.

Actually, the online Ithaca Times was really pertinent this week. An article about the new 30-unit community addition at Ecovillage (TREE), an article about Conifer Homes' senior housing development for West Hill (the one in partnership with Cornell), an article about the Dryden community cafe, and my least favorite, the article about the rising number of head shops on the Commons.

[Ex-Ithacan]

^ I hadn't heard of that Varna development before. But I did a bit of looking and found the developer Stephen Lucente) had made a similar proposal before. And his Engineer is Lawrence Fabbroni, whom I think also helps out Novaar of Collegetown Terrace fame. Here's a link to a bit more info:

http://livingindryden.org/2010/02/26...ver_varna.html

btw, The Ithaca Times had more interesting articles in the latest issue than any other week I can remember.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Here's the article about the addition at the EcoVillage (from the Ithaca Times):

EcoVillage at Ithaca adding third residential neighborhood: TREE

Joseph Murtagh
Reporter

If all goes according to plan, by July 2011 EcoVillage at Ithaca will see a third residential neighborhood added to its grounds. Called TREE, which is an acronym for "Third Residential EcoVillage Experience, the neighborhood will feature 30 small, affordable, energy efficient homes and apartments with an estimated cost of $85,000 for a studio to $200,000 for a 3-4 bedroom. At press time, EcoVillage had already filled all 30 units.

Liz Walker, an EcoVillage cofounder who has lived in the community since 1996, said that TREE will continue EcoVillage's evolving mission of focusing on sustainability and healthy living.

"EcoVillage is far more than just a residential community," said Walker. "It's a whole concept, an experiment in sustainable living and holistic agriculture. Part of our mission is to demonstrate a new way of living, to increase biodiversity. We focus on the conservation of open space using organic farming, and we had one of the first CSAs in the country at EcoVillage."

The TREE neighborhood will be similar to EcoVillage's other neighborhoods, FroG and SONG. Residents will participate in communal activities, such as group work and dining, with an emphasis on living simply and fostering consensus-based decision-making. There are a variety of ways that people make a living at EcoVillage, including farming, teaching, yoga instruction, carpentry, landscape gardening, and white-collar and professional occupations.

Members of the TREE community are excited about moving into the new neighborhood and have been meeting regularly as the project moves forward. After she retired last April, Pat Pingel moved up from Pennsylvania to get involved in TREE and today serves as coordinator of the neighborhood's Membership Committee.

"I wanted to be part of a community where people are living a more energy conscious lifestyle," Pingel said, "where there's respect for the land, so that I could live a bit more lightly than I had in the past."

Walker also stressed that TREE will incorporate a number of new green building technologies. The buildings, designed by TREE architect Jerry Weisburd, follow the German "Passivhaus" model of creating ultra-low energy housing that traps heat inside the home. By super-insulating the walls and sealing the building and providing fresh air ventilation, a homeowner can be assured that heat will be recaptured and stay within the house.

"These homes are extremely energy efficient," said Walker. "Only ten percent of the heat is lost outside the home. You can actually heat the entire house with one burner on the stove."

Walker added that EcoVillage also participates in a lot of educational outreach, holding workshops and working with students of different ages. People come to visit EcoVillage from all over the world, Walker said, with approximately 1,000 visitors a year.

Walker, who has a book coming out this fall from New Society Publishers, titled "Choosing a Sustainable Future: Ideas and Inspiration from Ithaca New York," says people are fascinated by the unique culture that EcoVillage offers.

"EcoVillage really is a living laboratory," she said. "It stems from a systemic view of how we live our lives as human beings in an environmental, social, cultural, and spiritual sense. In the last 150 years since the Industrial Revolution, we've been living on the borrowed capital of fossil fuels.

"That's not going to sustain us forever. We have to figure out a radically different form of living," Walker added. "The U.S. contains five percent of the world's population but we continue to use twenty-five to thirty percent of the world's resources. We've got improve on that if we want to leave a positive world for our grandkids."



Here's the link: http://www.ithacatimes.com/main.asp?...rticleID=12160


And here's a link to the EcoVillage website: http://ecovillageithaca.org/evi/

[Ex-Ithacan]

Good news for the Northside neighborhood (from the ithaca Journal):


'Neighborhood Pride' grocery opening this fall in Ithaca
By Krisy Gashler •kgashler@gannett.com • July 8, 2010, 6:05 pm

ITHACA -- According to Tony Petito, "Fall Creek and the Northside are two of the nicest neighborhoods in this city."


