City Harbor

WPD is acting as Project Landscape Architects for the City Harbor project, which is among several that WPD is currently working on which will transform the Ithaca waterfront to be more publicly accessible, inhabited, and vibrant landscape. This project will transform what is today a boat storage and utilitarian metal clad warehouses into a lively mixed-use community. Keeping the waterfront open, accessible, and public was an early priority of the project and significantly drove the site plan. The priority of an accessible waterfront was combined with an understanding of the walkable block structure of Ithaca’s neighborhoods.

The composition of the site plan promotes public access and walkability while accommodating the programmatic needs of the mixed-use development. The developing architecture is inspired by historic lakefront buildings in form and the natural shoreline in its materiality. The long-term vision for the City Harbor Development incorporates alterations and enhancements on property of the City of Ithaca that impacts park land. The project is envisioned to be implemented in two phases.