Headlines for Thursday, September 29, 2022

The Ithaca Voice’s exhaustive coverage of Tuesday’s Ithaca Planning and Development Board meeting details plans reviewed for five new apartment projects, a new fire house, a car wash, and a new building on the Cornell campus. 

The housing projects would construct some 423 new housing units. The housing projects reviewed include four proposed by the Visum Development Group: the City Harbor waterfront project, the Hive on Cherry Street, the Gem on Linden Avenue, and the Citizen which would replace the old Joe’s restaurant on Meadow St.  The William on College Avenue is a project of landlord Chris Petrillose.

A proposal for a new automated car wash on S Meadow St at S Titus Avenue hit some snags when it came to the Southside Plan. Under the plan, that block of S Titus to become a pedestrian walkway.  

The board also recommended an historical designation for the Home Dairy Building also known as the  Firebrand Books Building on the Ithaca Commons. Firebrand Books, a lesbian and feminist book publisher once occupied the building as did the Home Dairy bakery. 

Watkins Glen has received COVID relief funds and is asking village department managers to submit project proposals. The Observer Review is reporting that at its September 20 meeting, the Board of Trustees said some funds may be needed for paving work. They will review and prioritize proposals to allocate funds in subsequent meetings.