ITHACA, N.Y. — I have four updates for you this Friday morning about the Ithaca Commons construction project — and they all consist of good news!
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Here they are:
1 — Pavers
The pavers on the Ithaca Commons are now 80 percent complete, according to the city’s construction website.
Obviously, that’s a welcome development because it will reopen the Commons strip to foot traffic.
It’s also good news because it means the days of those wretched fences that line the Commons are finally numbered.
2 — Playground
Construction on the Commons playground began a couple of days ago. It’ll take about a week to complete.
“Once the structure is finished, the rubberized safety surfacing for the playground will be poured in place,” the city’s construction site says.
3 — Benches here
The wooden benches are now installed on the 200 block of the Ithaca Commons, according to the construction website.
The benches on the 200 block are mounted by the “granite blocks” that sit near the planter areas, the city’s website says.
4 — Bumpouts coming
Last week, construction began on “the last phase of work” on the entrances to the Commons on Aurora Street and Cayuga Street. These consist of installing “bumpouts” at the entrances to extend eight feet into the intersection from the previous curb line, according to the city’s website.
This is “intended as a pedestrian safety measure and to create a more welcoming entrance to the Commons,” the website says.
“The Aurora St entrance will be finished first, then the Cayuga St entrance, followed by the Seneca St entrance,” the site states. “The chainlink fence will be completely removed at Aurora St once the pavers are installed at that entrance.”