Sun File Photo

Plans to remodel the Chapter House were to be based on its original features, as seen here in 1909.

May 5, 2016

Chapter House Property Sold, Following Year of Plans for Reconstruction

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p class=”p1″>The location which once held the Chapter House — until the iconic collegetown locale was destroyed in a blaze last April — has been sold for $850,000, according to The Ithaca Voice.

Sebastian Mascaro, the property’s owner, sold the property to the James L. Goldman, the owner to 406 Stewart Avenue, LLC, The Voice reported. Mascaro himself had purchased the Chapter House property in October of 2010. The deal was finalized Wednesday after the process of the sale began in February, according to City of Ithaca documents.

Although comprehensive plans to rebuild the structure on 400-404 Stewart Avenue were unanimously approved by the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission in January, little progress was made in beginning any reconstructive work, The Sun previously reported.

A rendering shows plans for a new Chapter House structure, which will connect to the upper floors of two adjacent houses to the North.

Courtesy of CSP Management

A rendering shows plans for a new Chapter House structure, which will connect to the upper floors of two adjacent houses to the North.

Because the Chapter House is located within a historic district in the City of Ithaca, both the Ithaca Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Planning and Development Board had said they were collaborating with the Chapter House team to review designs and grant clearance on a new plan for the structure.

The plans were for a three story building with many similar architectural features as the original building, with a red brick facade and wood accents on the ground floor, The Sun previously reported.

“There’s a lot of wonderful support in the community for rebuilding the Chapter House” said Jerry Dietz, the building’s property manager, at the time of the commission’s approval. “And there’s a great deal of gratitude being felt by the owner for the outpouring of interest and support.”

CSP Property Management — the company that has worked to manage the Chapter House property — stated in the fall they hoped to reopen the pub by August 2016, noting that a rebuilding project would  preserve the building’s historic aesthetic while also modernizing the site. However, the property’s future is now uncertain.

A representative from CSP Management said that the new owners are “choosing to not comment on their plans at this time.