SouthWorks is a people-focused place with purpose.

With more than 900 units of housing planned for the development, the plan is to incorporate mixed-income options into the design. This approach will provide options to the housing market, ranging from affordable to market-rate living. Mixed-income housing increases the supply of both affordable and attainable homes in Ithaca, helping to reduce inequalities in the housing market.

Outside of New York City, Ithaca is the second most expensive city in the country to rent a one-bedroom apartment, with a median monthly rent of $2,003 as of February 2022 (Dwellsy and The Ithaca Times). This severe affordability crisis disproportionately impacts local workers and families—96.4% of renters in the city are considered rent-burdened. (Tompkins County Housing Snapshot, 2022). As a result, over 15,000 people commute into Tompkins County for work, many priced out of living in the very community they serve (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey). Our proposed affordability mix—20% affordable, 40% workforce, and 40% market-rate housing—will increase access to attainable homes and help reverse this trend. By combining new construction with adaptive reuse for multifamily residences, the project will generate long-term benefits for residents and communities, while working to reduce inequities in the local housing market.