District Case Studies

HOLT Architects

In 2016, HOLT Architects completed the renovation of a one-story, 7,600 square foot strip mall into a near net-zero energy building – now home to the firm’s Ithaca operations. HOLT worked to not only preserve but also highlight as much of the original structure as possible.

Two critical components were necessary to achieve near net-zero: energy consumption minimization, and onsite energy production. They consisted of the following measures:

- - Envelope: Tightening the thermal envelope by putting continuous insulation inside of CMU block walls and study cavities.
  - Lighting: Installation of LED lighting and lighting controls such as occupancy sensors, daylight sensors, and scheduling software.
  - Plug Loads: Installation of plug load controls.
  - Mechanical Systems: Installation of an all-electric, distributed air-to-air heat pump
  - Onsite Energy Production: Installation of a 60 kW solar PV array on the roof.

104 East State St.

Currently a mixed-use building with retail on the first floor and three apartments above, 104 East State St. dates back to the late 1860s and once operated as a clothing store. Today, the building houses Homegrown Skateshop, the only skateboarder-run retail business serving Ithaca.

The building’s current owner, Fred Schoeps, purchased the building in 2011 and then decided to redevelop the upper
floors into apartments. The renovation was completed in 2014, under architect Claudia Brenner and general contractor Scott Smith of Latipac Builders. Some main features implemented during the renovation include:

- - Facade Renovation: Old wooden windows were replaced with energy-efficient windows. Exterior walls and the slanted roof were insulated before the interior walls and ceilings were put in place.
  - Natural Lighting: A light shaft was installed to minimize requirements for artificial lighting.
  - Electrification: All appliances were made electric and individual units were provided for
    each apartment, including heating and cooling units and hot water heaters.

In 2020, the building has already met the 2030 reduction targets for both energy and water performance. The building exemplifies what existing properties are able to achieve by incorporating standard green improvements, and underscores the fact that bleeding-edge technology is not necessary to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of an already existing
structure. “Looking back, it really was a simple decision to make a commitment to improve the sustainability of our building,” said Schoeps. “It is one of the simplest ways of giving back to the community and adding economic value.”

Purity Ice Cream

An icon of the Finger Lakes region, Purity Ice Cream was first founded in 1936. As a popular destination for ice cream lovers, the Purity building located at 700 Cascadilla St. houses a mix of restaurant, retail, and office space.

Keenly aware of the energy-intensive nature of ice cream operations, Purity’s co-owner Bruce Lane has been committed to making the business as green as possible. Many sustainable practices were implemented over the years, including:

- - Geothermal: Four high-efficiency ground source heat pumps/air conditioning systems were installed with programmable thermostats and energy recovery ventilation units. The heat pumps are entirely powered by solar energy.
  - Solar Power: Purity is one of the first commercial properties in Ithaca to install rooftop solar. It currently has a solar PV system with a capacity of over 35 kW.
  - Facade Renovation: Improved roof and wall insulation with high-efficiency windows and doors. The new roof is white to mitigate solar gain in the summer, which places the biggest load on HVAC resources.
  - Energy-Efficient Lighting: LED lighting and new windows were installed to create well-lit rental office space.
  - Site Surroundings: Reduced overall paved footprint, created extensive landscaping, and installed bike racks near the building to provide a more accessible and aesthetic environment for walking and biking and to improve stormwater runoff mitigation.

Press Bay Court

Press Bay Court John Guttridge, along with his business partner David Kuckuk, has forged an innovative path on the west side of the Commons, breathing new life into West State/MLK, Jr. and Green Streets. Their company, Urban Core, LLC, has provided an exciting example of how to transform old structures into fresh-looking, low-carbon buildings that help create a vibrant neighborhood.

Press Bay Alley, just down the street, was one of the original fifteen buildings in 2016 when the Ithaca 2030 District officially launched. In 2021, Urban Core added two more buildings to the District: Press Bay Court and the old Ithaca Journal building. Press Bay Court is especially impressive because Urban Core took a rundown, vacant building and turned it into a distinctive
mixed-use destination that provides a nice complement to Press Bay Alley and, like the latter, is fossil-fuel free.

