The Ithaca Journal “The question is how wide is the public right-of-way and how high above the road does it extend?” Hoffman said. “And does the proposed Milstein Hall encroach upon the public right-of-way?” Cornell planners have argued that the particular design they want for Milstein Hall is important because it will help connect the three separate buildings that house Architecture college departments -- two of which are south of University Avenue, and one of which is north of it.
chronicles yet another chapter in the Milstein Hall saga:Regardless of who owns the title, the city owns a public right-of-way along the street, which guarantees the rights of pedestrians, bikes and cars to continue using it, a right that Cornell does not dispute.
I have a hard time believing that Milstein Hall will help to connect the Foundry with the rest of the AAP complex. And if this is the best argument Cornell can come up with for encroaching upon a public right of way, maybe they should stop drinking the Rem Koolhaas-aid. Here's a picture:
With or without Milstein Hall, one will still have to cross University Avenue to get to the Foundry.
And here is a question to all those architects reading this: How distracting will it be to have a cars, buses, and trucks driving a mere 15 feet under your studio or while you are taking a prelim?
