Ithacating in Cornell Heights

307 College Avenue, also known as Collegetown Crossing, is nearly topped out. Structural steel has reached the sixth floor, and it looks like a few crossbars towards the front and top of the building are all that’s needed to declare the project fully framed-out. Once that happens, the crane can be dissembled.

Most of the building is wrapped in translucent plastic sheets as early interior work progresses through the cold Ithaca winter. Since this still early on in the interior construction process, workers will be doing things like sprinkler pipe fittings and erecting metal stud walls, maybe even fitting plumbing risers and pipes in some of the more advanced parts of the building. A peek from the back shows that the structural steel has been sprayed with fire retardant.

Developer Josh Lower of Urban Ithaca hopes to have the building open by late July/August (and signs of a warmer and drier than normal spring ahead would help keep things on schedule). Hayner Hoyt Corporation of Syracuse is the general contractor for the $10.5 million mixed-use building, and Jagat Sharma is the project architect. Apartment rents for the 44 units are expected to be in $950-$1250/bedroom range. Grocery co-op Greenstar will occupy either a 3,200 SF space on the first floor, which will also host two smaller retail spaces, a laundry room and a fitness center. A pocket park and pedestrian walkway connecting College to Linden is being built as part of the project.