SCAPE joins team to reimagine 95-acre SouthWorks site in Ithaca

Jan 23, 2023

Encompassing over 95 acres on South Hill in Ithaca, New York, the SouthWorks site has undergone many transformations over the years. Once a manufacturing facility for industrial chains, automotive parts, and Tommy airplanes, it has sat vacant for the past 11 years. In early December 2022, SHIFT Capital—a Philadelphia-based social impact real estate firm—acquired the site in partnership alongside the previous developer, L Enterprises, and two minority- and women-owned firms, US Ceiling Corp (a Rochester-based interior construction firm) and Xylem (a New York City-based real estate firm).

In collaboration with a large, multi-disciplinary team including CJS Architects, Fagan Engineers, Buro Happold, and Taitem Engineering, SCAPE is thrilled to join the design team reimagining the site’s future. The site is envisioned as a new mixed-use neighborhood including housing, technology, commercial, retail, and industrial manufacturing space—a catalyst for Ithaca’s local economy. When complete, it will include the revitalization of over 1.7 million square feet, including over 820,000 square feet of existing buildings, connecting the Gateway Trail at the base of the property to a regional network of trails and state parks in partnership with the City of Ithaca. The site has already gained City of Ithaca Site Plan Approval and EIS approvals.

“SouthWorks is a potential game changer for Ithaca. Its size and scope allow us to intentionally and collectively, with businesses and residents, design a neighborhood that welcomes leading-edge thinking and practices, drives sustainability throughout, and connects living and culture site-, city- and townwide,” said SHIFT Capital Partner and CEO Brian Murray.

Planning for SouthWorks is already underway, with anticipated announcements regarding the next phase in the coming months.

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