Why these landmark preservationists are concerned about CU-city's plan

After its construction by a private developer, Cornell University would sign a long-term lease for office space and the Trust Company would likely become a tenant as well.

As members of the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission (ILPC), having concern for and responsibility to protect the historic fabric of the city, we wish to comment publicly on the impact this proposal would have, based on the information made available to date.

We support the goal of a healthy, thriving downtown -- one that offers a diversity of goods and services and fosters a sense of community. We appreciate the Trust Company's long-standing investment in downtown and are delighted that Cornell is committed to moving offices into the heart of the city.

Further, we think it appropriate that the city provide for additional parking that will be convenient yet compatible with existing community and commuter interests, and hope that Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit will review its transportation services as new development occurs.

However, we believe that the proposed multistory building will destroy two historic resources on the projected site and irreparably damage the attractive, small-city scale of The Commons.

At its June 2000 meeting, the ILPC reviewed the then-proposed zoning amendment to increase the permitted height in portions of the central business district from 60 or 85 feet to 140 feet.

Commission members questioned whether the new height was necessary in light of the amount of underdeveloped property downtown, particularly surface parking lots and drive-in banks.

All felt strongly that buildings of 140 feet should not intrude upon the DeWitt Park and East Hill historic districts, nor upon the undesignated but equally important historic buildings on both the Tioga Street (Bank Alley) and State Street portions of The Commons. Common Council, following recommendations by its Planning and Development Committee, responded in part to two of these three areas of concern.

The permitted height on part of the south side of Buffalo Street, within and adjacent to the DeWitt Park district, was increased from 60 to 85 feet instead of the proposed 140 feet. After appeals by the East Hill neighborhood, the same, lesser increase was approved for the eastern half of the Seneca Street parking garage site.

The ILPC's concerns about permitting structures of up to 140 feet on the west side of Bank Alley were not addressed, apparently because this area already was under consideration for the recently announced project.

The proposed site, home to the Tompkins County Trust Company's main office, encompasses two buildings of considerable historic and architectural merit. At the southern end of the site is a two-story brick structure built in 1862 as offices for the Tompkins County Clerk, Judge and District Attorney.

Designed by John M. Maurice, architect of the 1854 courthouse on DeWitt Park, the densely corbelled, wraparound cornice and other decorative architectural elements give a stylish presence to this former government building.

At the northern end of the site, and linked to the former county structure by a minimally intrusive, one-story glazed lobby, is a three-story building erected for the Ithaca Trust Company in 1895-96 from designs by the noted Ithaca architectural firm of Vivian & Gibb.

Its handsome use of stone, brick and terra cotta reflect the then-popular Renaissance Revival style, recalling the urbanity of an Italian palazzo form. Statements published in The Ithaca Journal and in the recent "Late Edition" of the Tompkins County Trust Company's customer newsletter, "Bank Notes," seem to recognize the value of these structures, but suggest that only their facades could and would be preserved.

The intentional removal of an existing historic building "leaving some minimal portion of the building's fabric to be pasted on a new structure erected behind it -- is not the preservation of that building, but its destruction.

The projected multistory structure on the proposed site would also have a major impact on the public space of The Commons, as well as on the other buildings that define that space. Most buildings along The Commons are two to four stories in height.

The tallest structures -- the six-story M&T Bank and seven-story Fleet Bank buildings -- anchor their former sites but do not overwhelm nearby buildings of lesser height.

Even the modern Rothschild's Building and Center Ithaca maintain the scale of existing historic buildings. A new ten- or twelve-story structure on the proposed mid-block site would loom over The Commons, intruding upon the present harmonious character and human scale of the buildings and spaces.

We do not wish to see Ithaca's downtown preserved as a museum village. We do, however, value the historic and architectural character of The Commons and urge all parties involved to work toward finding an alternate site for the proposed building.

A Seneca Street location, in particular, would reduce this large structure's visual impact on The Commons yet offer convenient access to Bank Alley and the rest of downtown.

It would also provide all of the benefits outlined by Gary Ferguson, Executive Director of the Ithaca Downtown Partnership, in his Oct. 3 guest column in The Ithaca Journal: added jobs and office space downtown, increased density in the walkable center city, and a message of confidence to the business and investment community.

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David Beer, Nancy Falconer, Kathleen E. Foley, Todd Herron, Stephen Somogy (Chair), Lauren Stiles and Mary Raddant Tomlan serve on the ILPC. Members are appointed by the mayor with the advice and consent of Common Council. They have professional expertise and represent the cultural and commercial interests of the community. The ILPC designates individual landmarks and districts of historic and architectural value, subject to the approval of Common Council, and reviews proposals for exterior alterations to designated structures and sites.