More than two years after the Plainsboro Township Committee rezoned the St. Joseph’s Seminary property on Mapleton Road to allow for educational and cultural arts uses, the cornerstone tenant of the facility has moved onto the campus.
On December 14 the students of the American Boychoir School took down the American flag flying over their former school in Princeton. On Thursday, January 3, they raised the flag at their new campus, known as the Princeton Center for the Arts and Education (PCAE). Plainsboro Mayor Peter Cantu, at right in the suit coat, then cut the ribbon with Chet Douglass (to the right of the mayor), chairman of the board of the Boychoir.
Also occupying the campus are the French American School of Princeton and the Wilberforce School, a private Christian school. The PCAE, a nonprofit entity, has signed a 20-year renewable lease with the seminary.
As the ribbon was being cut, a tour bus was warming up in the parking lot. The world renowned Boychoir spent the rest of the day rehearsing with the New Jersey Symphony, which it will join in concerts over the weekend.
Another Departure from Plainsboro Plaza. The shopping center on Schalks Crossing Road, which will lose Superfresh, its anchor supermarket tenant next week, will soon have another vacancy. The owner of Diana’s Hallmark store has announced he too is vacating the plaza.
David Longmuir noted in an online posting that he and his wife purchased the Hallmark store in 2005, “with the hope of providing good product at fair prices and great customer service. I honestly believe that we have done that and we have a number of loyal customers that tell us they love our store. The problem is that we just don’t have enough of those customers to pay the bills.
“Sales have decreased each year as vacancy rates in the center have increased. I’m sorry to say, but we too will be closing sometime in mid January. Fortunately, we do have two other stores in Hamilton and we invite any of our Plainsboro customers to shop with us there, but somehow I know it won’t be the same for those residents that have had the local Hallmark store to visit for over 25 years.”
Building Codes for Homeowners. Thomas Boyd, Plainsboro’s director of code enforcement, has announced that his department will host a construction seminar on Monday, January 7, at 7 p.m. in the Recreation and Cultural Center at 641 Plainsboro Road.
The seminar will assist residents in understanding the construction permit process, with an emphasis on common home improvements and renovations. A question and answer period with the director of code enforcement will follow. To register call 609-799-0909, ext. 2545, or E-mail buildingdivision@plainsboronj.com
