Workers have been busy at the site of 114 Catherine Street in Collegetown. On Friday, a flatbed truck was parked just off-site, delivering the roof gables for the 3-story, 17-bedroom apartment building. Framing for the structure is actively underway, with recently-created rough openings showing the position of the windows and doors in the new 3-unit structure.
The architect behind this project is local architectural firm Jagat Sharma, and he building is being developed by Ithacan Nick Lambrou of Lambrou Real Estate. Plans call for the replacement of a parking lot with a 3-story, 4,180 sq ft structure with a 5-bedroom apartment on the first floor and a 6-bedroom apartment on the second floor and on the third floor. Building loan documents filed with the county establish the construction costs to be $1.3 million.
If construction stays to schedule, the building should be completed in time for Cornell’s fall semester.
Ithacating in Cornell Heights 
Love that continuous street wall! Looks like the new zoning is working.
“Working” in that it’s inspired new and aesthetically contextual construction. But it’s not nearly enough to achieve its practical aims. This building could have easily been 2-3 stories taller with minimal impact on the cityscape and few complaints (it’s surrounded by student housing). The extra rooms would have meant much more relief for the rest of the neighborhood. But I don’t think the zoning would have permitted it, since it’s on a side street away from Dryden and College.
Zoning on the site is CR-4, I believe. Lambrou could have added another floor if he wanted, not to mention re-working the Mission Apartments behind the new building. But he chose not to.
“I chose to build three stories because I felt it fit better into the neighborhood,” said Lambrou.
http://www.ithaca.com/news/small-elegant-housing-development-pitched-for-catherine-street-in-collegetown/article_40d84130-6b83-11e4-9188-03e1ad0f7e50.html
Someone (IthacaVoice?) could do an interview and profile story on Jagat Sharma. Know anyone who writes for the IV?
Who is he? What’s is mojo? Why is he ALWAYS the architect of choice? What’s his influences? Does he have some secret sauce to building approval? Etc?
More so than anyone else, it is Jagat Sharma’s fingerprints on college town. His buildings, his design, dominate.
I reached out to him once a while back, but he never responded. I suppose it could be worth another shot.
Sharma’s secret is no secret at all. He delivers what his clients want and he does it extremely well. His firm is all over these days because experienced developers/land lords know he makes it happen. Jagat Sharma is really one of the best when it comes to delivering value on time.
Remember though, not more than a year or two ago prospects were pretty dire in Ithaca. This recent work is a result of the long over due zoning changes that opened a bit of a flood. That and the availability of financing for larger projects. Almost 40 years of work in this small town though, so yes Sharma’s work is everywhere.
Jagat has given a few interviews over the years. But like many smart people in town, he probably realizes he doesn’t need to expose himself to the local abusers. That’s just my opinion.
Sounds like a good idea to me BC. I’d be interested in finding out more about one of C-town’s most influential personalities. I also wonder if he’d be interested in other areas of the city.
Just an update – I reached out to Sharma, and his staff were initially receptive (he was out of office at the time). Unfortunately, no one responded to follow-up calls to set up the interview.