Ithacating in Cornell Heights

The latest two buildings at the Village Solars apartment complex are moving along. Building J is nearly fully framed, the roof trusses are being lifted (literally, by a lift) into place, and the lower floors have been covered in housewrap, with windows fitted into their openings. You get the idea of how the exterior buildout process works by looking at Building J – the exterior wood frame is built, plywood sheets are sealed over the top of the stud walls, housewrap gets applied as a moisture barrier, and then the exterior finishes go on over the house wrap. One can just make out some of the interior wood stud walls through the panes.

Meanwhile, Building “I” is a little further along, but it tells us how the roofing process goes. First the roof trusses are attached, then the Huber ZIP sheets are set into place and the eaves are closed up, the underlayment and tar paper goes on, and finally shingles and trim boards. The wires dangling from the side of Building “I” are electrical wires for the Daikin wall-mounted heat pumps.

Initially, the plans called for 36 units, but with the splitting of some of the larger three-bedroom units into smaller arrangements, the actual number is likely higher. The Lansing town board approved changes to the complex that raised the number of units permitted/to be built from 174 to 206, although the change in overall square footage is negligible. Although not listed on Lifestyles Properties’ webpage, units range from $1050-$1650/month, depending on size and location. Craigslist tends to have the most up-to-date info, but those links stop working when the ad expires.

As with the other phases, the buildout for phase III received a $6 million loan from Tompkins Trust Company. According to the architects’ website, after phase III opens, work is expected to commence on a community building, retail options and walking paths. A bus stop is also in the works.