Sheri Guo ’22 is pictured in Collegetown in front of one of the banners just installed by the city of Ithaca as part of a neighborhood beautification effort. Guo was the winner of a contest administered by the student-run Medium Design Collective.
Student-designed banners installed in Collegetown
The Collegetown Small Business Alliance – in partnership with Cornell, the city of Ithaca and others – has created a new light pole banner program in Collegetown.
The 2-foot-by-5-foot vertical banners were designed by Sheri Guo ’22, an information science major and winner of a contest administered by the student-run Medium Design Collective, a collaborative community of designers.
The banners in Collegetown were installed by the city of Ithaca in late February and early March.
The project’s aim is to support economic vitality in Collegetown by helping give the neighborhood a sense of place and by adding color and beauty to the streetscape. Most of the 20 new banners were installed in late February and early March on light poles in the heart of the neighborhood – within a one-block radius of the intersections of College Avenue and Dryden Road, and Eddy Street and Dryden Road.
Other partners included the Tompkins County Beautification Program and the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce.
“The banners are a visual reminder of the neighborhood’s diversity with students and residents and visitors all mingling and coming together in this important gateway to Cornell University,” said Jennifer Tavares, chamber president. “The chamber is proud to support this project and looks forward to working with all of the partners to help create a healthy business climate for local businesses to grow and thrive in Collegetown.”
The Collegetown Small Business Alliance (CSBA) coordinated and secured sponsorship from the business community.
“This is so great for neighborhood businesses,” said Marty Johnson, owner of Uncle Marty’s Shipping Office, 206 Dryden Road. Johnson is co-founder of the CSBA. “I’m particularly pleased by the partnership between the city, chamber, the county, Cornell and businesses, which was integral to the project’s success. I look forward to expanding on this collaborative approach to working together on making Collegetown more beautiful.”
Cornell, the city, the county’s beautification program and neighborhood businesses all contributed funding to help make the project happen.
“Cornell is pleased to work with so many great community partners on this project,” said Joel Malina, Cornell’s vice president for university relations. “It’s another great example of the community’s and Cornell’s collaborative spirit.”
Tom Knipe, the city of Ithaca’s deputy director for economic development, led the project.
“Collegetown is an important commercial district for students, residents and visitors alike,” Knipe said. “These new banners are a visible expression of neighborhood pride and we look forward to continuing to work with our partners on improvements in Collegetown.”
Media Contact
Get Cornell news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe
