Tompkins County is seeking to solicit interest and credentials from qualified consultants to provide consulting and architectural design services for a new Center of Government building to be located at 300 & 308 North Tioga Street and 128 East Buffalo Street, Ithaca, NY, and the renovation of two adjacent buildings (Old Jail and Daniel D. Tompkins Building) to be started once the new Center of Government building is occupied.
The project is based on a study completed in 2021 for Tompkins County by HOLT Architects, P.C. and subsequently updated by HOLT in 2022 and 2023. The selected consultant team will be provided with the study. The Center of Government Project will combine and consolidate programs currently occupying five county-owned buildings (Old Jail, Daniel D. Tompkins Building, Annex Building C, Main Courthouse, and Human Services Annex) and five leased spaces (Office of Human Rights, Assigned Counsel, Workforce NY/DOL, Workforce Development Board, and Board of Elections Training & Storage Center) into one new central building and two existing adjacent buildings in the downtown campus. By centralizing operations, the project seeks to enhance accessibility and efficiency for both county employees and the community it serves.
Potential County departments considered to occupy the new Center of Government building include Assessment, Board of Elections and election machine storage, County Administration, County Attorney, County Clerk, District Attorney, Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology Services, Office for the Aging, Office of Human Rights, Veterans Services and Workforce Development/Department of Labor.
The remaining County departments not relocated to the new building (i.e., Legislature Office, Planning & Sustainability, Assigned Counsel, and Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council) will continue to be located in, or will be relocated to, two existing adjacent County buildings (Old Jail, Daniel D. Tompkins Building) with minor/moderate renovations to accommodate them.
The space program for the new Center of Government building is anticipated to total approximately 55,000 gross square feet. The space program for renovation in the respective existing County buildings is:
Old Jail 6,000 net square feet
Daniel D. Tompkins Bldg. 3,000 net square feet
The proposed budget for design and construction (new and renovation) is approximately $30,000,000 - $35,000,000.
The identified County site is in the locally and nationally designated DeWitt Park Historic District. The extant buildings expected to be deconstructed are non-contributing structures and were not built during the period of significance (1820-1930) of the existing historic district. However, both buildings are over 50 years old and have not been evaluated for their own historical significance. Additionally, several adjacent and nearby structures have notable historic significance and are contributing structures within the existing district and should be considered in the design and construction of the new Center of Government Building. The site is prominently located at the edge of the central core of Downtown Ithaca and shares its locale with many social, religious, commercial, government, and cultural buildings and sites. The site also sits adjacent to DeWitt Park.
The selected consultant should have demonstrated experience in the design of new buildings and renovation of existing buildings in historic districts and historic contexts, including strong experience with local and national guidelines for such. Consultation with local resources (Historic Ithaca, Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission, etc.) and, if necessary, the State Historic Preservation Office is expected.
It is the goal of Tompkins County to reduce its carbon footprint and the environmental impact of its activities. If the Consultant team participates in any sustainable practices, such as, but not limited to, district heating, geothermal systems, alternative fuels, recyclable materials, adaptive reuse, or sustainable features at its own facilities, please include them for consideration in the overall mission of the project.
Tompkins County’s minimum target level for sustainability is LEED Gold equivalent in meeting with its newly revised Green Building Policy. However, the County has expressed a desire to target net zero emissions achievement for the Center of Government Building. The County is undertaking a parallel project study for district geothermal heating & cooling of the affected buildings in the downtown campus. The consultant project team will interface with this study as it is developed.