The renovation, completed in late 2018, created several small-scale retail spaces on the ground floor and four one-bedroom apartments on the second floor, adding some moderate-income housing to a market seriously deficient in this category. Some main features implemented during the renovation include:

High-efficiency air source heat pumps that provide heat and air conditioning
All LED lighting
New EnergyStar electric appliances, including for cooking
Airtight spray foam insulation and high-performance rigid foam on the roof
Expansive new windows on the ground floor that take advantage of the natural light

The building sailed past the 2025 reduction targets in 2021 for both energy and water performance and came very close to meeting the 2030 reduction targets. Similar to the 104 East State St. building on the Commons, which we highlighted in last year’s annual report, Press Bay Court demonstrates what existing properties can achieve by incorporating standard green improvements, and underscores the fact that bleeding-edge technology is not necessary to
significantly reduce the carbon footprint of an already existing structure.

GreenStar Cooperative Market

GreenStar Cooperative Market The flagship store of the GreenStar Food Co-op opened at its new location in May 2020 as a model of environmental stewardship. From the beginning GreenStar has sought to support regional farmers and producers, and provide its customers with as many local products as it can. Currently, local products make up more than 25% of its sales. Now the Co-op has a building to match its commitment to sustainable foods.

The 35,000 square foot facility at 770 Cascadilla St. repurposed an already existing building, incorporating under one roof not only the store but also the classroom, administrative office, and kitchen spaces previously housed in separate buildings. The expanded parking lot was constructed using pulverized material from a demolished warehouse, reducing
the need for new materials, and upgraded insulation was added to the walls and roof.

Other sustainable features of the building include:

Super-efficient air source heat pumps that meet 100 percent of the building’s space heating and cooling needs
Building systems, including the heat pumps, powered entirely by electricity from a local community solar farm
All LED lighting, energy-efficient appliances, and high quality windows
Increased accessibility such as wider aisles, counter heights designed with wheel-chair users in mind, and accessible parking spaces in front of the store with open spaces on both sides, not just one

The building’s total energy efficiency is 40 percent higher than required by current codes,
minimizing the building’s greenhouse gas emissions while enhancing comfort for customers and
employees. In recognition of the Co-op’s impressive achievement in reducing its carbon footprint
and promoting sustainable heat pump technology, HeatSmart Tompkins recently honored
GreenStar with its Award for Outstanding Earth Stewardship. GreenStar joins Purity Ice Cream as
the second 2030 District member to have won this award.

Founded the year after the first official Earth Day in 1970, GreenStar has maintained its
commitment, in the Co-op’s words, “to ecological responsibility,” striving “to act with care and
regard for the ecological consequences of our decisions.” This consistent adherence to green
practices has resulted in GreenStar meeting the Ithaca 2030 District’s 2025 target for energy
performance and 2030 target for water reduction.

Taitem Engineering

Originally a multifamily complex with four apartments, the building was constructed in 1880. Significant renovation was needed to fit Taitem’s needs and make it single occupancy, as extra bathrooms, kitchens, and exterior entrances had to be removed. Redevelopment of the now LEED Platinum office lasted from 2009 to 2012.

Taitem Engineering set a design goal of net-zero energy. They are still working toward this goal, but some measures that have already been implemented are:

- - Lighting: Designed lighting power density to 0.5 W/ft2 as opposed to the standard 1.1.
  - Mechanical Systems: Installation of a geothermal heat pump in the attic, lined with a radiant barrier material to increase efficiency.
  - Onsite Energy Production: Installation of a 6.44 kW solar PV array on the roof, and a ground mounted 2.76 kW array.
  - Water: Reduced consumption by 31% by installing dual flush toilets, low flow plumbing fixtures, and a high efficiency condensing boiler.

The Watershed

From the day it opened in 2016 on West MLK St., the Watershed bar and café has cultivated a well-deserved reputation for sustainability and reflective conversation. Partners Ashley Cake and Dave Thomas undertook the venture with a coherent vision that permeates every feature of their operation. Working with building owners John Guttridge and his partner David Kuko at Urban Core, LLC, they have produced an exceptional example of the magic created when every detail of what it means to run a socially and environmentally responsible business receives careful consideration.

