New York State Urban Council
New York Urban Council
Annual Downtown Conference
The Art & Science of Place-Making
Ithaca, New York
September 15 -16, 2015
Preliminary Agenda-Subject to change UPDATED 9/11/2015
Monday, September 14, 2015-Early arrival
New York Urban Council Annual Downtown Conference
The Art & Science of Place-Making
Ithaca, New York
September 15 -16, 2015
Final Agenda
(Subject to change)
Monday, September 14, 2015
5:00 pm Special Downtown Development Walking Tour
(Free to all registrants and their guests; join Downtown Ithaca Alliance Executive Director Gary Ferguson for an hour long walking tour of the recently completed, under construction, and planned projects for downtown Ithaca. The tour leaves from the Center Ithaca food court- 171 The Commons. Park upstairs in the Green Street parking garage.)
7:00 pm Dine Around or Dine on Your Own Options
(Meet at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Commons – near Seneca Street at 7:00 pm. People in attendance will break into groups to visit some of downtown Ithaca’s signature restaurants. No sign ups necessary.)
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Day One
7:30 am Cascadilla Gorge Walking tour
(Want an early morning walk to remember… Hike the beautiful Cascadilla Gorge with DIA Executive Director Gary Ferguson. Leave at 7:30 am sharp from the Center Ithaca food court. Walk 4 blocks to the gorge trail and hike up the gorge ending in the Collegetown business district. We will take a bus back to downtown- passes provided. This is a moderate, uphill hike with steps and a good smooth path. Wear walking shoes. Free to all registrants but we ask you to sign up ahead of time when you register.)
8:30 am Conference Registration
(Located at Cinemapolis- underneath the Green Street parking garage. Plan to park in the Green Street garage- upper floors. The cinema is in Butterfly Alley directly across from Urban Outfitters.)
9:15 am Welcomes (Tompkins County Public Library- Borg Warner Room)
Anthony Capece (New York Urban Council Board President)
Gary Ferguson (Downtown Ithaca Alliance Executive Director)
9:30 am Mayor Svante Myrick- The Downtown Ithaca Experience
(Join Mayor Myrick as he introduces you to the exciting and dynamic world of downtown Ithaca.)
10:00 am Breakout Sessions-
Breakout #1: The Street Scene: Addressing Panhandling &
Street Outreach/Intervention Programs
(TC Public Library- Borg Warner Room)
Michael Schmand, Buffalo Place
Gary Ferguson, Downtown Ithaca Alliance
Tammy Baker, Ithaca, Family &Children’s Services
Merike Treier, Downtown Committee of Syracuse
Nathan Mandsager, Director of Schenectady Works/Coordinator of Schenectady Bridges
Breakout #2: Outdoor vending/street performing programs
(Chain Works Project meeting room—The Commons)
Kris Lewis, Downtown Ithaca Alliance
Victor Dadras, Dadras Architects, Liberty, NY & NYC
11:15 am Breakout Sessions-
Breakout #3: Temporary/Seasonal Art Programs
(TC Public Library- Borg Warner Room)
Georgette Steffens, Downtown Albany BID
Evan Williams, Downtown Ithaca Alliance
Breakout #4: Immersive/Experiential Special Event Programming (Tioga Place/M&T Bank Bldg.; 6th floor)
Francine Koehler, Downtown Glen Cove
Tatiana Sy, Downtown Ithaca Alliance
Breakout #5: Cutting Edge Retail
(Chain Works Project meeting room- The Commons)
Victor Dadras, Dadras Architects, Liberty, NY & NYC
Phyllisa DeSarno, City of Ithaca Economic Development Director
Penelope Pankow, Owner, F. Oliver’s
12:20 pm Lunch- @ Tompkins County Public Library- Borg Warner Room
(Sponsored by National Grid)
Keynote lunch panel- The Art and Science of Place-Making
Moderator- Dr. Mildred Warner, Cornell University
Kevin Nunn- White Plains BID
Merike Treier, Downtown Committee of Syracuse
Georgette Steffens, Downtown Albany BID
Adam McGivern, Cortland Downtown Partnership
2:00 pm Breakout Sessions-
Breakout #6: Crime Prevention/Reduction Through Design
(TC Public Library, Borg Warner Room)
-Michael Long, AICP, Town of Lansing
-Michael Schmand, Buffalo Place
Breakout #7: Supplemental Security/Ambassador Programs
(Tioga Place/M&T Bank Bldg., 6th Floor)
-Anthony Capece, Central Avenue BID/Brian Hawley Albany Police Department
-City of Albany Central Avenue beat officer
-Kris Lewis, Downtown Ithaca Alliance
-Merike Treier, Downtown Committee of Syracuse
Breakout #8: Downtown Flower and Banner Programs
(Chain Works Project meeting room- The Commons)
-Colleen Merays, Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corp.
