ITHACA, N.Y. — From bytes to bricks. The Computing Center, a computer services firm specializing in encryption products and security systems, is planning to build a new headquarters on Warren Drive in the town of Lansing.
The company was founded in Ithaca in 1978, back when PCs were seen as expensive hobbies rather than essential tools. Over the years, the company has evolved with the changes in technology and relocated to 15 Thornwood Drive at the Cornell Business Park next to the airport.
Now, for the first time in its nearly forty years of existence, the company is preparing to move from office-renting to office-owning. The Computing Center is looking to move out of the business park and into a new property to be built at 987 Warren Drive. The property consists of two parcels – a two-story farmhouse, and a vacant lot on the corner of Warren Road and Warren Drive. Both were purchased through an LLC for $230,000 in December 2014.
The new building, a one-story, 4,600 square-foot structure, is being designed by Ithaca’s HOLT Architects. Municipals approvals have been granted and a 2017 construction start is expected, with completion before the end of the year. 100% local labor will be used.
The Computing Center has plans to include several environmentally-friendly features with their new headquarters – air to air heat pump to cover heating and cooling, energy-efficient LED lighting, high-performance insulation, and a solar array that would supply 50% of the building’s electricity. To offset the additional $120,000 these features add to the $1.394 million price tag, the company has applied to the Tompkins County IDA seeking tax credits worth about $85,084.
The application notes that the new HQ would likely move forward without the tax break, but it would lack the solar panels and other green features, and would only meet standard building code standards instead of the more environmentally sustainable features.
According to the IDA application, The Computing Center currently employs 14 staff, and the expansion into a new headquarters will give them the opportunity to expand their operation. The firm expects to add six jobs, five of which will pay an annual salary of at least $50,000. The Tompkins County IDA will discuss the tax break at their meeting next Thursday afternoon.