As with its other buildings, Urban Core was committed to getting the Watershed off natural gas, installing a high-efficiency heat pump system for heating and air conditioning. LED lighting and EnergyStar appliances contribute to the building’s overall energy efficiency. Gideon Stone and Michael Barnoski, founders of the local architecture and construction firm Trade Design Build, helped create the interior of the Watershed and later carried out the design and renovation of The Downstairs, a taproom in the Watershed’s basement. The initial project was honored with an Excellence in Design award from the Southern Tier American Institute of Architects.

The Watershed leads by example, going far beyond the recycling and composting typical of many sustainable businesses. Keenly aware of the tremendous trash and food waste spawned by the usual bar operation, the Watershed has worked diligently to get as close to zero waste as possible. They don’t use ice in their cocktails, and they refrain from stocking disposable napkins or straws. Collaborating with local vendors for their food offerings, they are able to cut down on disposable packaging and transport costs. As a result of these strategies, the Watershed generates less than a pound of trash per day and diverts 98% of its waste from landfills. In addition, it is the first bar in Tompkins County to become a certified living wage employer.

Given its commitment to social and environmental stewardship, it’s no surprise that the Watershed has easily reached its 2030 targets for both energy and water usage. In 2022, the Watershed realized a remarkable energy reduction of 74% and water savings of 60% below the building’s baselines, demonstrating conclusively that already existing commercial buildings can perform at very high levels.

Argos Inn

The Argos Inn, one of the fifteen charter properties joining the Ithaca 2030 District in 2016, is an extensively restored, nationally registered historic mansion in the heart of Ithaca. A LEED (Leadership In Energy And Environmental Design) certified building, the inn is an outstanding example of how historic preservation and green design can be combined to produce a beautiful, high performing building that exudes personality and character.

The historic renovation of the Argos Inn showcases the building’s painstakingly restored wood, stone, plaster, brick, and glass details. In recognition of this work, the inn received Historic Ithaca’s Preservation Award in 2014 and in 2017 it won the Preservation League of NYS award of Excellence in Historic Preservation, making it the first building in Ithaca to receive this honor.

Looking to the future as well as the past, Argos Inn features geothermal wells under the parking lot that provide fossil-fuel-free heating and air conditioning. Other sustainable features of the building include:

- - Significant increases in basement, wall, and roof insulation
  - Energy-efficient interior LED lighting
  - Low-flow water fixtures throughout
  - Programmable Nest thermostats
  - Low VOC building materials

Built in 1831, the mansion was converted into apartments in the 1920s. Two decades later Roy Park fashioned the property and neighboring warehouse into the world headquarters of Duncan Hines Foods. From the 1960s until the early part of this century a variety of other businesses occupied the building, including a hair salon, accounting firm, Buddhist publishing company, and various nonprofits.

When Avi Smith purchased the property in 2009, it was in poor condition. He dedicated the next four years to the building’s renovation and opened it as the Argos Inn in late 2013. In its citation recognizing his achievement, the Preservation League of NYS observed that the “building has been given new life as a boutique hotel and gathering space,” adding that” the restoration employed local artisans to restore or fabricate intricate architectural details that were lost or covered over – including more than a mile of millwork.” At the same time, Smith’s careful attention to energy efficiency resulted in the inn reaching its 2025 reduction target last year and its 2030 goal this year.

108 W MLK St.

108 W. MLK is a family and friends affair. The Demarests and Modisher-Frenays purchased the building, a 50/50 blend of commercial and residential spaces, in December 2021. The first and second floors are commercial and the third and fourth floors have four moderately-priced apartments each.

The building attracted the two families in part because it was all electric and lacked any fossil fuel equipment to deal with. But the existing electric resistance heat is not efficient, so they have been slowly converting the whole building with the installation of air source heat pumps (ASHPs).

