ITHACA, N.Y. (WHCU) – The group tapped to redevelop the former Emerson Power Transmission site in Ithaca has a new project manager.

Robert Lewis has joined the SHIFT Capital team in charge of planning for the construction of the mixed-use SouthWorks neighborhood. The project is being developed over the next seven to 10 years and will include adapted reuse of 800,000 square feet of the remaining industrial buildings plus nearly one million square feet of new construction.

Lewis, an Ithaca resident, was most recently the finance director for GreenStar Co-Operative and currently chairs the City of Ithaca Planning and Development Board. He’s been a staple on the board for more than eight years. Lewis studied urban and regional economics at Cornell University and received his undergraduate degree in economics and real estate from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

“I’ve been excited about this project since it came to the planning board years ago,” said Lewis. “It’s rare to see this scale of opportunity for real mixed-use development so close to a working downtown. SouthWorks has the opportunity to meet some of Ithaca’s most important needs: for housing, for affordability, for innovation space, for industrial space, and more. Having a values-driven developer like SHIFT is a great opportunity for Ithaca to grow in ways that really meet its needs.”

SHIFT Capital, a national neighborhood investment group that seeks to create long-term equitable communities, announced it would partner with US Ceiling Corp and Xylem Projects to develop the site in December of last year.

“For neighborhood investments like SouthWorks, we believe in building a team who brings both a diverse set of experience and local intimate knowledge of the community and neighborhoods we are serving,” said CEO of SHIFT Capital Brian Murray. “Rob brings extensive experience with local municipalities, finance, and a dedication to seeing this project meet and exceed the community’s expectations.”

Officials plan to break ground on the initial construction phase in 2024.