Join the coalition of Ithaca residents, Cornell students, faculty, and staff who support the preservation of the Redbud Woods, located in the University Hill Historic District.

The wooded slope along the east side of University Avenue in Ithaca, NY, is known as Redbud Woods. West of Stewart Avenue and north of Cornell Avenue, the Woods form the western edge of Cornell University's West Campus and provide a green buffer between the University Hill neighborhood and the Cornell Campus.

Redbud Woods is in Robert H. Treman's historic backyard, which Warren Manning designed for the three mansions of the Treman family estate (now Von Cramm Hall, 660, and the Kahin Center). The Ithaca Common Council voted and named Redbud Woods a historic district in 2001.

Learn More about Redbud Woods

Why is it in Danger?

As part of the West Campus Residential Initiative, Cornell University plans to turn Redbud Woods and a significant portion of the remaining lawn into a 176-car parking lot for occational use by students. The University Administration has repeatedly rejected proposals for a moratorium on parking lot construction, but the Ithaca and Cornell communities are rallying to convince Interim President Hunter Rawlings to cancel plans for the University Avenue parking lot, thereby preserving Redbud Woods and the Treman estate. Construction began Monday, June 6, 2005, but was successfully halted by protesters and weather later that day. As of July 12, it had not resumed, but in the afternoon on Wednesday, July 13, the site was fenced off and the Administration reaffirmed its unpopular intentions.

Who Are We?

The Redbud Woods Working Group is a broad and growing group of people who are dedicated to saving our beloved woods from being turned into a parking lot and our beloved University from its own hubris. While the most visible people are the student activists who are putting themselves on the line in the woods, they are just the tip of the iceberg. Over 40 faculty members are participating in the Faculty Working Group, and hundreds more have signed pledges of support. Hundreds of alumni have also signed pledges, vowing to curtail or cease contributions if the woods are destroyed. We have the support of the City of Ithaca Mayor and Common Council, NYS Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, and thousands of Cornell and Ithaca community members.