Revitalizing Downtown Ithaca

The Ithaca Commons

I received a letter in the mail last week that the Ithaca City Council approved my application to join the Commons Advisory Board.  The Commons is a two-block pedestrian mall in downtown Ithaca.  See a previous post on the history and my interest.

Growing up in Ithaca, the Commons always seemed to be a place of great potential, but missed opportunity.  A concept that made sense on paper, but not when you walked from store to store.  There are occasional bright spots.  It still runs a successful Chili Cookoff every February, and holds outdoor concerts and festivals in the summer.   There are a few decent restaurants and shops.  But there are an equal number of empty storefronts, tired head shops and restaurants that can’t stay in business.

So my reason for joining the board  is to contribute fresh ideas and energy to the revitalization of this community centerpiece.  I want to walk down the Commons and see storefronts filled, restaurants open for business and people energized to be out on the town, engaged with their neighbors.   There are already several steps being taken to increase the pedestrian traffic to the Commons, including a new movie theater, an Urban Outfitters (come to the Commons, college students), condos, hotels and Cornell University office space.  But the Commons needs a fresh new design, a few stable national stores and unique community-owned businesses.  Most importantly,  it needs the buy-in and support of the local community.  If people make a conscious decision to spend their money downtown, at locally-owned restaurants and businesses, instead of always going to big box stores and chain restaurants, this new downtown initiative can succeed.

Update:  Pics from the swearing in.  Notice the huge crowd in attendance:

Taking the Oath

Serious Business