ITHACA, NY (607NewsNow) — Residents of Asteri Ithaca must leave.

Mayor Robert Cantelmo made that evacuation announcement last night at the Common Council meeting.

According to a statement from the city, “Under New York Law (19 NYCRR Part 1203), municipalities must enforce pertinent building code to protect the public from fire hazards and unsafe building conditions, including ensuring that required means of egress remain safe and usable at all times. Section 1203.3 identifies the means of egress as a critical life‑safety component that cannot be compromised. Damage to a stairway enclosure that affects its ability to provide safe escape must be addressed through formal enforcement. High rise buildings are designed to be “protect in place.” These buildings have systems that rely on the building structure and components being in place to control smoke and fire spread. The number of broken windows in hallways and stairwells have rendered those systems unreliable and insufficient fire and life safety exists in the building.”

Cantelmo says the city is working on temporary housing for the residents being forced to evacuate, while also placing the blame entirely on the Vecino Group.

Since opening in 2024, both the Ithaca Police Department and Ithaca Fire Department have repeatedly been called to the Asteri Ithaca building on E. Green St. Late last year, a lawsuit was filed against the Vecino Group.

The city says Wednesday’s emergency order doesn’t apply to the conference center. “The fire control systems within that part of the structure have not been compromised and remain fully operational.”