Briefs: Asteri groundbreaking, Love Living at Home anniversary

Asteri, conference center break ground

On Sept. 24, local officials and developers celebrated the groundbreaking of Asteri Ithaca, the Ithaca Downtown Conference Center and the expansion and renovation of the Green Street Garage. State Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the groundbreaking on the governor’s website the same day, congratulating local leaders on their progress with the $96 million development project in downtown Ithaca. Asteri Ithaca, a 181-unit affordable residential development, will be constructed on the western portion of the Green Street Parking Garage, which will be demolished as part of Ithaca’s comprehensive urban renewal project, Hochul described in her address. The eastern portion of the garage will be renovated and expanded to include 350 parking spaces, with spots available for building residents to lease. “We are committed to providing access to quality, comfortable homes where New Yorkers can live and play in the communities they love,” Hochul said in her address. “Asteri Ithaca is a key piece in this well-conceived urban renewal plan that is bringing essential affordable homes with supportive services for those who need them, and a state-of-the-art conference center that will promote the growth of businesses nearby. This is the way a city builds its future.” Rick Manzardo, president of the Vecino Group, one of the developers behind Asteri, said that Asteri will “go a long way” in meeting the affordable housing need in the county. “When you combine this housing with the broader community impact of the conference center and expanded parking garage, it becomes not just a solution for Ithaca, but a truly transformative project for the entire region,” he said. Jennifer Tavares, president of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, said in her address that the conference center is scheduled for completion in 2023. “This important economic and tourism development project is the result of the hard work, collaboration, and investment of numerous individuals, organizations and agencies over the course of the last five years,” she said. For more information about the project, visit hcr.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-start-construction-96-million-housing-and-urban-renewal-project. In this photo (left to right): Carrie Pollak, legal counsel for Downtown Ithaca Local Development Corporation, an independent nonprofit created to operate the conference center; Sara Hayes, conference center project manager and president of Hayes Strategy; Cathy Hart, Ithaca Marriott general manager; Tavares; Teri Tarshus, Hilton Garden Inn general manager; Gary Ferguson, Downtown Ithaca Alliance executive director; Peggy Coleman, vice president of Tourism and Community Relations for the Tompkins County Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Tom Knipe, deputy director of economic development for the City of Ithaca, at the conference center groundbreaking.

 

Love Living at Home to celebrate fifth anniversary

Love Living at Home (LLH) is pleased to announce that, in celebration of its fifth anniversary, the organization will be hosting an online auction. There are more than 30 items in the auction, with something for everyone, from vacation properties to artwork by local artists. Under normal circumstances, LLH would host an annual in-person event to celebrate its anniversary. Now, due to health and safety concerns related to COVID-19, it will hold an online auction beginning Oct. 10 at 5 a.m. and ending Oct. 24 at midnight. For a complete list of auction items, or to participate in the auction, please visit biddingowl.com/lovelivingathome. Kathy Garner, co-chair of LLH’s Fundraising Task Force, stated, “I am so grateful to the Tompkins County Community for, from the very beginning, supporting our mission. We have received so many generous donations for the auction. It should be fun for everyone involved and we hope it will be a great success. The funds raised will enable LLH to continue to provide needed services and programs that connect members to one another as well as to the broader community. It will also allow us to grow our sponsored membership program so that the membership fee is not an obstacle to joining this wonderful group of neighbors helping neighbors.” LLH Executive Director Cheryl Jewell shared, “I am thrilled to be a part of Love Living at Home’s milestone anniversary and am very proud of the work our organization has done during our first five years. I would like to thank our many volunteers for the hours that they give and skills they share, from hands-on help to members to working on committees and task forces.” Since the early days of the pandemic and throughout the last 18 months, LLH’s dedicated volunteers provided 3,654 services to our members. LLH helped people sign up for the vaccine and coordinated rides to doctor’s and vaccine appointments, as well as assisted with grocery shopping, picked up prescription medications and helped members combat the socially isolating impact of the pandemic. Along with a variety of services, LLH has offered a wide variety of over 350 programs to our members and the community at large. To learn more about LLH, visit lovelivingathome.org or call (607) 319-0162.