-Francine Koehler, Downtown Glen Cove
3:30 pm Walking tours---
Pick one of the following tours. Each tour will depart from Butterfly Alley in front of Cinemapolis at 3:30 pm. All attendees will receive complementary mobile tours sample apps of the three tours courtesy of Pocket Sites of Ithaca.
Role of Higher Education in Downtown Development Tour
(Higher education can have a profound impact on the development and vitality of downtown. See how Ithaca’s institutions of higher education have made a difference in downtown Ithaca. We will visit Cornell University’s Seneca Place project, TC3’s Tioga Place Center, TC3’s Coltivare Culinary Arts Center, Ithaca College’s studio and art store, and the joint CU/IC/TC3 REV business incubator.)
Insider’s Commons Pedestrian Mall Place-Making Tour
(Take an in-depth look at the details and challenges of Ithaca’ brand new Commons pedestrian mall. Learn about the many decisions and trade-offs that occurred as this exciting and dynamic place public space was created. Learn about busking, tabling, outdoor vending, and outdoor café dining. Learn about catenary lighting, paver maintenance, flowers and plantings, and public performance venues.)
The Coops of Downtown Ithaca Tour
(Not all businesses are created equal. But these are. Meet and learn about downtown I
thaca’s cooperative businesses. When a group of people want to make a business happen- cooperatives can sometimes be the answer. Visit Handwork Cooperative Craft Store, the world famous Moosewood Restaurant, the cooperatively owned Buffalo Street Books; and the Greenstar/Oasis Cooperative Grocery Market. See what may be possible in your community. )
5:30 pm Conference Reception- On the Stage at the State Theatre
(Relax and network with colleagues and friends at a special conference reception hosted on the stage at the historic State Theatre. Each registrant will receive a drink ticket for the reception.)
7:00 pm Dine- around
(Sign-up at the registration table and at the reception to participate in the Downtown Ithaca dine around. We will have sign-up sheets for various downtown restaurants, so you can enjoy the company of other conferees. All groups will leave from the reception.)
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Day Two
9:00 am Plenary Sessions-
(Tioga Place/M&T Bank Bldg.; 6th floor)
Using Technology to Manage Downtown
Anthony Capece- Central Avenue BID, Albany
The State’s Tax Cap and its Impact on Downtown Organizations
Discussion Leader- Kevin Nunn, White Plains BID
10:30 am Breakout Sessions-
Breakout #9: Marketing & Branding your Downtown- Case studies
(Tioga Place/M&T Bank Bldg.; 6th floor)
Colleen Fabrizzi, Corning Gaffer District
Allison Graffin, Downtown Ithaca Alliance
Breakout #10: Alternative Workspaces in your Downtown
(Chain Works Project meeting room- The Commons)
(This is a walking tour of several downtown spaces leaving from the Chain Works Project meeting room)
Bob Rossi- Commons Spot
Scott Whitham- STREAM Collaborative
12:00 pm Lunch @ Tioga Place/M&T Bank Building; 6th Floor
Laura Ortiz- Business Recruitment – What You Need to Know!
1:00 pm Plenary Sessions-
(Tioga Place/M&T Bank Bldg.; 6th floor)
Alternative Energy and Your Downtown
-Herbert Dwyer, ASI Energy, Ithaca, NY
-Elihu Jerabek, Engineer, Marquee Power/Proctors Theater, Schenectady
MOUs and Contracts between Cities and Downtown Programs
-Michael Schmand, Buffalo Place
-Colleen Fabrizzi, Corning Gaffer District
-Gary Ferguson, Downtown Ithaca Alliance
Roundtable Discussion: The Future of a Statewide Downtown Program
Led by Anthony Capece, NY Urban Council President
2:30 pm close
