Some readers love it, others hate it, but Texas Roadhouse is well on its way to a May opening. The steakhouse chain has made pretty good progress on their 7,193 SF restaurant on Elmira Road across from Ollie’s and the Vitamin Shoppe. In fact, a small temporary space next to the Vitamin Shoppe is where Texas Roadhouse is conducting interviews for the 170 staff it plans to have at opening.
The lap cedar siding is coming along, covering up the Tyvek housewrap from most angles (brick and metal flashing will cover what’s left). USG Securock glass-mat sheathing has been applied to the exterior walls facing and near the kitchen/food prep area for fire safety – the sheets are noncombustible and serve as a form of passive fire protection. The roof has been covered with felt paper, but no shingles have been attached yet. Closer to the ground, brick veneer has been applied to the base of the eastern and northern walls. I’m not sure what’s going on next to the street-facing foundation wall; but that is where the entrance ramp will be going.
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, and Edger Enterprises of Elmira is the general contractor.
Ithacating in Cornell Heights 
Meh. It’s hard to be excited about another generic suburban box surrounded by acres of parking down in suburban-sprawl land. It would be nice to have more restaurants in Ithaca, but this doesn’t help because it’s inaccessible without a car.
+1. Wonder if form-based zoning will help gradually do away with the sprawl down there when it’s implemented.
Being that most of it is in the city, it’s going to be a good five years or so before form-based zoning will be ready for big box land. The portion furthest out in the town, maybe in a year or two.