Finger Lakes Wine Center hires director, plans opening in spring

Funding squared away; liquor license pending
 
After more than a year of delays and half a million dollars of investment, the Finger Lakes Wine Center is on track to open within six months.
  
The project's board of directors announced on Wednesday that they have hired an executive director, Suzanne Bangs Lonergan, who they hope will progress the project along and ensure it opens at its South Cayuga Street location next spring.

The Ithaca native spent 25 years in Boston as vice president of communications for COMDEX Events and vice president of strategic development for Boston Harbor Island Alliance, where she helped launch a new national park consisting of 34 islands in Boston Harbor.

"I and all those involved with the Finger Lakes Wine Center are looking forward to working in partnership with community leaders and donors in our area to create a truly exciting and vibrant venue that will appeal to many different constituencies, both here in Ithaca and those visiting Tompkins County and the Finger Lakes Region," Lonergan said.

David Sparrow, president of the Finger Lakes Wine Center Board of Directors, said she will start immediately to manage grants and begin developing exhibits and programming for the new center.

"Sue can help us address the myriad details of launching this important new tourism attractor," he said.

She will also be at the helm of further fundraising efforts, with a goal of generating $300,000 to supplement the $600,000 obtained so far through mostly public dollars in the form of state and local grants.

Slated to move in to the Cayuga Green development at 237 S. Cayuga St., the center is meant to attract tourists, provide wine tastings, tours and wine-related education. It would also sell wine and host parties.

It received state approval in June 2007, and was set to open on Aug. 1, 2008. That date was pushed back to April 1, 2009, while the center awaited a liquor license from the state.

In late February, Sparrow learned that a $100,000 grant from state Sen. George Winner's office was being held up, which meant the board of directors couldn't determine the scale of the project without knowing how well it was financed.

Sparrow said that grant has now been resolved, although the liquor license is still pending. He said the board has been energetically working to move the project along, and that he is confident Lonergan's appointment will help with the final push.