Last week’s Rose Cafe featured Lisa Nicholas, one of the city planners of Ithaca. She gave a really great talk about some of the different projects happening in the city right now – the new hotels in the Commons, the student housing plans in Collegetown, and the potential development of the polluted gun factory site (near Ithaca College). Additionally, she talked about the reasons behind the growing housing problem in Ithaca (low vacancy rate + very expensive).

Ms. Nicholas spent most of the time talking about the newly revamped Commons. I’ve really enjoyed the new Commons, but I never thought about how much work went into revitalizing it. Ms. Nicholas talked about how the general vibe of the Commons affects the inclusion of any future buildings. For example, the construction plans of the future Marriott/Hilton hotels promise a “homey” and welcoming feeling. A student housing project was shut down because the proposed building didn’t fit in with the rest of the Commons. Clearly, a lot of effort goes into maintaining the growth and development of the downtown area!