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Downtown businesses and residents press Ithaca to improve Green Street garage safety and accessibility
Summary
Cinepolis and other downtown stakeholders urged the council Aug. 6 to address cleanliness, security and handicap parking shortages at Green Street garage and asked for urgent oversight of the Asteri building after a June fire.
Business leaders and residents told the Common Council on Aug. 6 that the Green Street parking garage must be improved to make downtown Ithaca safer and accessible for older adults and people with disabilities.
"We need the garage to be clean and welcoming for everyone," said Kate Donahue, executive director of Cinepolis, the downtown nonprofit movie theater. Donahue asked the council to prioritize cleaning, security and supervision of the facility after an assault reported there and said staff and patrons regularly use the garage.
Longtime downtown resident Sue Perrigan described repeated problems with elevator cleanliness and a shortage of accessible parking. "Each time we pull into the garage, I hope that one of the two handicapped spots on each floor is available for us," Perrigan said. She asked the city to increase the number of handicap spaces and keep elevators clean and safe.
Council members responded to those comments with requests to staff. Alderson Shapiro said the cleanliness and safety conditions observed on city‑managed garages are poor compared with privately managed facilities and pledged to press the administration for operational fixes. Several council members said adding handicap spaces is a low-cost, immediate step that staff should evaluate.
Speakers also urged the council to keep pressure on the administrators of the Asteri Building, a nearby residential property that has drawn complaints about building management and safety since a June 1 fire. Donahue and others asked for urgent, transparent oversight and engagement with state oversight entities and funders working on building improvements.
The council did not vote on a specific parking or security measure Aug. 6, but members directed the administration to examine the Green Street garage staffing and cleaning protocols, evaluate whether additional handicap parking can be designated, and report back on Asteri building enforcement and oversight efforts.
No formal action was taken at the meeting; council members said they expect further updates from the city manager and department staff.
