INHS celebrated the completion of its latest community development in the City of Ithaca, Founders Way, on Friday, November 4. With the help of funders, partners, staff, board members, and community members, nearly 100 people gathered to witness the ribbon cutting of the $27 million development that provides 75 affordable and supportive apartments for individuals and families, plus commercial space for two local nonprofit organizations that offer educational services to children and families in the community.

In early 2019, INHS purchased the former Immaculate Conception School site with plans to redevelop the property into a vibrant mixed-use community designed to address high-priority community needs. The redevelopment of the site created 75 units of rental housing that are affordable to a range of household incomes and family sizes, adaptively re-using one wing of the existing school, preserving a circa 1850 Greek Revival house on the corner of Buffalo and Plain Streets, and restoring the residential rhythm of the streetscape by constructing two new groups of rental townhomes along Buffalo and Plain. In addition, INHS subdivided off the former school gymnasium, which was sold to the City of Ithaca for use by Greater Ithaca Activities Center, as well as a parcel on the corner of Court and Plain Streets on which four affordable for-sale townhomes were constructed.

Thirteen households, including formerly homeless victims of domestic violence, formerly homeless young adults, and individuals with developmental disabilities, will have access to onsite support services and rental subsidies funded through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative and administered by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. Services are provided by the Salvation Army. Additionally, the two commercial units will be occupied by The Learning Web and The Village at Ithaca, both local nonprofits with education-centric missions for children and families in the community.

“It is Governor Kathy Hochul’s goal to achieve healthier, more inclusive communities where all New Yorker’s can succeed. That’s what Founders Way will provide Ithaca and the residents who will call this extraordinary development home,” said NYS Homes and Community Renewal Assistant Commissioner Leonard Skrill.

The campus is located in the heart of Ithaca, four blocks from the restaurants, shopping, and employment opportunities on the Ithaca Commons, and immediately adjacent to Beverly J. Martin Elementary School. There are two public bus stops within 3 blocks of the site that provide access to grocery stores, pharmacies, home goods and Cornell University.

Founders Way resident Stella said during the ceremony, “Not only does INHS build homes for families, but they also keep them together. We have a disabled family member, and because of INHS he will live near us at Founders Way. This is a dream come true for our family.”

INHS is truly grateful to all who helped make this project possible, including our development partners and the project’s funders, the City of Ithaca Common Council, City of Ithaca Planning Board, Racker Center, the Salvation Army, the Advocacy Center, The Learning Web, the Village at Ithaca, Mary Beth Ihnken (muralist), and the first-grade class of 2021 at Beverly J. Martin Elementary School, who designed the mural. We thank Catholic Charities for their patience with construction surrounding their building for over a year, and the neighbors and community members who attended the visioning meetings to help us refine the design, endured the noise of the construction process, and welcomed the project into their neighborhood.

View the event program here.