Shaping a city : Ithaca, New York, a developer's perspective / Mack Travis.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Travis, Mack, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Travis, Mack.

Real estate development--New York (State)--Ithaca--History.

Real estate development.

City planning--New York (State)--Ithaca--History.

City planning.

Urban renewal--New York (State)--Ithaca--History.

Urban renewal.

Central business districts--New York (State)--Ithaca--History.

Central business districts.

Ithaca (N.Y.)--History.

Ithaca (N.Y.).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (317 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Ithaca, New York ; London : Cornell University Press, 2018.

Language Note:

In English.

Summary:

Picture your downtown vacant, boarded up, while the malls surrounding your city are thriving. What would you do?In 1974 the politicians, merchants, community leaders, and business and property owners, of Ithaca, New York, joined together to transform main street into a pedestrian mall. Cornell University began an Industrial Research Park to keep and attract jobs. Developers began renovating run-down housing. City Planners crafted a long-range plan utilizing State legislation permitting a Business Improvement District (BID), with taxing authority to raise up to 20 percent of the City tax rate focused on downtown redevelopment.Shaping a City is the behind-the-scenes story of one developer's involvement, from first buying and renovating small houses, gradually expanding his thinking and projects to include a recognition of the interdependence of the entire city-jobs, infrastructure, retail, housing, industry, taxation, banking and City Planning. It is the story of how he, along with other local developers transformed a quiet, economically challenged upstate New York town into one that is recognized nationally as among the best small cities in the country.The lessons and principles of personal relationships, cooperation and collaboration, the importance of density, and the power of a Business Improvement District to catalyze change, are ones you can take home for the development and revitalization of your city.

Contents:

Frontmatter

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. The Commons (1971-75): A Pedestrian Mall

2. CLUG: A Lesson in City Planning

3. The Strategy (1973-92): Quality Housing

4. Center Ithaca (1980-94): A Financial Failure

5. The BID (1993-95): A Business Improvement District

6. A Second Attempt (1996-98): Success

7. Arrival (1999): The Candidate

8. The Strategic Plan (1999-2000): Headed Up or Headed Down?

9. Crisis (2000): A Postal Disaster

10. Gateway Plaza (2001): Survival, Vision, and Tax Abatements

11. The Hotel (2002-5): Throwing Down the Gauntlet

12. Behind the Scenes: Growing the Market

13. Gateway Commons (2005-6): The Pride Project

14. The Ripple Effect: Do You Believe?

15. The Out-of-Town Developers (2003-15): A Study in Perseverance

16. Other Forces at Work: IURA, TCAD, Historic Ithaca, ILPC, and IDA

17. "Changing People's Lives": Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services

18. The Whole County (1974-2010): The South Hill Business Campus

19. Looking Back at the Strategic Plan (2000-2010): The End of a Decade

20. Looking Ahead (2010-20): The 2020 Strategic Plan

21. Density: Seneca Way (2010-12)-One Vote!

22. Collegetown Terrace (2007-17): Breaking out of the Mold

23. Community Focus (1828-2008): Avoiding a Bankruptcy

24. Opportunities (2008-15): A Successful Collaboration

25. Nonprofi t Survival: How to Improve the Bottom Line through Real Estate Ownership

26. The Women's Community Building (1960-2014): Breckenridge Place- AffordableHousing in the Heart of Downtown

27. You Don't Always Win (2012-13): Public Service Meets an Immovable Object

28. Shifting Emphasis (2013): A Family Business

29. Devil in the Details (2014): Synergy and the Big Picture

30. Coltivare (2011-14): Farm to Bistro

31. Rezoning (2013-14): Overzealous?

32. Cornell Program in Real Estate (2014-15): The Class

33. A Corporate Commitment (2016-18): Since 1836

34. The Next Generation: They Get It!

35. Where Do We Go from Here? The Road Forward

Afterword

Appendix: "Growing Up and Out" by Karen Gadiel and Interview with Gary Ferguson

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9781501730153

1501730150

OCLC:

1049577020