The Municipality of Princeton is now the official owner of the historic 23-acre property formerly used by Westminster Choir College, located near the center of town and bounded by Walnut and Linden lanes and Franklin and Hamilton avenues.
While the property has been the subject of lawsuits regarding its legal ownership, the municipality’s acquisition through condemnation is absolute, and eliminates any and all claims, restrictions, or encroachments by any other party over the property.
“The acquisition process has been a smooth one, and now the hard work begins: to reimagine this historic site to meet urgent public facility needs, while honoring the cultural significance of its past and leaving a legacy for future generations,” said Princeton Council President Mia Sacks. “We look forward to engaging the community over the next 18 months in a multi-faceted planning exercise with robust public engagement and maximum stakeholder input.”
The Municipality of Princeton filed an Eminent Domain Action in the Superior Court of New Jersey to acquire the property on January 14. Rider University and Princeton Theological Seminary were both named as defendants due to unresolved issues surrounding title to the property. The defendants filed non-contesting answers, thereby acknowledging Princeton’s right to take title to the property.
On March 3 all parties entered into a stipulation wherein Princeton’s appraised value of the property, $42 million, was accepted as the true value of the property. The acquisition at that price was approved by a judge on March 5. Princeton recorded a Declaration of Taking on April 1 with the Mercer County Clerk.
Rider has been working with the municipality to transfer management of the property in recent weeks. Deputy Administrator Deanna Stockton said, “We have worked closely with Rider facilities personnel on operational transfer, including security, waste management, utilities, IT, fire and alarm systems, landscaping, and a host of other matters.”
The licenses for three nonprofits currently operating on the site — Music Together, Princeton Pro Musica, and the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra — have been transferred to Princeton. The municipality has also been working with Rider to make it possible for the Westminster Conservatory of Music, currently a part of Rider University, to continue operating on the property.
Princeton has retained Topology, a NJ-based planning firm, to help “identify a vision for the site that is both implementable and worthy of the Municipality’s sizable investment,” as indicated in their scope of work.
“We are pleased that the legal hurdles involving the acquisition of this property have finally been resolved,” said Mayor Mark Freda. “We are eager to move forward together with the community to come up with the best plan for this site and our residents.”