With that attitude, the name the Petitos have picked for the grocery store they plan to open at the site of the former P&C on Hancock Street makes perfect sense: Neighborhood Pride.

Tony and Irene Petito, who live in Newfield, but were born and raised in Ithaca, have owned the property at 212 Hancock St. since 1973. In all that time, it's been a grocery store -- first an A&P, then a P&C for 35 years, and then for just a few months early this year while P&C's bankruptcy was being settled, a Tops store.

The Petitos have worked hard to find a new tenant, especially another grocery, they said.

"We couldn't find a chain store that had the same community spirit that my son and I and my wife have," Tony Petito said. "The community needs a grocery store here. We decided that we wanted to help the community, we wanted a store here, so we decided, we're gonna do it."

John Petito, one of Tony and Irene's sons, quit his job at Lockheed Martin and plans to move to Ithaca to manage the store. John has a degree in marketing and business administration from SUNY Brockport, but otherwise, no grocery experience, he said.

"I've worked for Short Stop (Deli) for a couple years in the past, but this is all new to me," he said with a laugh.

The thing he does have is a great understanding of Ithaca -- based on comments shared through a Cornell Cooperative Extension survey and people just stopping by the store, Petito plans to carry as much local produce, meat and other products as possible, and organic if he can, he said. He also plans to have "an open-door policy" for people to come in and share their thoughts about the store, he said.

One of Fall Creek's Common Council representatives, Deb Mohlenhoff, D-5th, said residents are "ecstatic" to have a grocery store again.

"(The Petitos) had a lot of offers on that building and they could have taken the first offer that they got or they could have taken something that might have been more serving them rather than serving the needs of the community," Mohlenhoff said. "We're very proud of them, we support them, we're very thankful that they're the owners of the facility."

Of the full 25,000 square feet, Neighborhood Pride grocery will take about 15,000 feet, and the Petitos are talking with prospective tenants for the other 10,000 feet, they said.

"We have the possibilities of food processing, a community kitchen in here. That's just what I want, if we can do it," Tony Petito said.

John Petito said his goal is to open the store sometime between Nov. 1 and Jan. 1.


the link: http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...fall+in+Ithaca

[Ex-Ithacan]

I find it hard to believe a large (certainly by Ithaca standards) project which will add to the tax base and density can be shot in the a$$ by some folks want to save an old building which is tucked away from the view of the general public. There are already three buildings being saved by the developer for the new plans.


Ithaca landmarks board targets developer's property
Common Council has final say on designation
By Krisy Gashler •kgashler@gannett.com • July 13, 2010, 8:20 pm

Ithaca's Landmarks Preservation Commission is moving forward with plans to place an historic designation on at least one of the properties that developer John Novarr hopes to tear down to build his Collegetown Terrace Apartments.

In a Tuesday evening meeting, City Historic Preservation Planner Leslie Chatterton presented information and a timeline on the process to designate the Jane A. Delano house, 113-115 Valentine Place.

Historic designations must be approved by both the Landmarks Preservation Commission and by Common Council. Such a designation makes it very difficult to get a demolition permit.

"This designation doesn't become a fact until the council approves it," Chatterton said.

Novarr proposes to demolish 33 rental buildings in the area bounded by State/Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Quarry Street, Valentine Place and Six Mile Creek and replace them with seven new apartment buildings. Residential density in the area would double, from approximately 650 bedrooms to 1,260.

Novarr attended Tuesday's meeting, along with an attorney and several consultants, but he declined to comment.

The original suggestion to historically designate 113-115 Valentine Place came last spring from Planning Board Chairman John Schroeder and former Common Council member Mary Tomlan, Chatterton said.

A Finger Lakes native, Delano founded the American Red Cross Nursing Service and led it during World War I, according to the Red Cross website. She also advocated for better health care and health education in rural areas, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, according to the Red Cross.

The Valentine Place property was once used as a nurse's dormitory when the old Ithaca hospital was in service on East Hill. It is now rental apartments, and its assessed worth is $2.3 million, according to the Tompkins County assessment web site.

Designation paperwork is still being drafted, and the city is waiting for comment from the State Historic Preservation Office, Chatterton said. The landmarks commission could hold a public hearing and vote on the designation as early as Aug. 3, she said. The designation would then go to the Planning Board for a recommendation and to Common Council for a final vote -- which could be as early as Sept. 1, "if all else works out on schedule," Chatterton said.

