Ithacating in Cornell Heights

Another project just getting off the ground in big box land is the Texas Roadhouse restaurant. This is one of those projects where people either love it, or they hate it, reinforcing my belief that at the typical Ithaca family’s Thanksgiving table, the topics to avoid discussing are religion, politics and restaurant preferences.

At the moment, the site is being prepped and graded, with a telehandler, skid steer, drill machine, excavators, and other equipment taking care of the pre-foundation work. About 575 cubic yards of fill is being added to the site (not 100% sure if feet or yards, the FEAF reads “575′ CY fill”), since the existing soil at the site is prone to excessive settling and compacting – in the county’s NYSDOT study, it was noted that the slab foundation of the previous building on-site was subject to chronic foundation problems. The added fill will help compact the soil and limit further problems.

The $1.35 million project at 719 South Meadow Street was formerly home to Cellular One, a 1990s one-story masonry building that was demolished in 2013, leaving a vacant lot until now. The 7,163 sq ft store looks to be the standard corporate design theme for the 430-restuarant chain. Expect a Summer 2016 opening.

Texas Roadhouse corporate is developing the site, leasing the land from plaza owner DDR Corp. of Ohio. GreenbergFarrow of suburban Chicago is serving as an architectural consultant for the project.