Ithaca · Local digest

After 21 years with the City of Ithaca, Director of Planning & Development Lisa Nicholas will retire early next year. Nicholas has led the planning department since 2022, overseeing projects including flood risk mitigation planning and the SouthWorks neighborhood development on the South Hill. Her departure comes as the department works on a comprehensive zoning rewrite and implements a $10 million New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative grant. The city is conducting a national search for her successor, seeking an experienced leader to guide the department during a pivotal period as Ithaca continues experiencing growth with major housing, infrastructure, and economic development projects underway.

A new 230-apartment affordable housing complex is being proposed in the SouthWorks area on Ithaca's South Hill, with the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency offering $16 million in tax breaks including a 30-year PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement reducing taxes by 56%. An opinion piece argues that developer Beacon Communities, a billion-dollar corporation, should voluntarily enhance its contribution given Tompkins County and local governments face significant budget deficits, with suggestions including increasing PILOT contributions by 50%, adjusting the 2% annual increase formula, covering lost sales taxes, and contributing to school funding based on resident enrollment.

In fall 2024, Hannah Shvets, a 20-year-old Cornell sophomore and Communist Party USA member, won election to Ithaca's city council representing Ward 5, which includes parts of the university campus and comprises 70 percent students. Shvets, who had helped reestablish Cornell's Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter, won the Democratic primary with 40 percent of the vote and defeated independent candidate Gepe Zurenda by nearly 30 points in the general election. The victory was noted by national outlets including The New York Post and The New Republic, drawing attention to the growing influence of democratic socialist organizing among college students in local politics.