Current Work
Active Initiatives
Events
Summer Concert Series
Our flagship initiative for 2026. Six Saturdays of free live music at Schwartz Plaza, featuring local bands and artists. The goal is to drive traffic to Collegetown during the summer months when students aren't around.
The events committee has raised over $3,000 in committed contributions and coordinated with Cornell's Office of Community Engagement, local musicians, and Schwartz Center staff.
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Planning
Strategic Economic Development
To access larger funding from partners like the IDA and IAED, we've engaged CRRC and Gary Ferguson—who led the Downtown Ithaca Alliance for 25 years—to develop a comprehensive strategic plan.
The scope includes stakeholder engagement, long-term strategic planning, identification of funding sources, and implementation timelines. We're presenting to the IDA to request full funding for this $50,000+ consulting engagement.
Design
Reshaping Collegetown (Cornell Partnership)
At our community engagement event, improving public spaces behind Eddy Gate was the top-ranked priority. As a direct result, President Mike Kotlikoff agreed to use Cornell resources through the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) to design improvement plans.
The project has since expanded to include more of Collegetown. Cornell students are developing design proposals in coordination with CCC members.
Placemaking
Banner Replacement Program
We're replacing the dilapidated banners throughout Collegetown with new community-designed banners. We proposed a design contest for Cornell students and community members, and the City of Ithaca agreed to pay for fabrication and installation if a city staff member sits on the selection committee. Contest launch coming soon.
Events
Gallery Night Expansion
We've been working with Ithaca Gallery Night since early 2025 to expand the downtown event into Collegetown. Five new business locations are now confirmed, with launch set for May 2025.
Infrastructure
Placemaking Reactivation
Cornell, the City of Ithaca, and the County Tourism Program previously set aside over $100,000 for placemaking in Collegetown. Because of the pandemic, the money was never used. We're now sponsoring an organizational meeting with all previous stakeholders to understand what planning work has been done and begin implementation.