Ithaca · Local digest

Fourth Ward Alderperson Patrick Kuehl announced his resignation from Ithaca Common Council effective August 5 to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Texas at Austin. Kuehl, who was elected in a surprise write-in campaign in 2023 as a Cornell senior, cut short his four-year term after helping address some of the city's fiscal challenges, including hiring a permanent controller and working to catch up on audits. When a council member resigns, the mayor appoints a three-member committee to review applications from the ward, interview candidates, and recommend a replacement for Common Council approval.

The City of Ithaca has launched the planning process for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative after securing a $10 million state grant in April on its ninth attempt. The DRI project area encompasses the Commons and the West State/MLK Jr. Street corridor between Cayuga and Meadow streets, with potential for minor boundary adjustments by the Local Planning Committee. The funding is expected to support hundreds of new housing units, a new hotel near South Cayuga and Clinton streets, affordable senior housing above a West State Street daycare, and a small business incubator and cultural center, with projects leveraging additional private funding. The Local Planning Committee will hold monthly public meetings starting July 14 at BorgWarner West at the Tompkins County Public Library, with residents invited to provide feedback through surveys, workshops, and community outreach, with the full implementation expected to take about five years. (Ithaca Voice)

Ithaca is launching the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) planning process after winning a $10 million state development grant in April. The City of Ithaca will hold its first Local Planning Committee meeting on July 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Tompkins County Public Library, where committee members including residents, business owners, and community leaders will be introduced and discuss investment goals for the project area covering the West State Street corridor and areas surrounding The Commons. The meetings will be held monthly and open to the public with a 10-minute public comment period for resident feedback and questions.