Archive: Around Town

Community members gathered on Thursday, May 9, 2013 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to dedicate downtown Ithaca’s brand new Sustainability Center at 111 North Albany Street.

Over 100 students, professors, authors, green builders, elected officials, tourists and representatives from local non-profits and businesses enjoyed refreshments from Greenstar, and remarks by Mayor Svante Myrick, along with several members of the Sustainability Center advisory board, on a warm spring afternoon.

Mayor Myrick commented, “This new center provides what the city was lacking: a physical location devoted to sustainability in the heart of our city.” That space, only two blocks from the Ithaca Commons, is being provided free of charge by Tompkins County for the next year and a half. “The West End is changing, and the Sustainability Center is now part of that change,” added Myrick, noting the city’s and county’s commitments to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050.

The purpose of the Sustainability Center is to provide a physical space in the center of the community to showcase and promote sustainability efforts across Tompkins County. Through the Center’s gallery, events and internship program, it engages residents, tourists and students in the work of local non-profits, green businesses, government agencies, educational institutions and community leaders, and –collaboratively – compels the community to action.

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