A clear and coherent vision is driving the project. In their words, the two families want to “make a long-term investment in a historic mixed-use building that has stood tall in the heart of downtown Ithaca for roughly 150 years.” By updating the heating and cooling system and tightening the building envelope, they will be able “to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the building operation, preserve the embodied energy of the existing building structure, and maintain the building so that it will continue to add to the vibrancy of downtown Ithaca for another 150 years.”

As part of reducing the carbon footprint of 108 W. MLK, the Demarest and Modisher-Frenay families have taken the following steps so far:

- - Installed ASHP in four apartments in fall 2022 with the help of a NYS Main Street Grant, replacing electric baseboard heating
  - Also with the help of the NYS Main Street Grant, replaced all the street-facing single-pane windows on the 4th floor
  - Replaced two older style electric resistant heat pumps for the first floor in May 2024 with five Mitsubishi Hyper Heat ASHPs—the amount of electricity needed to power the 5 ASHPs equals approximately one of the electric resistant units

The numbers make clear the impact of these moves. At the time of its purchase in 2021, 108 W. MLK St. had an EUI of 52.4; by the end of 2023, the EUI was almost halved, to 27.1, well below the 2030 target of 33.0.

But the two families are not going to stop there. As funding opportunities become available and cash flow allows, next steps include, first, replacing the remainder of the existing single pane windows in the building and then replacing the 3rd floor baseboard heaters with ASHPs as each apartment turns over.

This is the kind of nitty-gritty leadership and vision required to reach the goal of a low-carbon built environment, a central part of the Ithaca Green New Deal. In the end, as 108 W. MLK demonstrates, it’s all about commitment, patience, and persistence.

Significant Elements

Significant Elements, an architectural salvage retail store launched in 1991, has earned its place in the front ranks of Ithaca’s circular economy. Founded by Historic Ithaca, Tompkins County’s preservation organization since 1966, it’s a community treasure, attracting 10,000 visitors a year.

The store embodies what it means to practice sustainability and be environmentally friendly. When the “greenest building is the one that’s already built” has to shed some of its architectural elements or be demolished, the crew at Significant Elements is at the ready, keeping as many of those items as possible out of the landfill. Instead, this material enters the circular economy, which is dedicated to reuse and restoration. To help facilitate this work, in 2012 the store initiated Work Preserve to train young adults to reuse and restore, making a vital contribution to the local green economy.

One of the first steps to reduce the carbon footprint of the Significant Elements building took place in 2016, when the building underwent an energy audit with Taitem Engineering. New LED lighting was installed as a result, but the building needed more.

When Common Council passed the Ithaca Green New Deal in 2019, Significant Elements and Historic Ithaca were ready to further explore how to reduce waste, decrease reliance on fossil fuel, and teach others about these issues. As part of their education mission, the two organizations produced the Energy Retrofit Toolkit website to help homeowners, renters, landlords, and others better understand the opportunities and challenges that come with the use, maintenance, and energy-efficient retrofitting of historic and older buildings.

Significant Elements, along with Historic Ithaca, joined the Ithaca District 2030 in 2022. The 15,000 square foot store was a surprisingly great performer in terms of the District’s goals, but the gas furnace was aging out and it clearly needed to be replaced with a better system. In Summer 2023,

BlocPower introduced Significant Elements to the NYSEG’s Clean Heat Rebate Program, which sought to install air source heat pumps in gas-constrained areas. By the end of the year, the c. 1888 warehouse building and Historic Ithaca’s administration offices next door had new energy efficient equipment that significantly reduced their carbon footprints.

Prior to the installation of these new systems, BlocPower teams weatherized the building by adding insulation and tightening up the building envelope. The 1st floor showroom and Work Preserve training spaces now have excellent heating and cooling, and visitors and staff will be excited to have air conditioning for the first time when the warmer weather returns.

The entire project—application, paperwork, installation, documentation, and affordability—was made possible by the work of BlocPower and Halco teams. “We did it easily and cost-effectively,” says Executive Director Susan Holland, “thanks to our partnerships with Electrify Ithaca, BlocPower, Halco, NYSEG, and the 2030 District!” With their mission to educate and take action on issues relevant to existing buildings, Significant Elements and Historic Ithaca are now in a great position to provide better services to the entire community.

