ITHACA, NY (WENY) - The Vecino Group and Downtown Ithaca Alliance held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday afternoon in honor of the Asteri Complex being built in Downtown Ithaca. 

The Downtown Ithaca Alliance and Vecino Group started the idea in 2017. Since then, an array of local, state, and regional support has aided the revitalization project.  

The complex plans to provide additional resources to the Ithaca community. The complex plans to include 181 affordable housing units, a parking garage with over 300 spots, and a 55,000 square foot conference center. 

Vecino Group President Rick Manzardo expressed how the complex might encourage commuters to become community members. 

“We’ve got that base of people that drive in to work in Ithaca, then drive back out,” Manzardo started. “That’s not a sustainable community. This is a step in the right direction we feel to really help the fabric of the community.” 

One of Manzardo’s right hand men in this project is Gary Ferguson. Ferguson, the Executive Director for the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, is ecstatic about the project. He explained how much effort was put towards making the complex a reality. 

“There were many, many different milestones that had to happen for this to take place,” Ferguson said. “Any one of them could’ve stopped this project and we’ve overcome dozens of those.” 

He continued by highlighting how certain aspects of the complex, like the Conference Center, could become major regional assets. 

“Not only will it serve this community as a place to meet, but it will also be a place for people to come to Ithaca; to hold their conferences and meetings from all over the state and really from all over the northeast,” Ferguson said. “It’s going to be a very important asset for Cornell, for Ithaca College, for our community, and really for the region. That’s really why New York State had invested in it... and we’re so excited to see this move forward.” 

The target date for the complex’s completion is currently set for Summer 2023.