Ithaca

Ithaca’s entrepreneurial and sustainable economy is accelerated by Cornell University, Ithaca College, and a dynamic startup ecosystem. Anchored by sectors like ag‑tech, cleantech, and experiential retail, Ithaca Court Square, from retailer storefronts to the Commons, is seeing consistent leasing activity and new mixed‑use proposals. Asteri—a $96 million housing‑conference complex—typifies coordinated public‑private investment. The Tompkins County IDA and Planning & Sustainability Department offer flexible supportive zoning, tax incentives, and grant‑assisted utility expansions to developers aligned with density, climate resilience, and placemaking goals. Downtown initiatives like the Visions Downtown Plan and renewable‑energy infrastructure (EV charging, green roofs) further signal Ithaca’s embrace of forward‑thinking commercial real estate development.