P a 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION STRATEGIC PLAN EXECUTIVE HIGHLIGHTS ............................................................................................................................. 5 BUILDING OUR COMMUNITY: THE BIG IDEA .......................................................................................................................... 8 OUR INSPIRATION TO PLAN ................................................................................................................................................. 10 INTRODUCTION TO AND HISTORY OF DOWNTOWN STRATEGIC PLANNING ....................................................................... 12 P METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................................... 13 a COMMUNITY AFFIRMATIONS: WHAT WE BELIEVE .............................................................................................................. 14 KEY SURVEY FINDINGS: 2008/2009 ...................................................................................................................................... 15 KEY DOWNTOWN PLANNING PRINCIPLES ............................................................................................................................ 16 FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS DOWNTOWN ITHACA: THE KEY COMPONENTS ................................................................................................................... 18 DOWNTOWN CHARACTER ................................................................................................................................................... 26 THE CONCEPT OF PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC GENERATORS ........................................................................................................ 29 GUIDING DOWNTOWN GROWTH ........................................................................................................................................ 31 PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO DOWNTOWN ZONING ......................................................................................................... 41 DOWNTOWN'S COMMITMENT TO ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION ................................................................................. 44 OUR TOURIST ECONOMY ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 DOWNTOWN AND DIVERSITY .............................................................................................................................................. 49 A NEW APPROACH TO CLEAN AND SAFE .............................................................................................................................. 50 THE GREENING OF DOWNTOWN ......................................................................................................................................... 51 GOALS, OBJECTIVES & RECOMMENDATIONS THE ITHACA COMMONS ....................................................................................................................................................... 56 DOWNTOWN RETAIL ............................................................................................................................................................ 57 DOWNTOWN HOUSING ....................................................................................................................................................... 60 DOWNTOWN OFFICE SECTOR .............................................................................................................................................. 62 DOWNTOWN ENTERTAINMENT ........................................................................................................................................... 63 CULTURAL ARTS .................................................................................................................................................................... 64 ENHANCING THE DOWNTOWN ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................................................. 66 OTHER DOWNTOWN INFRASTRUCTURE (NON-COMMONS) ............................................................................................... 68 TOURISM AND VISITORS ...................................................................................................................................................... 70 OUR DOWNTOWN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ................................................................................................................... 71 SERVING YOUTH ................................................................................................................................................................... 75 SERVING SENIORS................................................................................................................................................................. 76 THE QUEST FOR ACCESSIBILITY ............................................................................................................................................ 77 THE ROLE OF HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ........................................................................................................... 78 WORKING WITH OTHER COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS ............................................................................................................... 79 HISTORIC PRESERVATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 80 DOWNTOWN AS A REGIONAL CENTER ................................................................................................................................ 81 MARKETING DOWNTOWN IN THE YEARS AHEAD ................................................................................................................ 83 CONCLUSIONS WHAT’S AT STAKE? ............................................................................................................................................................... 85 HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? .................................................................................................................................................... 87 WHEN WILL WE BE DONE? ................................................................................................................................................... 88 DEFINING THE ROLES FOR STRATEGIC PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ......................................................................................... 89 ENDNOTES ............................................................................................................................................................................ 91 3 P a BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION 4 STRATEGIC PLAN EXECUTIVE HIGHLIGHTS This “Downtown Ithaca 2020 Strategic Plan” has been prepared by the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, Ithaca’s designated Business Improvement District organization, for the benefit of the Downtown, the City, and the greater Ithaca community. The Community Big Idea P The community big idea is a three-pronged package to revitalize the urban core, reduce regional sprawl, reduce a our community carbon footprint, bolster tourism, and strengthen the linkages between our institutions of higher education and downtown. It includes: - the creation of 1,500 new urban residential housing units in downtown and along the West State Street corridor; - the rebuilding of the Ithaca Commons to enhance its commercial and community functions, and its recasting as a transit hub with a streetcar or other form of enhanced transit running through the middle of the pedestrian mall; and - the creation of a new enhanced transit program and route that connects the Commons with Cornell University and Collegetown, Ithaca College, and the West End /Waterfront. The enhanced transit could be a streetcar or trolley that would strengthen and encourage corridor development. Key Concepts The “Downtown Ithaca 2020 Strategic Plan” relies on the following fundamental and basic themes and concepts that permeate all of the recommendations and action items: - The necessity of mixed-use development; - The need for a dense urban core; - Reducing automobile usage in downtown; - Treating the Commons as a transit hub; - Utilizing the principles of infill development; - Clustering pedestrian traffic-generating destinations in downtown; - Recognizing transition zones at downtown’s edges; - Preserving and enhancing the retail streetscape; - Recognizing downtown as our community center; and - Viewing downtown as a leader in green practices and sustainability. Strategic Plan Highlights 1. Downtown Ithaca must maintain its regional share of retail activity. To accomplish this, downtown will add 78,000 square feet of new retail during the period 2010 – 2020. 2. Downtown Ithaca is one of the primary centers for new housing development in both the City and the region. During the period 2010 – 2020 downtown will seek to add up to 500 units of urban housing in the BID and another 1,000 units in the greater downtown area, primarily along the West State Street corridor. 3. Downtown Ithaca must maintain its regional share of office space. To accomplish this, downtown will add another 200,000 square feet of new office space during the period 2010 -2020. 4. Downtown’s strength lies in its diversity of people. Downtown will be successful if it is able to fully actualize this commitment