In a press release earlier this afternoon, a trio of local and regional construction and real estate firms announced plans to redevelop the former Johnson Boatyard site at 101 Pier Road into a major mixed-use project.
Plans for “City Harbor” were announced by Constantinos Lambrou, representing a team including Lambrou Real Estate, Edger Enterprises and Morse Project Management. According to the report, plans include upscale apartments and condos, commercial space and hospitality-related (hotel) uses. The plan is to retain marina operations throughout construction, and to broaden marine-related services. The site layout will be mixed-use and in line with the city’s comprehensive plan, meaning that it embraces new urbanist site development, placing emphasis on interconnected roads and paths, walkability and active street-level uses.
As reported previously in the Voice, the 7.64 acre waterfront property has been purchased by an LLC linked to Edger Enterprises for $4.2 million last month. Under the rules of the rezoning of the waterfront approved by the city in August, the property falls into the “Newman District” of zoning, which allows for non-single family residential units (apartments, condos), office space, retail including food service, social event and public assembly facilities, recreational uses, hotels and boating-related facilities. Buildings may be two to five floors (25-63 feet), with an architectural setback above the third floor if close to the water. 100% lot coverage is allowed, lot setbacks are modest (5-8 feet) and to encourage sidewalks, and no parking requirements are stated.
Lambrou Real Estate is a local, family-owned real estate and development firm, with assets and development experience in Collegetown and in Downtown as a co-developer of Seneca Place on the Commons. Edger Enterprises is a construction firm based out of the Elmira area that has been the construction manager of several local projects, including the Texas Roadhouse and Elmira Savings Bank recently completed in the city’s Elmira Road corridor. Morse Project Management, based out of Ithaca, has served as construction manager or general contractor for several smaller projects, including the new Lansing village hall and the renovation of 409 College Avenue into the eHub co-working space.
While not clear from the press release, it is likely that this is the “Waterfront Project” referenced on the city of Ithaca’s Planning Board agenda for this evening. A search online turns up a project website that indicates overarching conceptual plans will be presented today. Whether or not that is the case, the waterfront project to be discussed tonight is an informal sketch proposal, meant to highlight design concepts and uses, and solicit feedback from members of the planning board.
A copy of the press release is included below.
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Ithaca’s City Harbor: Pioneering Ithaca’s Waterfront Revitalization
ITHACA, NY — Co-owners and primary members of City Harbor LLC, Lambrou Real Estate and Edger Enterprises are excited to announce the purchase and development intent for City Harbor (formally Johnson’s Boatyard) located at 101 Pier Road. After a year of negotiations and feasibility studies, the purchase was completed on Thursday November 16th, 2017.
Lambrou and Edger are committed to developing the site into a new waterfront neighborhood, designed to compliment Ithaca’s already beautiful- but underutilized waterways and shoreline, while enhancing public access and available on-the-water recreation activities. This transformational development will offer more options for those who want to live and work on the water, including planned upscale residential components in the form of apartments and condos/townhomes to address Ithaca’s growing housing needs. In addition to new residential offerings, various commercial and hospitality-related uses will be announced at a later date following ongoing adjustments to the site plan. The development will draw considerable inspiration from the City’s comprehensive plan and is intended to epitomize mixed-use, urban design. City Harbor’s goal is to create something every Ithacan can be proud of, from the initial building blocks of design to the finished product’s community usability.
In an effort to keep current staff employed and serve the loyal Johnson’s customers, City Harbor LLC aims to retain Johnson’s Marina operations to the fullest extent possible throughout construction, including the gas docks. Ownership also intends to broaden the marine services upon project completion, solidifying Ithaca’s position as the crown jewel of the Finger Lakes and hub of marine recreational activities in Upstate New York.
Inquiries about any aspect of the City Harbor project – from marina operations to pre-purchased housing and beyond – can be sent to nick@lambrourealestate.com.”