Ithaca · Local digest

The Ithaca Common Council signaled unanimous support for a resolution calling on Asteri Ithaca's developers, the Vecino Group, to drop all rent debt owed by residents and suspend eviction proceedings through the winter Code Blue season. The resolution, introduced by Alderperson Hannah Shvertz, also requests that tenant organizers be allowed into the 181-unit affordable housing complex. The council will take a final vote on November 4. The move comes after the Vecino Group pursued over 90 eviction cases against tenants for nonpayment and habitability issues, with some residents facing back rent demands of $10,000 to $20,000. The building, which opened in August 2024, has faced ongoing complaints about maintenance, safety, and management since residents returned following fire safety evacuations in March.

Lara Tomescu has been unanimously appointed to Ithaca's vacant Fourth Ward Common Council seat, effective immediately following Wednesday's city council meeting. The seat had been empty since August when former Alderperson Patrick Kuehl resigned to pursue doctoral studies. Tomescu, a Master of Public Administration student at Cornell University, cited housing shortage, substandard rental conditions, and strengthening city-resident connections as priorities in her application. Mayor Robert Cantelmo highlighted her commitment to addressing homelessness, multi-modal transit, and public administration during her interviews.

The Moosewood Restaurant has petitioned the Ithaca Common Council to commission an independent study of the Seneca Street parking garage instead of demolishing it. The downtown garage, closed in May 2026 due to safety concerns, was authorized for potential transfer to the Ithaca Urban Renewal Agency on September 2nd following an 8-1 Council vote, with Mayor Robert Cantelmo and City Manager Dominick Recckio favoring demolition. The restaurant's October 10th petition argues that repairs could be more cost-effective and environmentally sound than demolition, and calls for a thorough structural evaluation and community transparency in the decision-making process, citing concerns about lost business for downtown establishments. (607NewsNow)