ITHACA -- Cornell University is negotiating with a Buffalo-based company to develop its proposed $17 million office building in downtown Ithaca.
University officials announced Wednesday that Cornell and Ciminelli Development Co. are working to finalize a development agreement for the estimated 130,000-square-foot building.
Ciminelli would build and own the building, in which Cornell would be a major tenant.
Cornell had also been considering Integrated Acquisition and Development of Ithaca and Pioneer Companies of Syracuse.
Officials from Cornell and the City of Ithaca first announced plans for the office building in September, touting the additional jobs and property tax revenues it would bring to downtown Ithaca.
Cornell would lease space for about 300 of its employees, and the building could ultimately house about 200 more. University officials said it wanted more employees in the building as a way of investing in downtown.
John Majeroni, director of Cornell's Real Estate Department, said in a press release Wednesday that Ciminelli was selected because of its qualifications and experience and its vision for the project.
Founded in 1981, Ciminelli owns, manages or has developed more than 6 million square feet of commercial and industrial space, primarily in Western New York.
The company's office buildings include two in downtown Buffalo: the twin-tower Key Center at Fountain Plaza of 17 and 13 stories each, and the eight-story Lafayette Court Building.
"While all three of the developers we were talking to are great firms and any of them would have done a fantastic job, Ciminelli was best qualified for this particular project," Majeroni said.
Majeroni estimated that the project design will be completed this fall, and that construction will begin by fall 2002.
Cornell has not selected a location, and Majeroni said that would be among Ciminelli's first tasks.
Cornell has said it is considering the Tompkins Trust Company building at 110 N. Tioga St. on The Commons and the site of the former Ithaca Town Hall at 126 E. Seneca St.
David Chiazza, vice president of development for Ciminelli, said he was pleased to be negotiating with Cornell, noting that the company was competing with a homegrown company as well as others outside of Ithaca.
He estimated that it would take several months to determine the specifics of the building's design.
"The size and the scope (of the project) is really undefined, and it's something we're going to work on over the next several months to try to crystallize," he said.
Chiazza said that the company typically uses both union and non-union labor in the construction of its buildings, but stressed that the Ciminelli Development is an offshoot of a unionized construction company.
Earlier this year, a group called the Common Good Coalition formed in part to put pressure on Cornell to require that the building be 100 percent union built and operated.
While Cornell officials selected potential developers who were likely to use union labor, they have said that a requirement to use 100 percent union labor would add unnecessary cost to the project and make it less financially feasible.
No one from the Common Good Coalition could be reached for comment Wednesday.
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