The Student Agencies eHub renovation seems to be moving along, though perhaps a little slower than originally anticipated. Luckily, since Cornell’s in summer intersession, the offices aren’t be used as much as usual, which allows work to commence on the second phase of renovations. Under the scaffolding, it looks like the old facade is off and work on the new glass curtain wall is underway.
The Marriott is moving right along. Ten stories of reinforced concrete topped out at the beginning of May, with the mechanical penthouse being the last component. Exterior steel stud walls have been erected, fire-proof gypsum sheathing is being installed, and the black waterproofing material has been sprayed all along the front (east) face, and most of the back (west). Work on the brick veneer is steadily progressing up the north and south faces. The first floor facing South Aurora will have a stone veneer, while the top floor and the overhanging portion of the west face will use a few different shades of grey Nichiha fiber cement panels.
Work is also continuing inside as well – interior stud walls, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Specialty projects such as utilities are typically handled by various sub-contractors selected from bids.
In case you missed it, I did an interview with contractor W.H. Lane Inc. about the project for the Voice here. Plans still call for an August 23rd opening. During a debate on diversity at the latest city PEDC meeting, TCAD’s Heather McDaniel mentioned that Marriott has already hired four staff for the new hotel, of which three are women, including the general manager.
At the site of the new Breazzano Family Center for Business Education, work continues on the foundation. It looks like excavation is mostly complete at this point and they’re putting in concrete footings, with digging for a new footing taking place at left in the first photo. The rebar doweled into the concrete will be tied into the walls as they’re built up. The footings closest to 205 Dryden (westernmost section) will hold the elevator shaft, stairwell and restrooms for each floor.
For those wanting a glimpse of the future, Cornell has put up a video render on Youtube showing the new building (exterior and interior) and advertising some of its features. There is an embedded copy of the video clip below.
The Hotel Ithaca’s new wing seems to be moving right along. Most of the foundation has been completed. Some wooden forms used for foundation pours can be seen in the third photo, right next to the reinforced concrete footing. CMU walls create interior partitions within the building’s footprint – likely space for some of the 90 future hotel rooms, although none of the published materials online have shown an interior layout of the new wing. It’s suggested in the project site plan review documents that the new fitness center, breakout rooms and meeting rooms will be near where the new wing will connect to the existing hotel. Given the lack of windows or an entrance on the the first floor of the new wing facing South Cayuga, some of those function spaces are probably down at this east end of the wing, nearest to the street. Early plans did have an entrance on the South Cayuga side, but it was removed during project revisions.
The $9.5 million project is expected to open to guests in May 2017. More info about the project can be found here.
Another project that’s nearing the finishing line. Travis Hyde Properties will be wrapping up their Carey Building overbuild over the next several weeks. The target move-in day for tenants is June 15th, but there have been some last minute hang-ups with NYSEG and getting the utility services all ready to go, so I’m not 100% positive that date is still accurate. Side note, NYSEG is also the same reason why Tompkins Trust has been unable to commence with their new headquarters project.
I can finally affirm that the brown tinted glass looks different than the plywood placeholders. Actually, it’s a nice bronze shade that complements the synthetic stucco and terra cotta quite nicely. The bronze glass will also be used in the unfinished vertical section in the east facade.
Also, a really cool detail – the overhang of the fourth floor has been outfitted with color-changing LED lights, which will make going out onto Rev’s third floor rooftop patio that much more interesting. I’m willing to bet they can be programmed for standard white light, and for special occasions.
As mentioned in the weekly roundup a couple weeks back, rents on the units are going from $1,225/month for the microunits to $2,699/month for a high-end penthouse 2-bedroom. At the time of the WSKG newspiece (May 22nd), 5 of the 20 units already had claims staked. The THP webpage still lists all the units as available in the list of vacancies (although the list doesn’t look like it’s been updated since some time in May), but on another part of the website, only the lowest-price studios, the $1,225/month units, are listed as still available. There are 4 $1225/month studios, 2 $1250/month studios, 2 $1300/month studios, 6 $1325/month studios, and 2 $1350/month studios. So, assuming the website information is fully-encompassing, that would imply that at least 12 of the 16 micro-units are rented, and an unknown number of the 4 2-bedroom units, which range from $2337-$2699/month.
Apart from the specialty glazing on the exterior, a potential future wall mural, and whatever finishing work is left inside, this one’s wrapped up. John Snyder Architects and LeChase Construction have left their mark on the downtown Ithaca skyline.
However, work on this block isn’t likely to stop anytime soon – just as the Carey wraps up, the Hilton Canopy hotel will be getting underway. The Canopy is targeting an early 2018 opening.
