Water's Edge team proposes micro retail on Cayuga Waterfront Trail; board asks for larger vendor cluster and traffic details

Project representatives for the Water's Edge (683 Third Street) outlined plans for micro retail spaces fronting the Cayuga Waterfront Trail at a May 9 Project Review Committee work session, showing precedents and telling the board the applicant has submitted a subdivision application and an updated traffic study addressing DOT comments.

The applicant said retail leasing in Ithaca’s downtown and Ironworks locations can be challenging, and proposed three micro retail spaces averaging roughly 300 square feet each to create small, low‑cost storefronts that could operate seasonally or year‑round. The team compared the proposed units with local precedents including the Ithaca Farmers Market stalls and Press Bay Alley vendor spaces.

“We can see that in kind of the for rent signs in downtown,” one presenter said, describing low occupancy in larger spaces and positioning the micro retail as a lower‑cost option. The presentation listed other waterfront and small‑space precedents from places such as Savannah, Duck (N.C.) and Denmark and cited local examples including Cayuga Lake Creamery and Jenny’s Ice Cream as models for small-format, seasonal or niche businesses.

Board members supported the micro retail idea in principle but urged the applicant to plan for a larger cluster of vendors to create a draw. Chair Emily Petrina noted Press Bay Alley and the farmers market have several vendors and said, “I would still push you a little bit to have more than 3 to make it more like the farmer's market, make it more like Presby Alley, and have, you know, like I said, a critical mass of vendors that are creating a draw.”

On transportation and environmental controls, the applicant confirmed it had submitted an updated traffic study and a letter addressing NYSDOT comments; staff said those materials would be reviewed in advance of the next meeting. The team also said it will present mitigation plans for construction noise, lighting and odor as the project proceeds through site-plan review.

The applicant emphasized the shoreline grade change shapes how retail and public circulation are organized and that the retail spaces are compact—essentially a door and a few tables in the trail-facing zone—intended to activate the waterfront without generating large vehicle demand. The subdivision application was filed and will return to the board next month alongside the site-plan review.

No formal board action was taken at this work session. The applicant will return with the subdivision and site‑plan materials, responses to the traffic and DOT review, and additional detail on the proposed retail program, including whether the number of small retail units will be increased to produce a stronger vendor cluster.