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GIAC Executive Director Marcia Fort stands on the plaza in front of the new entrance to the Greater Ithaca Activities Center. (Photo by Rachel Philipson) |
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Greater Ithaca Activities Center readying to reopen
Rob Montana
Managing Editor
For nearly the last year, the Greater Ithaca Activities Center's, well, activities have been spread out all over town.
Beverly J. Martin Elementary School - adjacent to the GIAC building - has played host to GIAC's afterschool programming. The Northside Community Center has been home base for the middle and high school gatherings, as well as the senior computer classes. Southside Community Center has served as the place for the senior breakfast program. And GIAC's administrative and staff offices set up shop in a space on West Seneca Street.
That will soon change back to the normal course of all programming and offices taking place in the GIAC building, which has been undergoing an approximately $4 million renovation project. And what a project it has been, not only taking care of infrastructure needs - replacing the major systems in the building, making it more energy efficient and improving safety -Êbut also making it look like a nearly new building.
The general public will get its first chance to take a gander at the upgraded facility during a grand reopening ceremony at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 12. Following the ceremony, tours of the building will be given from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The project beginnings
The project has been partially funded -Êabout half of the expense -Êthrough city housing and urban development funds from the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency, and the other portion through a bond.
The project was made necessary after several issues arose with the building -Êbuilt in two phases; the first in 1922, the second in 1923; and sold to the city for $1 in the early 1970s -Êthat caused safety concerns. In 2006, a several hundred pound block fell from the top of the former school. Then, in 2007, several pipes broke, causing the leakage of sewage during the center's summer camp. Within the last couple years, the boiler failed and had to be replaced. Officials worked with LaBella Associates, an architectural firm from Rochester, on the plans for the work.
"It became very clear over the last couple of years that the building's age was catching up to itself," said GIAC Executive Director Marcia Fort. "When you think about the large volume of people that utilize the building on a daily basis and after analysis that the building was structurally sound, it is certainly worth the money to make the repairs and renovations that are needed."
One main component of the renovation project was replacement of the building's major systems -Êelectrical, heating and lighting - which will lead to increased energy efficiency.
"The entire electrical system is new," said Sue Kittel, deputy director of community development for the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency and project manager for the GIAC renovation. "There used to be steam heat in the building, it has been converted to hot water.
"And the lights are energy efficient, with sensors to turn them off when rooms are not in use," she added.
In fact, the project specifications are so efficient, the building meets the basic requirements to be Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. It won't be officially certified, Kittel said, due to the $70,000 price tag to obtain the rating.
"We said we could put the money into the building or put it into the paperwork," she said. "We decided to use it on the building."
In addition to the renovated and refreshed space, the building is much more attractive for the people that utilize the GIAC services.
"Whether people are coming in for English as a Second Language classes, members of the public utilizing the building for meetings here in the evenings or the children who come here on a daily basis, they deserve to be in a facility that looks really good," Fort said.
The work winds down
While the grand re-opening ceremony is set for this weekend, work is still being finished up at the center, though much of that is minor finishing details. The week after the ceremony will see staff moving equipment into the new building, summer camp training follows the week after that and program participants will begin using the new facility when the GIAC summer camp program starts up July 6.
"We appreciate how hard everyone has been working to make sure we will be ready for that," Fort said.
"We're pretty on schedule," added Kittel. "Aside from an odd piece of furniture or two, we're expecting everything to be ready."
One of the biggest changes to the building greets people as they enter the building, as the main entrance has changed from Albany Street to Court Street.
"For years, the entrance on Albany Street was considered the main entrance," Fort said. "But now the two doors on North Albany Street and the one door that leads to the playground will be exits only."
That main entrance also helps GIAC stand out, as a covered plaza area will allow cover for people waiting for rides, as well as have space for a flag pole and a piece of artwork for the still-in-the-works Freedom Walk, of which GIAC is planned to be one of the stops.
"I am hopeful the art piece will be something that commemorates Julia Diann Sams," Fort said. "She was instrumental with GIAC, and I hope we can have something that honors her."
The plaza space also will allow for outdoor performances, Fort said.
The main entrance change will allow for better safety and security, as it will be the only way into the building. Just inside the entrance is a receptionist desk, and space for a table and chairs.
Upstairs, the teen center has been transformed from four little rooms into an open space, which is designed to have transitions from an area with a TV and seating into quiet spaces where students will be able to do homework. There also is a computer room In the center of it all is a staff office, with windows on all sides, that will allow unobtrusive supervision.
