Be in the know about SouthWorks.

The SouthWorks development team is a partnership that brings together extensive experience in development, construction, and placemaking, along with proven track records in delivering equitable community-serving projects.

Our team is made up of a cross-section of talented experts who combine a depth of experience with a dedication to Ithaca. We believe in building relationships before buildings and coming together with Ithaca to create something greater.

The values-aligned team is led by SHIFT Capital, a nationally recognized neighborhood investment group who executes real estate projects and financing strategies that create equitable and mixed-income communities for the long-term. SHIFT is partnering with L Enterprises, US Ceiling Corp, and Xylem, a diverse team with a collective vision to create places and spaces where people come first, and communities thrive.

Ithaca area based L Enterprises, led by David Lubin, has led the strategy and site planning on the site for over a decade. Lubin has over 40 years of experience in development and adaptive reuse throughout the Southern Tier.

US Ceiling Corp, led by Melissa Geska, is an award-winning New York State Certified Minority- and Woman-owned Business Enterprise, committed to creating inclusive, equitable employment opportunities and communities that thrive.

Xylem Projects, led by Nnenna Lynch, is a mission-driven company dedicated to creating thriving communities. Xylem is a New York City and New York State Certified Minority- and Woman-owned Business Enterprise.

Vicki Taylor Brous is the Project Coordinator for Shift Capital, the lead development partner. Vicki is a long-time Ithaca resident and has worked on many local development projects. Previously she was a consultant on the site for almost a decade. You can contact Vicki at vicki@shiftcapital.us.

David Lubin, founder of L Enterprises, grew up in the area and began his career running the old Harold’s Army Navy store on The Commons in downtown Ithaca. L Enterprises was selected by Emerson Power Transmission to purchase the site due to David’s connections to the Ithaca community. When seeking out partners for the project, he looked for developers that shared his vision for the site - making it a community asset with sustainability at the forefront.

The project team has also retained several legacy employees of Emerson who will continue to oversee maintenance of the site and assist with the development.

SouthWorks is the redevelopment of the former Morse Chain/Emerson Power Transmission plant, a 95-acre and 820,000+ square-foot vacant property, located in both the City and Town of Ithaca, New York. The development team’s vision is to transform the former industrial site into a mixed-use neighborhood with a dynamic mix of uses including housing, commercial, retail and light manufacturing to accommodate everything from tech companies to maker spaces. The existing buildings have been vacant for 12 years and will mostly be adaptively reused. In addition to the existing buildings, approximately 900,000 square feet of new development will be constructed throughout the site in both the City and Town of Ithaca.

The design is underway for the first phase of the project with an anticipated construction start date of summer 2023. It is anticipated that the full build-out of SouthWorks will take seven to 10 years to complete.

Over the last 10 years, the site has been remediated by Emerson and L Enterprises and taken through the site plan approval process by the L Team. The environmental remediation was completed and approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and approval of a Site Management Plan was received in October 2022. The Final GEIS was accepted and the findings adopted by the City in March 2019.

There are approximately 820,000 square feet of existing structures on the site, built over time from 1906 until the 1970s. The existing buildings will be adaptively reused with some selective demolition to allow for circulation, light, and air flow within the site.

The site has been known by many names throughout its long history: Morse Chain, Borg Warner Morse, Emerson Power Transmission, and, most recently, as the Chain Works District. In taking a fresh look at the site, the development team, with input from local stakeholders, decided on a name that pays homage to the site’s location and industrial past while looking to a new future. The development team is excited to celebrate the site’s history through design, the naming of interior roads, design of buildings, and public art.

The site has become one of the most environmentally investigated properties in New York state, with tens of millions of dollars being spent on its remediation from environmental impacts that occurred during its industrial past. Emerson Power Transmission discovered the prior contamination during their tenure and was made responsible by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for the environmental clean-up to industrial standards. L Enterprises funded additional remediation to bring the site up to residential standards. DEC issued a Record of Decision (ROD) amendment for the site to allow for the new uses.

The investigative process for the site involved thousands of tests to trace the sources of contamination that could then be contained or removed. After the work was complete, thorough testing was conducted to ensure that the contamination levels were no longer at harmful levels. The team was very rigorous in their investigation and remediation to ensure that there would be no future liabilities.

Some areas of the property were determined to have no impacts and now have unrestricted use that requires no additional monitoring. For the areas of concern, a Site Management Plan (SMP) was developed and approved by the DEC that will remain in effect in perpetuity. The SMP includes detailed requirements for monitoring levels of contaminants and reporting to ensure both the safe development of the property and to enable future commercial and residential uses.

A key part of the vision for SouthWorks is a development that focuses on connectivity, walkability, micro-mobility and transit access. As we refine the development plans and phasing, the development team is committed to working with the City and Town of Ithaca, as well as the site’s neighbors to ensure safety and mitigate traffic impacts. We anticipate four primary entrances on Route 96B (South Aurora/Danby Road) where truck traffic will be routed and two secondary entrances at Turner Place and South Cayuga Street.

The site once accommodated more than 3,000 workers on a three-shift schedule and has adequate parking for the intended uses; however, we would like to reduce the need for surface parking and create a more sustainable model by investing in transportation demand management.

The development team is excited to bring to fruition an important missing link in the Gateway Trail ultimately connecting the Black Diamond Trail to the South Hill Recreation way, allowing complete circulation throughout the City of Ithaca.

The Gateway trail on the site is slated to be completed in the first years of the development. The first section will be from South Aurora Street to Turner Place. This will be followed by the trail development from Stone Quarry Road to South Cayuga Street. The design team is currently exploring ways to have the Gateway trail connect to a trail system for walking and biking that will be integrated throughout the site itself.

Learn more about leasing opportunities at SouthWorks.

The site plan anticipates building or retrofitting approximately 900 new units of housing. In keeping with our vision for a thriving neighborhood, our plan is to offer mixed-income housing ranging from affordable units to market rate options.

The team is also exploring creating “workforce” housing by using modular construction. This missing “middle housing” would be available for those who may not qualify for traditional affordable housing, but who are unable to afford market-rate rents in the area.

The development team aspires for SouthWorks to be at the forefront of sustainability. We are working with sustainability consultants, Buro Happold and locally based Taitem Engineering to develop an ambitious and comprehensive sustainability plan encompassing energy, transportation, water and waste.

The energy component includes exploring opportunities for sustainable and renewable energy including solar, geothermal, air and ground source heat pumps, and hydrogen. Water use and stormwater control will be integrated into the landscape and building design, and waste reduction strategies will be employed across the site.

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As the new development is completed, the site will be open to the public. In the meantime, while the site is an active construction site, public access and visitation will be limited. We anticipate site tours will be made available as the project progresses and they will be announced through our email list, and on this website. Please sign up for updates and announcements.

Requests for Proposals (RFPs) will be issued when we are ready to put the work out for bid. To be included on a list that will receive notices, please complete our contact form. We will also announce RFPs on our website.