The construction will take anywhere from 18 to 24 months. In the meantime, the main office of The Tompkins County Trust Company must relocate its business and at least 55 branch employees. A place for their temporary relocation has not been disclosed. Not everyone in the community feels the proposed building will be a positive addition to Ithaca, nor that it will improve town-gown relations. Cornell is spreading its tentacles into the town.
Some universities tend to sprawl out and it gets excessive.
Hugh Ryan '00 expressed concern about the reaction of the downtown community. Lemmi Wolff '03 agreed. Ron Stiehl, owner of Stiehl's Body Modification Station, feels the building will be a welcome edition to the downtown area. It sounds great for business. I view the whole thing as very positive.