Almost done. From the outside, work on the Griffin Building (Simeon’s) reconstruction is nearlycomplete – glancing at the lead image, it’s almost as though the tragic semi-truck crash never happened. But, looking closely, one can pick out telltale signs – for instance, the new brick isn’t the same shade as the century-old brick in the undamaged section of the 1871 building. New energy-efficient windows are being fitted on the east facade. The ZIP panels facing the Commons will be overlaid with cast iron, some of which will be restored panels that were put into storage after the emergency demolition, and refurbished while construction was underway.
Inside, McPherson is progressing with drywall and utility work for the upper-floor apartments, and Simeon’s contractor (Fahs Construction Group of Binghamton) is building out the first and second floor restaurant space to house the new Simeon’s. The new entrance to Simeon’s will also be faced with cast iron. Initial plans called for a June opening, but according to city Planning Director JoAnn Cornish, they’re now looking at August. The apartments are expected to be ready for occupancy by late August.
1. We’ll start this week off with a follow-up on the 201 College Avenue debate. All discussions of planning philosophy noted, one solid request, as reported by Josh Brokaw at the Ithaca Times, was to try and reduce the bulk from the College Avenue side, if not necessarily the building footprint. The above drawing was submitted by STREAM Collaborative’s Rob Morache earlier this week, with a cover letter describing the changes here. The modification reduces the building by 2 bedrooms, to 74, which to go by Todd Fox’s comment in the Times article, puts the project at the borderline of financial feasibility. The middle still pops out a little because that’s where the fire stairs are located. Some minor details were changed with the accent panels, and recessing the windows slightly on the south and west facades. For the record, the panels are Nichiha and Allura fiber cement, with painted metalwork and fiberglass window sashes.
Although now outdated, a shadow study for the previous design has since been uploaded by the city. There are two versions, with and without neighboring building shadows, here and here respectively.
Expect further detail refinements; the building is set to go in front of the Design Review Committee Tuesday morning.
2. WSKG did a segment earlier this week on micro-apartments, with an interview with Frost Travis and the Carey Building project wrapping up on East State Street. A few details worth noting from the segment – 5 of the 20 rental units (which range from $1,225/month for the microunits to $2,699/month for a high-end penthouse 2-bedroom) are already spoken for and the building’s not even finished yet. For some reason, Monica Sandreczki says there will be about 35 residents at full occupancy, which is a big stretch since there are 16 micro-units and 4 two-bedroom units – going one person per micro-unit and bedroom, a better estimate would be 24.
The news piece also notes that the 201 College project contains micro-apartments – which is true, given that the building is 44 units and 74 bedrooms, and at least the early plans had a number of split-level 410-670 SF studio units.
3. And 401 Lake Street will bite the dust. The Common Council voted 8-1 last Wednesday night to have structure demolished and the tax-foreclosed properties be designated as parkland. Cynthia Brock (D-1st) voted against the measure and preferred a sale for tax reasons, and her ward counterpart George McGonigal (D-1st) argued that the city was destroying historic working-class housing, though he ultimately supported the measure. Brock did take a whack at new affordable housing in the city, commenting that INHS is getting $75,000 for each townhouse, and Habitat for Humanity getting $75,000 for a duplex even with its volunteer labor, when there was a potential, cost-efficient opportunity for affordable housing designation with this unit. Josephine Martell (D-5th) seemed to be the strongest proponent for demo, stating that the unique potential to enhance the Ithaca Falls Natural Area should be taken every opportunity of. The city bought the tax-foreclosed property from the county; the background on that is on the Voice here.
The funds for the demolition, estimated at $25,000, will come from the sale of IURA land to the Hilton Canopy project. That measure was approved 6-3, with Brock, McGonigal and Graham Kerslick (D-4th) opposed. With work on the Lake Street Bridge currently underway, demolition is not expected for at least a few months.
There was a thought exercise regarding the selling the falls’ parking lot to INHS for development of 3-9 units of affordable housing; it’s an interesting idea, since 401 and the adjacent are right next to the Falls, but the 0.55 acres of city property adjacent to the Lake and Lincoln Streets intersection is still over 200 feet away at its closest point.
4. The rare bit of news out of Enfield. A $612,000 building loan was issued by the Bank of Greene County to provide funds for renovating and expanding the volunteer fire station at 172 Enfield Main Road.
Give that Enfield issues no more than a handful of new construction permits each year, it’s about the only other thing going on apart from the Black Oak Wind Farm debate. One would think that arguments like “the wind does not blow as much as it used to” would be easily shot down and things would move forward, but instead it’s Marguerite Wells, the project manager for BOWF, getting raked over the coals. I don’t have a dog in this fight, but I do feel bad for her.
5. In case anyone was wondering – county planner Megan McDonald says the Denter housing study will be publicly available by late July.
6. Here’s something intriguing from the county’s Facilities and Infrastructure Committee agenda – a proposal to “Prepare airport land for future development“, seeking $500,000. None of the money comes from the county; it appears to be dependent on grants, or an interested developer. Which, given the fact that this shows up in budget docs going back to 2014, doesn’t exactly seem to be generating many queries.