Board member David Kramer said he thinks the home at 809-811 E. State St. should also be considered for historic designation. Kramer said the home was once owned by Martha Van Rensselaer, for whom Cornell's College of Human Ecology building is named.


Here's the link from the Ithaca Journal; http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...per+s+property

[Ex-Ithacan]

Article about the move of the Kitchen Theatre to a new location. The move is from a block next to the Ithaca Commons to about 4 blocks away (and around the corner from my brother's apartment building. I hope this helps the west end revitalization efforts. (From the Ithaca Times)



Luke Z. Fenchel

As their saying goes, "important conversations happen in The Kitchen," and thanks to a successful $1.2 million fundraising campaign, Ithaca's Kitchen Theatre company will celebrate its 20th season in a new home that will welcome a larger audience to the table.

At the beginning of August, The Kitchen will depart its current home in the historic Clinton House on 116 North Cayuga Street, and move westward, to 417 Martin Luther King Street (West State Street) where it is set to begin its season on September 1. The last production in the old location is of Lee Blessing's "Chesapeake," which runs through July 18.

The new theater will increase the Kitchen's capacity from 73 to 99 seats. Other improvements included a high-efficiency heating and cooling system, increased stage space, a 16-foot ceiling height, multiple entrances, full accessibility, and larger restrooms. The new lobby will house an art gallery space and refreshment area.

"The new theater will be a home of our own," The Kitchen's Artistic Director Rachel Lampert wrote by email this week. "A space we have designed and built to best fit the needs of the artists and the audience; a reduced annual expense for performance space as our mortgage in the new space is lower than our rent currently is in the Clinton House; a working scene shop; better lighting positions because of the higher ceiling; more stage space to design in; quiet and energy-efficient air-conditioning and heating; and a great place to celebrate our 20th Anniversary Season."

"There are two beautiful dressing rooms and bathrooms backstage," Lampert continued. "A green room for actors to rest in when not on stage; a mezzanine level of storage in both the front and the back of the building; an enhanced sound system and a more flexible lighting grid."

The company began thinking about a new Kitchen as long as a decade ago.

"The challenge was to find something in the general area of downtown/west end that was large enough, not-too-large, with big enough expanses of space without columns, affordable and close to restaurants, hotels and other visitor amenities," Lampert wrote. "This location fit the bill. And we look forward to being a nighttime anchor for the quickly growing West End - which our feet tell us is still only three blocks from the end of the Commons."

The capital campaign was launched in early 2009 with a goal of raising $950,000 for the purchase and total renovation of the building but was increased to $1.2 million in October 2009, when campaign organizers realized the high level of support from the community.

"Building a permanent home for the Kitchen is truly a noteworthy accomplishment," campaign co-chair Percy Browning said at an event for fundraisers last month. "The Kitchen Theatre Company is enormously grateful for the hundreds of donations that contributed to the completion of our campaign."

In all, more than 250 individuals and families, foundations, and area businesses supported move.

And while the interior of the new space is still a bit rough - though the lobby that will welcome patrons is already painted a bold red, and the theater space itself a deep and dark blue, fixtures lay out prepped to be placed in their appropriate locations.

"Construction moves in its own pace," Lampert admitted. "That said, we have an amazing crew of people, sub-contractors, skilled labor and volunteers all working to make our 'opening night' on September 1st happen. Every day there is huge progress. I am confident we will make it. We might only be on time, but we won't be late."


Here's the link: http://www.ithacatimes.com/main.asp?...rticleID=12257

[Ex-Ithacan]

^ More good news for the West End. This is near the new theatre above in the old Bishops building is getting a new tennant. (From the Ithaca Journal)



Mama Goose owner opens home store
July 15, 2010, 8:40 pm

The second-hand children's clothes store Mama Goose has branched out into used furniture and home décor with the addition of Mimi's Attic, a new store at 430 W. State St., in the same West End building left by the departure of Bishops Pro-Home Center.

Kelly Moreland, owner of both stores, said she expects Mimi's Attic will flourish because Ithaca is a community that promotes recycling and reuse. Unlike Mama Goose, the products at Mimi's Attic are not just for families with children. Mimi's Attic buys and sells items for every part of the home, such as lamps, couches, bedroom furniture and kitchen items.

