Headlines for October 11, 2022

The shrinking market for office space in Downtown Ithaca has prompted numerous Ithaca office buildings to convert to residential sites. The Gateway Center on East State Street is the second property in two months to submit plans for conversion. The Ithaca Voice reports that trends towards remote work and the post-Covid economy have contributed to the trend, as has a persistently strong housing market. The Gateway Center project will go before the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency at 2:30 pm tomorrow. 

Tompkins County and the City of Ithaca will receive more than $120,000  in Homeland Security Grants. The federal funds, which amount to $9 million across the state, will be used to improve local public safety preparedness and emergency response capabilities. According to the Ithaca Times, the County will use its $75,000 to improve their tactical teams—which are used in “high risk incidents” such as active shooter or counter-terrorism cases. Ithaca will invest its $46,000 to improve its ability to detect and recover from cyber-attacks. 

The Times Union reports that New York State Police Superintendent Kevin P. Bruen resigned on Friday. A few days earlier Governor Hochul had announced investigations into allegations of his misconduct. According to the allegations, Bruen had shielded longtime co-worker and former Human Resources director MaryEllen Tedesco from internal complaints. Bruen is alleged to have asked that the matters not be documented, and to have taken no action after the complaints were made. Tedesco resigned in early September.