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Monday Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the $3.79 million sale of an 8.16-acre state-owned former New York State Department of Transportation maintenance facility located on the Cayuga Lake Inlet at 683 Third Street in Ithaca at a live onsite auction held by the New York State Office of General Services. The relocation of the DOT maintenance facility from the waterfront to a new, 15-acre location adjacent to the Ithaca Tompkins International Airport was initially announced by the Governor in May 2018 to improve agency operations while making this waterfront property available for development. The new owner, Peter Dugo, president of Arnot Realty Corporation, one of four registered bidders, plans to redevelop the property.

"This sale of a prime piece of waterfront real estate is an essential step in meeting our goals of providing development opportunities in the Southern Tier while modernizing the region's vital transportation infrastructure and building more efficiencies into state operations," Cuomo said. "Following our recent upgrade of the Ithaca Tompkins International Airport into a 21st-century facility, and the DOT's maintenance operation's move to a more viable location near the airport, the successful auctioning of the Ithaca property scores a hat-trick for the Southern Tier Soaring strategy to revitalize communities and expand the economy."

The sale of the former DOT property also complements the recently completed $34.8 million expansion and modernization of Ithaca Tompkins International Airport, which features a larger terminal with new passenger terminal gates and boarding bridges, and enhanced security measures, all designed to ease travel and promote economic growth for the Southern Tier.

The property has extensive frontage on the Cayuga Inlet, a tributary of Cayuga Lake. The home to a now-vacated DOT maintenance facility, it includes a 15,220-square-foot office building, a 4,000-square-foot storage structure, a salt storage dome, and a paved parking area that can accommodate approximately 45 vehicles. The property, which is accessible from Third Street Extension, also contains an easement for the Cayuga Waterfront Trail, which borders the property. The minimum bid for the property was set at $2.85 million.

State Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, "Any way you look at it, our work revitalizing Ithaca Airport and constructing a new, environmentally sustainable DOT maintenance facility is a win for both the State and the people of Tompkins County. In addition to helping the Department of Transportation provide more efficient roadway maintenance, this new facility allows us to repurpose the existing waterfront property and create tremendous opportunities for future development that will keep this beautiful Southern Tier city soaring for generations to come."

Ithaca is situated at the southern end of Cayuga Lake, the largest of the Finger Lakes. The region is known for its waterfalls, ice-age gorges, and recreational opportunities, including boating, fishing, hiking, bicycling, and wine tasting. The property at 683 Third Street is approximately 10 minutes from downtown Ithaca and a short drive from Cornell University, Ithaca College, and a municipal golf course. It is about 60 miles from Syracuse and 50 miles from Binghamton.

With the sale complete, in early October, the State Department of Transportation will occupy a new environmentally friendly maintenance facility off Warren Road in the Town of Lansing. This state-of-the art facility is located next to the newly refurbished Ithaca Tompkins International Airport and will serve as a more appropriate hub for a modern transportation system, facilitating all of DOT's highway maintenance and snow removal operations in Tompkins County

The new Department of Transportation maintenance facility includes a 30,000-square-foot maintenance building and an 8,200-square-foot salt storage barn. The property also features stockpile areas for pipe, stone and millings, and solar panels on the roof of the building. There's also parking for 40 vehicles and a storm water management system, including bioretention basins, to reduce runoff. The DOT facility will also share a fueling station with the Ithaca Tompkins International Airport.

The main building is a pre-engineered, conventional steel framed building with offices, locker rooms, large vehicle storage and repair garage. The building includes many sustainable building features, including a hybrid geothermal HVAC system utilizing ground source heat pumps for the offices and Air to Air Energy Recovery units with heat coils for ventilation. Landscape features, including evergreen and deciduous trees, will minimize views of the facility from the surrounding area.

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