When people bring items to sell at Mimi's Attic, they receive cash for the smaller items on the spot and larger items are put on consignment, according to Moreland. Consignors receive 50 percent of the selling price after their item sells.

Store hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Buying policy: Merchandise can be brought in every day that the store is open. Larger items are taken on consignment with the seller receiving 50 percent after the item is sold. Buyers are on site Tuesday through Saturday.


Here's the link: http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...ens-home-store

[Visiteur]

Here's some official news regarding the Varna project as proposed by Stephen Lucente. Hey Ex, do you know if this guy is related to Rocco Lucente? If he is, then this entire family is pretty much cursed when it comes to proposing projects in this county.

http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...es+Varna+plans

DRYDEN -- The Varna community has been abuzz with discussions about the future of the small hamlet close to Cornell University.

Residents who gathered recently for two community meetings expressed concerns about dense development along Route 366, partly in reaction to renewed interest from developer Stephen Lucente to build more than 200 units of housing over the next 10 years on a site near the Varna Community Center.

Lucente first approached the town about developing an unruly 12-acre parcel off Mount Pleasant Road more than 10 years ago, but faced opposition from local residents and logistical challenges with the site, which is prone to flooding.

His engineer, Larry Fabbroni, said he is almost ready to return with a formal application outlining new plans for the site.

The two presented preliminary sketches to community members in February, which Fabbroni said have since been revised to accommodate some resident concerns, and Dryden Town Board members were further consulted at a meeting last week.

"I expect a lot more to be coming out in the next two to three weeks," Fabbroni said. "People will really see how impressive the project is and how it will breathe new life into Varna."

Fabbroni said he believes the plans will satisfy most of the wants and needs expressed by Varna residents, such as stormwater management improvements, commercial conveniences, open space preservation, public transportation access and bike and pedestrian amenities, including links to the East Ithaca Recreation Way.

He suspects some will still be uneasy about the density issue, but argued that some density is required in order to make the project -- and subsequent housing prices -- affordable.

The units are expected to be marketed mostly to Cornell staff for $150,000 to $200,000.

The hamlet has about 1,000 residents, so the project would increase the population by 25 percent, which was deemed too much by some of the approximately 40 residents who attended the last community session.

They argued that residential development can be a net drain on local government budgets, citing a report by Ohio State University that for every dollar collected in taxes and non-tax revenue, between $1.15 and $1.50 gets returned in the form of services by the local government and school district.

Dryden residents will be able to offer input into future development across the town as officials finalize new zoning laws. The revision to the town's zoning was first presented in January, and has been changed since then. A hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at the town hall.

More information, including a summary of changes and complete versions of the both the revised laws and maps, can be found at: dryden.ny.us/environmental-planning/proposed-zoning-law-resources-page.

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Here's my issue with the tax complaint; in terms of example, why do bedroom communities exist if residential housing is such a drain? Plus, for a development that aims to be fairly dense, wouldn't commercial services grow nearby to meet the needs of a larger community, and won't these businesses pay taxes as well?

[Ex-Ithacan]

There is a small town center in Varna, But I think most folks probably spend more at East Hill Plaza.


I don't know if Stephen & Rocco are related, but it wouldn't surprise me.

Thanks for posting this Vis.

[Visiteur]

I love it when these projects kinda just pop out of nowhere, all ready to start construction:

http://www.theithacajournal.com/arti...ed-in-Newfield

NEWFIELD -- Spencer-based contractors William Frandsen & Sons will soon break ground on a Route 13 housing development just past the Main Street extension in Newfield.

Although initial reports that the project would materialize as a low-income housing project caused concern in the neighborhood, Newfield Code Enforcement Officer Harry Wright said that is no longer the case. Wright said that although one phase of plans for the land envisioned a low-income housing project, changes to the state budget later eliminated that source of funding.

William Frandsen elected to continue with the construction, but as housing not aimed at a particular income group, according to Wright. In an even earlier phase of the planning process, Frandsen considered housing for the elderly at the site, Wright said.

Frandsen also operates Hillview Mobile Park in Spencer. Frandsen declined comment.

The construction site is being cleared and plans have been completed. A building permit will be issued for the site once some remaining stormwater management devices are installed, according to Wright.

"With all development projects that would disturb more than an acre of soil, there are some regulations, and you have to accommodate those prior to construction," Wright said.

The development will comprise five buildings, containing 36 independent living units.