Ithacating in Cornell Heights

Framing for the new Cayuga View Senior Living building is one floor short of topping out. A stack of floor joists sits at the front of the construction site, as framing for the fourth floor continues. The last couple photos show how the joists are assembled between floors, typically attached to the exterior wall through joist hangers and braced with additional metal straps. Bracing has been temporarily built as the continuous plywood structural panel wall is nailed together. On the third floor they’ve started rough-ins (I see an industrial spool through the window, implying cables for electrical work), but the meat of the interior work is on the second, first and basement levels. A bit of housewrap has been applied to the rear face.

The commercial spaces are built out with masonry (CMU) walls, in contrast to the wood framing of the upper levels, and may be the result of fire code. The basement, also assembled with masonry blocks, will host utility space and some amenities. Decorative stonework provides aesthetic relief to the sloping site. Curbing has been extruded, and foundations for the light poles have been laid and wired. Not certain why there’s a moat at the rear of the building, although it may have something to do with underground utility lines.