The Downtown Ithaca Alliance today announced that a new downtown store will be opening this spring devoted to the mission of capturing and celebrating the essence of Ithaca and the region. Sunny Days… A New York Marketplace will be located at 123 South Cayuga Street, on the corner of Cayuga and Green Streets across from the Tompkins County Public Library. At this highly visible vehicular and pedestrian location the new store will specialize in arts, crafts, gifts, local music, and other memorabilia  representing Ithaca, the Finger Lakes region, and New York.

According to store owner Deirdre Kurzweil, “Sunny Days will be a destination where both residents and visitors will be able to find a gift for themselves or others that reflects our dynamic community.” The store is also intended to serve as an informal place for visitors to learn more about the attractions of the area. Notes Kurzweil, “we will partner with and promote area businesses, encouraging our customers to discover and enjoy as much of Ithaca as possible.”

Sunny Days had its origin in the roundtable discussions of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance’s Business Retention & Development Committee. Kurzweil serves as a member of that committee and was smitten by the committee’s idea to create a store that catered to tourists and visitors, featuring Ithaca and New York branded items. Says Gary Ferguson, Executive Director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, “Kurzweil will bring incredible energy and retail savvy to this new store. Visitors and local residents alike will appreciate this new addition to downtown. It will be a great place to get a piece of Ithaca and the Finger Lakes to share with the world.”

This is Deirdre’s second retail experience. Prior to moving to Ithaca, Kurzweil opened and operated aMuse, an independent toy store in Baltimore’s Fells Point neighborhood. This history in independent retailing will serve her well as she enters the downtown Ithaca marketplace. Deirdre currently manages – and will continue to run – WBA Research, a survey research company with over 50 employees also located in downtown Ithaca.

Sunny Days will occupy the corner of one of Ithaca’s busiest intersections, Cayuga and Green. The intersection is a gateway into downtown on Route 79 (Green Street) and Kurzweil thought it was important to have a store located there that would be relevant and interesting to the many people who drive and walk by it. She was also drawn to the location by the planned nearby new TC3 Coltivare project and the Hotel Ithaca expansion and conference center. She also liked the proximity to the County Library and City Hall.

The name Sunny Days is derived from Deirdre’s and her husband Todd’s affinity for music. The name was inspired by the Dickey Betts (of the Allman Brothers) song “Blue Sky.” Notes Deirdre, “Despite the reality that it is often overcast and gray here, Ithaca never feels dreary to me. We want to celebrate the many special things that distinguish Ithaca-the natural environment, the amazing food and drink, great music, the spirit of its people. These are what makes Ithaca a sunny place for us.”

The grand opening will be 10 AM on Tuesday, April 1, with live local music, a live painting exhibition, and food from 6:00-8:00 PM. The Downtown Ithaca Alliance will also hold a ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Svante Myrick at a time to be announced later. Regular store hours for Sunny Days will be:  Sunday-Monday 10:00 AM-6:00 PM, Wednesday-Thursday 10:00 AM-8:00 PM, and Friday-Saturday 12:00 PM-10:00 PM.

On February 19, 2014, the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, and City of Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick will hold ribbon cutting ceremonies for two new businesses on the Ithaca Commons: Chemung Canal Trust Company and Acting Out NY.

At 11:00 AM, there will be a ribbon cutting for Chemung Canal Trust Company at 202 The Commons. Founded in 1833, Chemung Canal is New York State’s oldest locally owned and managed bank. Now with 34 locations across 12 counties, Chemung Canal operates as a full-service community bank with full trust powers, gathering deposits locally and lending them back out within the community to help stimulate job and wealth creation for area businesses, organizations, and individuals. When Bank of America announced their intention to sell their Tompkins County offices, the leadership at Chemung Canal recognized the opportunity to expand their market presence beyond their three successful Ithaca locations at Community Corners, the former Station Restaurant, and the Lowe’s plaza on Route 13. Chemung Canal was able to retain the customer relations staff from the Bank of America. Explains Michael J. Wayne, Senior Vice President, “We recognize that clients like to bank with people that they know, trust and respect. The former Bank of America employees are very knowledgeable and professional bankers, and they have indicated how pleased they are with the culture at Chemung Canal, which encourages them to be active and involved in their community.”

At 11:15 AM, there will be a ribbon cutting for Acting Out NY at 171 The Commons (Center Ithaca next to Jillian’s Drawers). Acting Out offers classes, camps, and workshops in film acting for youth ages 4 to 16. Proprietor and coach Darcy Martin Rose grew up in Horseheads, New York and recently returned to the area after a long stint in Los Angeles, where she earned a degree in acting from UCLA and worked as a professional actress in film, television, national commercials, and several regional theatre companies. Her on-screen credits include Grey’s Anatomy, Without a Trace, and Dinotopia.  Says Martin, “We live in an age where everyone has a video camera on their cell phone or computer, and kids are inundated every day with negativity in the media. Our aim is to combat that by providing a safe place for young people to explore how pop culture and consumerism affects them and to demystify “Hollywood” by showing them what it’s like to make a commercial, television show or movie. The performing arts are an invaluable avenue for personal expression, and you can see that in the final projects we post on our website, ActingOutNewYork.com.”

