Tompkins County committee hears refined site plan, classical brick-and-stone exterior for proposed Center of Government

Tompkins County architects presented an updated site and exterior design for the proposed Center of Government during the legislature's Downtown Facility Special Committee meeting on Sept. 2, 2025, emphasizing reduced hardscape, more tree canopy and a brick-and-stone facade that recalls local civic buildings.

Project designers said the building was moved a few feet closer to Buffalo Street to reduce an earlier "deep setback" that felt suburban, while keeping a deep setback on Tioga Street to align with the courthouse. Quay Thompson, principal at Holt Architects, told legislators the team "wrapped up very close to wrapping up schematic design" and will send the design for estimating later this month.

The change of setback on Buffalo Street also aimed to improve fire access, designers said, while reducing paved surfaces and increasing planted areas to improve sustainability and maintenance outcomes. "We've increased some of the planted areas, and trees being planted, and in doing so have decreased the hardscape area while still leaving generous width for circulation," Thompson said.

Nut graf: The revised site plan responds to community and legislature feedback and new technical constraints: it reduces hardscape where residents and staff asked for more plantings, repositions the building for better urban fit, and incorporates floodplain-based elevation decisions that affect how entrances and steps are handled.

Architects showed three exterior directions and reported the public favored a more traditional massing with contemporary detailing. Laura Seib, of Fisher Associates, summarized survey results: "Over 78% of the people responded positively to concept 1," a more classical brick-and-stone option. The team presented a refined elevation that uses red brick with a stone cornice and a prominent corner portico that could function as the formal entrance.

Designers also responded to accessibility and operational feedback. The updated plan drops a monumental staircase in favor of "generous stairs" flanked by sloped walkways, which Thompson said will provide "access for all in what feels like an equitable way." Designers noted steps because of elevation differences but emphasized ramps or sloped walkways at all points of egress.

Floodplain and code: The team said recent changes to FEMA flood maps and the county's interpretation require the building floor to be set above the 100-year flood elevation in some scenarios. "We believe that we're going to need to be 2 feet...to meet building code," Seib said, noting the county's flood administrator, Lisa Nichols, must sign off before a building permit is issued. Committee members asked whether the site is currently inside the 100-year zone; staff clarified it is not currently shown in the 100-year floodplain but sits near a mapped zone that affects build elevation and approvals.

Context and scale: Architects said the refined elevation treats the building as a civic structure—brick body with stone accents and a stepped-back, different-material upper zone—so the overall massing reads less monolithic when viewed from nearby Boardman House. Designers said they are testing a cornice line at the third floor to reduce perceived height and are considering sunshades on the south facade to control solar gain.

Officials and next steps: The design team plans one more community engagement session at the end of schematic design, then will send the package for third-party estimating. Thompson said the project will be sent out for estimating around Sept. 25 and that the team expects to receive the estimate on Oct. 8. After receiving the estimate, the team will return to the legislature to present a budget-informed set of options.

Ending: Committee members asked for additional visualizations from diagonal views, a formal copy of the latest presentation for all legislators, and further outreach to the Boardman House owner to coordinate adjacency issues. Thompson and Holt Architects said they will provide updated materials and continue to refine the design in response to stakeholder and budget feedback.