The parcels are described as the “Cherry Road and Agway parcels”, which must be owned by the county since they want to lease out the land – but checking the deed records of parcels adjacent to the airport, there’s no record of an Agway in any of the deed histories. The parcels may be related to the properties in the airport business park feasibility study, shown above and awarded to the team of Clark Patterson Lee and Camoin Associates this past winter.
7. It’s unusual to see Cornell buying property these days, but this Friday, the university purchased the house at 1250 Trumansburg Road on Ithaca’s West Hill for $157,000. The house is a 19th century fixer-upper on 1.21 acres – Cornell owns the land surrounding it, some of which is being subdivided off to build the Cayuga Meadows affordable senior housing project. The house is assessed at $215,000, but the real estate listing notes it needs some work, and it’s been off and on the market for five years.
Several years ago, Cornell expressed intent to develop the 35 acres it owns into a mixed-use complex with a hotel institute, housing, offices and medical services, but the only part of the plan that ever really moved forward was Conifer’s project. I haven’t seen the plans in years, but I remember the early plans (there were a couple versions) were very sprawly; six, eight years ago, walkability was not as valued as it is now.
By buying the house, Cornell reduces its need to work around a neighbor and can incorporate the property into potential plans. This purchase would seem to suggest that Cornell still has strong interest in developing the rest of the West Hill property at some point. In the meanwhile, Cornell might rent it out while the school figures out what it wants to do with the acreage.
8. House of the week. From the outside, 228 West Spencer Street is almost done, and the interior is fairly far along as well, with finishing work underway. Architect Noah Demarest says the house will be put up for sale in a few weeks, if everything goes as planned.
Just like in March, there are really two sets of photos here. The first set contains photos that I’ve taken from outside the fence. The second set of photos are from inside the fence, and come courtesy of Nick Robertson and Jocelyn Garrison at Welliver, the general contractor in charge of the project, and a big thanks goes out to them for taking and sharing photos from inside the fence.
The erection of the steel frame has started on the westernmost portion of the building, and corrugated decking is being attached to each level. Work on the building is generally progressing from west to east, and the sheer length of the building allows the western sections to be quite a bit further along than the eastern sections, where foundation walls are still being formed. The reinforced concrete sections visible in the last of the Welliver photos is where the parking garage will go; readers might remember that Novarr sought and received a zoning variance to remove a floor of parking space and turn it into less expensive dorm-style housing, citing the lack of utilization of existing parking, and a desire to appeal to a larger segment of the rental market.
Set two:
As the population ages, so do the need for specialized care facilities. Work continues on the the Brookdale Ithaca Crossings project on West Hill.
Plans call for a 23,200 SF, 1-story building with 32 bedrooms (32 beds total). Along with the new building, there will be updates to parking, landscaping stormwater facilities, and the addition of a couple of courtyards between the buildings. The project was first proposed in late 2014, and approved last July.
The facility is designed to complement Brookdale’s two other Ithaca facilities, which are adjacent to the project site – The first, a 46-unit facility to the north of the project site, is Brookdale Ithaca Assisted Living (formerly Sterling House), which serves as enhanced assisted living for seniors. The second, a 32-unit facility to the easy of the project site, is Brookdale Ithaca Memory Care (formerly Clare Bridge), which serves as assisted living for those with specific memory care needs, individuals suffering from advanced cases of Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. Both of the older facilities opened in 1999. The current project was initially called “Clare Bridge Crossings”, but it was later renamed to Brookdale Ithaca Crossings.
For more information about memory care and a few more details about offerings, I wrote an article for the Voice here.
Nursing home and assisted living facilities have to demonstrate to the state that their is a local need for a project, and the “certificate of need” is only issued at the end of a project, after it’s been built and the state has concluded its inspection. According to Brookdale representatives, there’s no indication that the certificiate of need will not be issued.
Construction is expected to last around 14 months, which would give an estimate of Q1 2017 for completion. The architect is PDC Midwest, a Wisconsin firm that specializes in memory care facilities.
Looking at the site, the foundation has been excavated and footings have been poured, and it looks like the foundation slab is already in for the south wing. The blue material might be some kind of vapor barrier film to help protect against moisture.
Work on the exterior of the new wing of the Gannett Health Center is in the final stretch. The bluestone veneer is being attached, and the rails (also called “continuous anchors“) are on for the limestone veneer. It looks like insulation panels are still being installed on the upper levels of the west stairwell. When the insulation is attached, the rails are screwed on, the limestone panels are slid into place, and then they’re mortared or caulked into place with silicone.
Most of the work has shifted towards the completion of rough-ins and interior finishing, and the new wing should open for occupancy sometime later this summer (July/August). All operations will shift over into the new wing so that the next phase, renovation of the existing wings, can begin in earnest. The whole $55 million project will wrap up by October 2017.
Ithacating in Cornell Heights 