The City of Ithaca has launched the public planning process for its Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI), a state-funded effort that will guide investment in the city’s downtown and shape a long-term vision for its future.
The initiative, titled “Ithaca’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative: Downtown Renaissance,” is part of New York State’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative program, which provides communities with $10 million to develop Strategic Investment Plans and fund projects that transform downtown districts into vibrant places to live, work, visit, and do business.
Through a collaborative planning process, city officials, residents, business owners and community stakeholders will work together to identify projects that support economic development, improve quality of life and create a more resilient and inclusive downtown.
The designated DRI area includes the Ithaca Commons and the West State Street/Martin Luther King Jr. Street corridor, including the blocks on either side of West State Street between Cayuga Street and Meadow Street. The Local Planning Committee may adjust the project area as the planning process moves forward.
The planning effort will be guided by a Local Planning Committee co-chaired by Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo and Southern Tier Regional Economic Development Council member Tom Schryver. The committee also includes residents, business owners, community leaders and other local stakeholders.
The committee is expected to meet about once a month throughout the planning process. Members will review existing conditions, establish community priorities, develop a shared vision, identify revitalization strategies, evaluate project proposals and help prepare the Strategic Investment Plan.
All Local Planning Committee meetings will be open to the public and will include a 10-minute public comment period at the end of each meeting, allowing residents and other interested community members to provide feedback, ask questions and share ideas.
The first Local Planning Committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, from 10 a.m. to noon in the BorgWarner West meeting room at the Tompkins County Public Library, 101 East Green Street in Ithaca.
City officials are encouraging residents, business owners, property owners, community organizations and anyone interested in the future of downtown Ithaca to participate in the planning process by attending meetings and taking part in future public engagement opportunities.
