There was an interesting story going around that Maplewood was in serious trouble due to water pressure issues, to the point where its ability to legally house its residents was at risk (no water pressure would have made for a hazardous fire risk). That would have been a huge story had it panned out, but a little bit of checking with the town of Ithaca codes department and the development team turned up no dire situations unfolding, all is going as planned (a welcome change given all the weather and contractor issues that have plagued the project’s tight work schedule so far). There was some worry about water pressure back when the project was first proposed, which is why a new 600,000 gallon water tower is going up on Hungerford Hill Road.
It’s a little sad to see the French Lavender florist and gift shop is closing down after eleven years. It’s not clear if it’s related to construction, or if the timing was coincidental. Coal Yard Cafe was doing a brisk mid-day business at the opposite end of the Maplewood site. With 872 new residents expected by the end of the summer, the site will have appeal to retailers and service providers.
For project background and planning, click here.
For a site plan breakdown, click here.
For a construction timeline, click here.
Webcam link 1 here (updated ~15 minutes).
Webcam link 2 here (updated ~15 minutes).
Ithacating in Cornell Heights 
[…] via Maplewood Redevelopment Construction Update, 6/2018 — Ithacating in Cornell Heights […]
Ok, I get it that Cornell attempted to fit the new Maplewood buildings into the neighborhood setting……but those buildings are ugly. Cornell gets what Cornell wants. Belle Sherman is a lovely historic area of the City….so sad that more was not required of Cornell to make the new housing more suitable to what is already in seen in the neighborhood. What will these buildings look like in 100 years??????