"It's so the staff can be here, but not right in the students space," said Sue Kittel. "The teen area is all self-contained, so it's there space and the younger kids won't be coming through there."
The separation of the age groups in the building was in the design plan, and will allow staff to focus on programming not the building's limitations.
"It used to be the staff had to work around the building," Kittel said. "Now, it's going to be the other way around."
The pre-teen area also is refreshed upstairs, and the art room has moved from the basement to a well-lit open space, also on the upper level. There also is a spot for GIAC's Poppin Collars program, a T-shirt business that will have its own dedicated space.
Every surface in the building has been refreshed, whether it be fresh paint on the walls or the refinished hardwood floors. Kittel said the floors are original to the building - they've just been so rehabilitated they look brand new.
"Everything is being done to make sure the building is going to look good for a long time," she said. "That's the plan with this work."
And the windows have been replaced to offer energy efficiency, and with an eye to the original windows of the building.
"(Former Common Council member) Mary Tomlan found an old photo of the building," Kittel said, "and we copied the windows so it looks like it used to."
A new nurses station, administrative offices and kitchen area are located on the first floor. One thing that hasn't changed on the first floor is the mural room. Kittel said staff took photos of the room and contractors were told not to touch the paint. While some touch up has been required - which is being done by GIAC staff member Jay Stooks - the mural isn't being covered up or changed.
"It's such a significant piece of the building, we're tried not to disturb it too much," Kittel said.
The basement will be primarily used by staff, which has had its offices placed there, with their own kitchen space and bathroom. The only two areas of the basement that will see program participants is a grant-funded computer room and the boxing room.
And new furniture will be spotted throughout the building, something really excites Kittel.
"For the first time, there will be little chairs for little people, medium-sized chairs for medium-sized people and big chairs for the older kids," she said.
Final thoughts
Kittel said it is amazing and overwhelming to look at the whole project, and marveled that the work was able to be done between August 2009 and June 2010, less than a year.
"It's a huge project," she said. "We have no place else for the summer program to go, so getting this done on time - it's beautiful and it's a miracle.
"Our partners, LaBella, have been fabulous; they brought a lot to the project," Kittel added. "I can't wait to bring the kids back in."
Fort said it has not only been great to get the support from the community in regard to finding homes for GIAC's programs over the past year, but also from those who take part in those programs being patient with the temporary displacement.
"People have been really patient," she said. "I think it speaks to the need for afterschool care when people are willing to disrupt their routines to utilize our programs."
Fort is very appreciative of the Ithaca City School District - Principal Denise Gomber and her staff at Beverly J. Martin Elementary School, as well as ICSD Superintendent Judith Pastel - for allowing use of that school for GIAC's afterschool program.
"They approved of our use of BJM for the home base for the afterschool program," she said. "It was not an option not to operate that, and they allowed us not only to do that, but also in such close proximity to our building."
Fort also thanked Brenda Westfall, executive director of the Ithaca Housing Authority, for the use of the IHA's Northside Community Center space.
"She not only let us use the space, but also got funding for a computer lab there," she said. "That meant the kids had a computer room, and there also was a place for our senior computer classes.
"Seeing the community helping out, it has been helpful not only for the students and the staff," Fort added, also noting the Southside Community Center hosted the senior breakfasts, "but also for the community, to have these programs still taking place."
She also singled out Andy Olmetti, the employee health and safety coordinator for the City of Ithaca, for helping find those places.
"He lugged us around to look at so many places for our programs," Fort said. "He found an office location (on West Seneca Street) for us that was close to programming, and a place that was accessible if people needed to register for programs."
One more aspect of the project that won't normally be seen or have its impact felt is a generator that will allow GIAC to serve as an emergency shelter for the Ithaca community. Fort, happy to have that capability, said GIAC will be working with the American Red Cross to become a certified member of its shelters list. She said the organization was called on a few years ago to provide a respite place from sweltering heat that gripped Ithaca, and they served in a cooling center capacity then.
"We are a community center," Fort said, " and we feel like we need to be accessible when things are going well, but also when things are not going so well.
"Whether it be snow, flooding or heat, people have a place - GIAC -Êto go," she added.
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For more information about GIAC, it can be located in the departments section on the City of Ithaca Web site at www.cityofithaca.org. For more information about the reopening ceremony, contact GIAC at (607) 272-3622.
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