
Delivered in summer 2019 just in time for the new school year, City Centre is providing housing and a wealth of amenities for students and young professionals in a prime location—the center of downtown Ithaca, N.Y., just minutes from the Cornell University campus and not far from nearby Ithaca College.
The walkable, bikeable, and transit-oriented site—touting a Walk Score of 98 and Bike Score of 63—proved to be popular, reaching 99% occupancy well in advance of the 2019–2020 school year. With a combined enrollment at Cornell and Ithaca College of more than 30,000 at the time of opening and strong market fundamentals, the development is in position for strong year-over-year rental growth, according to Humphreys & Partners Architects.
The seven-story over one-story podium building is centrally located and near the popular Ithaca Commons, a two-block pedestrian mall with more than 70 restaurants, shops, and nightlife venues. In addition, the building offers over 10,000 square feet of retail, with tenants Chase Bank, Collegetown Bagels, and Ithaca Ale House.
The luxury student community is comprised of 192 units with 231 beds. Designed by Humphreys & Partners Architects, the pet-friendly apartment homes range from studios to two-bedroom floor plans with high-end features, including smart home technology, gourmet kitchens, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, plank flooring, 9-foot ceilings, expansive windows, full-size washers and dryers, walk-in closets, and Juliet balconies with views of Cayuga Lake and the region.
City Centre boasts 7,000 square feet of amenity space, with filtered water stations on each floor and an on-site dry cleaning service. It also features an abundance of indoor and outdoor activity space, including an open-air roof terrace, a ground-level private patio, a state-of-the-art fitness center and a yoga studio, large community and function rooms with Wi-Fi, fireplaces, a business center, a pet spa, secure bike storage, and access to Ithaca Car Share.
“City Centre’s exceptional location and unique offerings are completely differentiated from other student accommodations within the Ithaca submarket,” notes the architect.
While the community benefits from its convenient location near the Ivy League campus and downtown amenities, it also is adding to the housing opportunities in the growing neighborhood. In addition, the architecture firm incorporated green features into the design, such as solar panels on the roof, achieving New York State Energy Research and Development Authority certification.