126-28 E. State St.

Domenica Brockman and Justin Hjortshoj, the owners of 126-28 E. State St., have made the building both their home and place of business. Upstairs on the third and fourth floors is their residence, which includes room for Domenica’s art studio.

The rest of the space is commercial, with their new and vintage clothing store Petrune downstairs at 128 E. State St. Next door, at 126 E. State St., is Home Green Home, a local sustainable home goods retailer. On the second floor is the beauty salon, Hare and Bristle, and a chocolatier, Oracle Chocolates. It all adds up to a unique commercial ecosystem. As Domenica puts it, “You give people two doors to go in and four businesses to visit.”

Justin oversees the building’s operations, working over the past few years on reducing its carbon footprint. The building was part of the first group identified for electrification under the city’s Green New Deal. BlocPower assumed a key role in the project, introducing Justin to NYSEG’s Clean Heat Rebate Program, which provided significant financial incentives to install air source heat pumps in what the utility deemed to be “gas-constrained areas.”

The goal was to move 126-28 E. State St. from natural gas to electricity for heating, cooling, and hot water by installing air source heat pumps. In doing so, it was hoped that Petrune and other businesses in the initial group would serve as a model for further electrification efforts across the city.

So far heat pumps have replaced gas for the retail space on the first two floors of 126-28 E. State St., which makes up the majority of the building’s space. The residential floors above remain connected to gas for now, but it’s a considerably smaller space, with a depth of only 50 feet vs. 100 feet downstairs.

The upgrades have had a dramatic impact. In 2019, before the pandemic, the building had an EUI (energy use divided by the square footage) of 40. With the heat pumps installed, the EUI dropped to 32.2 in 2024, allowing the building to achieve the 2030 energy target and, at the same time, reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If, for example, the building had only met the 2020 target, it would have emitted 54,684 lbs. CO2e. Instead, it produced 33,329 lbs. CO2e, nearly 40 percent less, making the mixed-use building one of the top energy performers in the 2030 District.

County Mental Health Building

Tompkins County launched its ambitious Green Facilities project in 2022, seeking to shrink the carbon footprint of all county buildings. A three-phase effort, it has focused on improving the energy efficiency of county facilities by updating insulation, lighting, heating, and cooling technologies, while also transitioning away from fossil fuels to the electrification of building systems.

Work on the County Mental Health building at 201 E. Green St. kicked off the first phase of the Green Facilities project. The planning and engineering process, carried out in partnership with Johnson Controls, took months to get to the construction stage and costs rose in the meantime.

But it was exciting to see the physical work get underway. “To me, it’s about being a model,” said Terry Carroll, the County’s Chief Sustainability Officer at the time. “It’s showing what’s possible. These are buildings that are particularly difficult to try and decarbonize.”

Johnson Controls’ Chris Fitzsimmons strongly agreed with Carroll about the potential for establishing a model for similar decarbonization projects.

“It’s super exciting because we’re setting the standard along with a partner that wants to set the standard,” he said. “[It] is going to be such a great facility for us to reference and maybe tour with other municipalities that might want to say, ‘Hey, what are they doing? How can we be a part of it? How can we also get to those goals?’ And that carbon reduction, that public health for upstate New York, that’s the biggest piece of it. So, that facility is going to be visited by me and a lot of people in the next couple of years.”

Upgrades to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system were a top priority for the Mental Health building. The natural gas system was replaced with a variable refrigerant flow HVAC system for heating and cooling, along with a new electric re-heat based ventilation system.

In addition to replacing the HVAC system, improvements involved LED lighting, building envelope and weatherization improvements, including insulation, and some controls optimization to better regulate energy usage. Replacing the windows in the next couple of years is also on the to-do list, according to Carroll.

The enthusiasm for carrying out these upgrades was obviously justified once completed. Most notably, the building has significantly improved its energy performance as a result of the recent work. The EUI dropped sharply from 67.1 in 2023 to 45.7 in 2024, and the building has now met the 2030 target for energy. Clearly, the completion of phase one has established a strong foundation for the County’s work in the next two phases.