Hello neighbors, 

The Spencer Road Neighborhood Association will be holding its March meeting on 3/15 from 1-3pm at Tompkins Community Action. There we will be discussing grant funding and organizing our spring neighborhood clean up.

In addition:

You are invited to join the Spencer Road Neighborhood Association for two upcoming opportunities to learn more about the SouthWorks project. These are opportunities specifically geared towards us who live downhill from this project, as we may have specific concerns about traffic, stormwater runoff, etc. 

There will be a meeting Monday 3/3 from 6-8pm, and a tour Saturday 3/8 tour from 1-3pm. Please let your neighbors/friends who live in the Titus Flats and Spencer Rd areas know. Details below.

The SouthWorks project is the planned adaptive reuse of 820,000SF of existing factory space (formerly the Morse Chain/Emerson Power Transmission factory) on a 95-acre site which straddles the City and Town of Ithaca. This mixed-use project will include both commercial and residential spaces, renovations & new construction to create a mixed-use neighborhood integrated into Ithaca’s South Hill.

During the Monday presentation, Rob Lewis, Development Project Manager, and Sarah Barden, Community Outreach & Leasing Coordinator, will provide a history and status update on the project, with a focus on how SouthWorks will relate to the downhill neighborhoods of Spencer Road and Titus Flats. Featured topics will include stormwater management, traffic studies, housing plan, Gateway Trail activation, and 2025 occupancy & art opportunities. Please bring your questions, curiosity, and ideas! The presentation will Monday 3/3 from 6-8pm at Tompkins Community Action (601 Spencer Rd). Parking is available. Use the side entrance (there will be a sign on the door). 

During the Saturday tour (3/8, 1-3pm), Rob & Sarah will provide a brief overview of the project, then lead attendees on a walking tour of the main complex of existing factory buildings, with ample opportunity for discussion & questions. This tour typically involves several flights of stairs and 1-2 miles of walking. Attendees should use the entrance across from South Hill Elementary School at 620 South Aurora Street. Please plan to be there by 1pm. The tour will leave the meeting point at 1:15pm; it will not be possible to catch up to the tour after the group has left. If any attendees have mobility limitations, please contact Sarah in advance so we can adapt the route. All attendees must wear closed-toed shoes and sign a waiver.

Contact information for questions about either the presentation or the tour can be sent to Sarah at sbarden@shiftcapital.us! Please RSVP so you can be notified directly in case of any changes to the event dates/details.