With the new wing of “Cornell Health” open, work has begun on a gut renovation and partial demolition/reconstruction of the 1957 and 1979 structures. What had been the three-story wing with the second-floor Ho Plaza entrance, part of the original 1950s buildout, is now rubble. The 3-story south wing and 3-story northwest wing are still standing, but are being reworked down to their frames as part of their renovations. A new 3-story wing will be built in place of the one that was torn down, and a new entrance from Ho Plaza will be built as part of the renovations. The new wing will be finished with limestone to blend in with both the 1979 wing. It seems like they’ll reuse the foundation of the demolished wing, and the new structural steel should rise fairly quickly.
From July, for reference:
Ithacating in Cornell Heights 
Ugh, why on earth are they trying to make the new wing match that Brutalist monstrosity from 1979? Do they think people actually like looking at a featureless concrete box that stains and rusts in the rain? I was hoping they would hide that wing with something more pleasant, like they did on the west side with the colorful glass facade.
[…] II of Cornell Health is advancing. A lot of the progress in the couple of months has focused on retrofitting the existing 1957 and 1979 additions – there will be a new […]