SouthWorks will be composed of four distinct neighborhoods, each with a unique mix of buildings that reflect the character and purpose of its area. Together, they will form a vibrant, 95-acre mixed-use community that connects seamlessly to surrounding neighborhoods and supports a wide range of uses, residents, and experiences.
Explore our Place-Based, People-Focused Master Plan
The Gateway
The Gateway will be the primary entry into SouthWorks and serve as a welcoming landing spot for residents, visitors, and community members. The Gateway will include a dynamic mix of space for a variety of users- both commercial and residential - offering open space and serving as a trailhead for the Gateway Trail.
The Gateway Trail
The Gateway Trail is a proposed multi-use trail that runs along the northwestern edge of SouthWorks, bridging Six Mile Creek Preserve to the east over to Buttermilk Falls State Park to the west. The City of Ithaca holds an easement along the former rail bed on the western, downhill edge of the SouthWorks site, and plans to construct a paved, ADA-accessible trail. It is a core part of the Ithaca Tompkins Transportation Councils Priority Trails Strategy, and once completed will allow complete circulation throughout the City and enable access to all four New York State Parks in Tompkins County without ever having to leave the trail network. The SouthWorks design team is currently exploring ways to have the Gateway Trail connect to an integrated trail system within the site for micro-mobility throughout.
The Chainway
The Chainway will be the heart of SouthWorks, where buildings full of character will be converted into apartments, work studios, shops, and dining. It will play a crucial role in creating connectivity throughout SouthWorks and between the site and the Town and City of Ithaca, serving as the foundation for a cohesive, accessible, and integrated community.
SouthWorks Innovation Hub
SouthWorks is a hub of ingenuity, entrepreneurialism, and community—offering adaptive spaces for ideas ready to take off and for those reaching new heights. With flexible office, makerspace, studio, and lab options, we support businesses of all sizes, from sole proprietors to large enterprises. Our Innovation Hub aims to keep business and creativity humming with artist studios, urban manufacturing, light industrial, workshops, and more.
The Hills & The Woods
Apartment living has never seen a view like this! To borrow our local phrase… the view from the Hills and the Woods is gorges! Living at SouthWorks will offer a variety of modern residences for a diversity of households, well connected to on-site features, amenities, and trails. Natural elements meet modern living in the planned townhomes and apartment residences.
A Variety Of Homes For A Diversity Of Households
Bridging South Hill and Downtown Ithaca, SouthWorks aims to mix elements of a bustling urban environment and an inclusive small-town feel with a variety of modern residences, from apartments to townhomes. Minutes from Ithaca’s key attractions, SouthWorks will offer residences, recreation, dining, and entertainment options for residents and visitors alike.
Our housing plan is designed to expand access and reduce inequities in Ithaca’s housing market. SouthWorks will include a mix of 20% affordable housing, 40% workforce housing, and 40% market-rate housing, increasing both the affordable and attainable housing supply in the area. This mix will be delivered through a combination of new construction and adaptive reuse of existing structures for multifamily residences, creating a diverse and inclusive residential community.
The SouthWorks team has partnered with Beacon Communities to develop SouthWorks’ first phase of the multifamily development initiative. Beacon Communities will develop, own, and manage approximately affordable and mixed-income apartments featuring 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom units.
Beacon Communities is one of the leading affordable and mixed-income housing companies in the Northeast with a strong presence in upstate New York. Their portfolio includes more than 20,000 affordable, mixed-income income and market-rate apartments in 10 states. Sustainable design is a hallmark of Beacon’s values, and they continue to expand their initiatives in sustainability wherever possible in all their communities.
The team is working with NYS Homes and Community Renewal, Empire State Development, Tompkins County, and the Town of Ithaca to secure financing for the first phase of the residential development. Beacon is committed to developing well-designed, healthy homes that will both improve future residents’ quality of life and enhance this new, exciting community in Ithaca.
Join us in one of the Best Places to Live in the US.
The City of Ithaca is centrally located at the heart of Tompkins County, surrounded by the Town of Ithaca, at the southern end of Cayuga Lake. Ithaca continuously receives accolades for being one of the smartest cities, best college towns, and best places to live in the U.S.
If you’re interested in being a part of a new, dynamic neighborhood, SouthWorks is the place for you.
Please check back here as we begin to design and build mixed-income housing at the site. Join our email list for updates.