This week, the Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA) announced its annual Best of Downtown Awards. Honorees were presented with plaques by DIA Board President Michael C. Cannon and Executive Director Gary Ferguson at a well-attended gala dinner featuring food from a number of downtown restaurants, a keynote speech by urban design expert Joseph Minicozzi, classic jazz music by Doug Robinson, and special presentations by DIA staff.

Retail Business of the Year went to Mockingbird Paperie. When the owners of the House of Shalimar and Ithacards stores retired last year after forty years in the business, many wondered what would become of this key downtown space. Suzanne Loesch purchased Ithacards, rebranded it as Mockingbird Paperie, enlarged its selection of fine paper products, and expanded it into the exquisitely restored former Shalimar storefront.

Economic Development Projects of the Year went to Breckenridge Place and Seneca Way. Breckenridge is the affordable housing project across from the Dewitt Mall created by Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services and PathStone. Seneca Way is the new landmark building gracing the east entrance to downtown Ithaca; built by Newman Development and Warren Real Estate, it features 38 apartments and 9,000 square feet of office space.

The Community Achievement Award went to Jean McPheeters. In her 12-year tenure as President of the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, McPheeters assumed the leadership of the business community with grace, insight, and an infectious can-do attitude. McPheeters has also worked to revitalize downtown Ithaca as an active member of the DIA Board, the Commons Rebuild Committee, and the Strategic Tourism Planning Board Beautification Committee.

Emerging Business of the Year went to Norabloom Botanicals. Owned and operated by Holly Green, Norabloom offers spa services like massage therapy, facials, and nail care in addition to Green’s own signature line of paraben-free skincare products. After outgrowing a space in Fall Creek, Green rented the second floor of the Mia Building at 132 The Commons and transformed it into a striking contemporary boutique.

The Business Achievement Award went to Jennifer Engel. For more than 30 years, Engel has been a fixture in the downtown Ithaca community. She launched Cat’s Pajamas, the beloved children’s toy and clothing store in the Dewitt Mall, in 1983 and has been a tireless leader and advocate for Dewitt Mall businesses ever since. She has also regularly volunteered her time for special downtown events.

The Tourism Achievement Award went to Argos Inn. When Avi Smith returned to Ithaca five years ago, he had a vision to create an urban inn with historic character and a unique flair. Smith purchased the former Duncan Hines building at 408 East State Street and painstakingly restored its stunning architectural elements; it now features ten guest rooms and a ground-floor pub featuring live music.

City Employees of the Year went to JoAnn Cornish and Phyllisa DeSarno. Cornish serves as Director of Planning and Development for the City of Ithaca and DeSarno holds the position of Deputy Director for Economic Development. They have both worked closely with the DIA to improve downtown zoning and tax abatement policies, recruit retail tenants and developers, and advance the rebuild of the Ithaca Commons.

Volunteer of the Year went to Ashley Broadwell. Each year the Downtown Ithaca Alliance entertains over 100,000 people at its many events and festivals.  A Tompkins County native and a co-owner of Ithaca Guitar Works in the Dewitt Mall, Ashley has been an indispensable sixth man for DIA special events, doing everything from coordinating midnight cleanups to serving wine to performing with his bluegrass band.

DIA Board members of the year went to Michael C. Cannon and Tanya Vanasse. A commercial banker at Tompkins Trust Company, Cannon has served in a leadership position for most of his tenure on the board and is now completing his second and final year as President. Vanasse, a longtime downtown resident, has represented that increasingly important constituency for six years, also in leadership positions.

On Monday, February 3, Mia Restaurant will be rechristened as Mia Tapas Bar & Restaurant and will introduce a revamped menu featuring sashimi, soups, noodles, dumplings, and signature tapas items in addition to entrées inspired by many Asian cuisines, including Thai, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese. These innovative dishes will be prepared with traditional “slow food” cooking techniques and served up with a modern flair in Mia’s stylishly remodeled historic storefront at 130 The Commons.

This new concept is a “coming-together of the best of all worlds” for chef-owner Lex Chutintaranond. Lex’s first restaurant, Thai Cuisine, was named “best Thai food in New York including New York City.” Lex later established three more popular eateries in Ithaca: Just a Taste, a downtown wine and tapas bar; Madeline’s, an upscale Euro-Asian restaurant; and ZaZa’s Cucina, a modern Italian restaurant owned and operated by Lex and his wife, Flaminia Cervesi, who was born and raised in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Mia Tapas Bar & Restaurant will draw on all of these successful concepts – the top-notch Far Eastern cookery of Thai Cuisine, the intimate tapas experience of Just a Taste, the chic cosmopolitan atmosphere of Madeline’s, and the savory noodles of ZaZa’s.

Says Lex of his newest and most ambitious venture, “Mia is a labor of love and the culmination of my years of travel, learning, and my experience in the restaurant industry. I’m proud to be able to bring forward this new menu and cocktail offerings that have been shaped by listening to our customers who have supported us throughout the years.” Adds Vicki Taylor, Associate Director of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance, “People love to eat tapas and Lex and Flaminia have an amazing history of producing creative food of the highest quality. The new menu and the late-night hours will draw in the food-loving crowd that Ithaca is known for. I think people will be pleasantly surprised at the affordability of the menu and the depth of its offerings.”