ILPC approves Sibley Hall stair repairs with red granite treads and snow-melt system

The Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday approved a certificate of appropriateness for exterior repairs at Sibley Hall on Cornell University's Arts Quad, allowing the university to replace two outside stair runs and make associated masonry and drainage repairs.

The commission voted to approve an application presented by Jay Sharmeta, associate university architect at Cornell, to replace deteriorated Medina sandstone treads with red granite, replace in-kind limestone cheek walls where needed, install encaustic tile on the upper landing to match the existing pattern, remove a nonhistoric basement entrance and add a roof leader tied into the campus storm system. "The stairs are original, and they are in very poor condition," Sharmeta told the commission. "We don't really see a viable path of reusing the material that's there now."

The commission's action adopted findings that the work "will not have a substantial adverse effect on the aesthetic, historical, or architectural significance of the Cornell Arts Quad Historic District," and that the proposal meets the standards in section 228-6 of the municipal code and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. The approval authorizes the university to proceed with construction documents, bidding, and a planned summer/fall construction window.

Sharmeta said the project team proposes red granite treads (a stone Cornell has used elsewhere on campus) because the existing Medina sandstone is extensively cracked and weathered and would not be expected to provide the longevity the university is seeking. He described additional work: repairing localized limestone with Dutchman patches, salvaging and reusing existing coping where possible, replacing the concrete lower landings with tinted concrete in an Indiana-limestone color range, installing a glycol-based snow-melt system routed through the landings and treads, and installing Julius Blum brass handrails that match other Sibley handrails. "We're shooting for a 100-year life out of this work," Sharmeta said.

The university told the commission it is on an expedited schedule because building-inspection staff had cited the stairs as a life-safety egress issue; temporary handrails are in place. Sharmeta said the contractor currently working inside Sibley Hall will bid the exterior scope so work can proceed as quickly as feasible.

Commissioners asked about material matching, tile geometry and the accessibility of the snow-melt piping for future maintenance. Sharmeta confirmed sample materials were available and that the proposed encaustic tiles will replicate the original geometric shapes. On maintenance, he said the glycol PEX runs will be accessible from the mechanical room and the installation will avoid sealing the treads into an inaccessible configuration.

No public commenters addressed the application during the public-comment portion of the hearing. The commission's approval did not list conditions beyond the findings stated in the resolution.

The commission's packet cites the Cornell Arts Quad Historic District summary, the Ithaca City Charter and the municipality's historic-preservation ordinance and standards (municipal code section 228-6) as the bases for review.