Princeton University marked the start of construction on its new campus in West Windsor with a groundbreaking ceremony. Local officials joined members of the Princeton University community at the event, which took place on Dec. 7.
The project, which was approved by the West Windsor Planning Board in 2020, will be located on a 107-acre tract of land owned by the university, and will be the first major development on the university’s property in West Windsor.
“The West Windsor Lake Campus will be a lively community with space to support academic partnerships, graduate student housing, varsity athletics, recreational uses, and parking,” says the Princeton University facilities website. “The Lake Campus will provide a place that is experienced as a natural, yet distinctive extension of the existing campus.”
Princeton owns a significant amount of land in West Windsor and Plainsboro, including 400 acres bounded by Alexander Road, Lake Carnegie, Harrison Street and Route 1, which the university has held for more than 100 years. The Lake Campus will be located within the tract north of Washington Road.
The project—slated to be completed in 2023—will include housing for more than 600 postdoc and graduate students and a parking garage with more than 600 spaces.
To be built by 2025 are sports facilities including a tennis and racket center with 8 indoor tennis courts, 8 outdoor courts, 14 squash courts; a softball stadium; playing fields for rugby and recreational sports; and a new cross-country course.
“We have appreciated the support of stakeholders and partners at the local, county and state level as we developed plans for this first phase of Lake Campus,” said Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber. “We are especially appreciative of the warm welcome that we have received from officials in West Windsor.”
Said West WIndsor Mayor Hemant Marathe: “I want to welcome Princeton University on behalf of everybody in West Windsor, and look forward to a very long and productive partnership with all of you.”
Other representatives from West Windsor in attendance included Council President Andrea Mandel, and Council members Linda Geevers, Mike Stevens and Sonia Gawas. County officials included County Executive Brian Hughes and County Commissioner Nina Melker.
The 2020 planning board approval was for a general development plan, which lays the groundwork for development of the site over the next 20 years. Earlier this year, the board approved specific site plans for Lake Campus North and Lake Campus South earlier this year.
The initial phase of the project will create the backbone of infrastructure, including roadways and underground utilities, that will serve the Lake Campus as it develops over time.
Eisgruber said that after the initial phase of development is complete, the Lake Campus will provide potential sites for locating world-class scientific facilities, enabling Princeton to strengthen the region’s innovation ecosystem and creating opportunities for academic partnerships with nonprofit, corporate and government sectors.
“We look forward to continued engagement in future phases as we refine our vision for additional facilities that will advance the University’s mission and enhance our ability to make an impact on the world,” Eisgruber said.
According to statistics provided by the university, the site will create nearly 1,000 construction jobs over the next four years. When the first phase is complete, at least 30 permanent university jobs will have been created in association with these new facilities.
The project boats a number of sustainability features.
Within the development will be a geo-exchange facility that will be heated and cooled with thermal energy by way of over 150 well bores located beneath the softball stadium. It will heat and cool the new graduate student housing and new racquet center as well as provide capacity for future construction.
The graduate student housing will feature “passive house design,” which is a first of its kind for the university. The reduction of energy usage associated with the design decreases the number of geo-exchange bores required for the system, resulting in a more efficient use of the land.
The university already produces 4.5 kw of solar energy in West Windsor at an existing solar field. This will be increased to 12.2 kw when two additional solar fields already under construction in West Windsor are completed. This will represent nearly 75% of the university’s overall solar production capacity.
Also in the project are extensive pathways to local and regional path systems to encourage walking and biking, and connections to TigerTransit to encourage use of mass transit.
The landscape design provides the setting for a unique integration with the larger Princeton campus, and with the D&R Canal State Park with the design of the campus intended to contribute to the ecological role of the park corridor.
The graduate housing complex will consist of 379 housing units in three separate buildings—a total of 329,000 square feet. The buildings are planned to be three stories tall, with small single-story portions used for a café and community center serving the complex.
A series of portals will connect landscaped courtyards and outdoor amenities at the ground level, including a community garden, a play space, a volleyball court and barbeque areas.
“The design of each of these facilities has been carefully integrated into the existing Lake Campus context, with circulation, landscape, and infrastructure meant to create a distinctive sense of place and enhance the arrival experience from the landing of the Washington Road bridge,” says the university’s facilities website.
“The project has been designed to minimize the impact on the woodlands and Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park to the west,” states the website. “The buildings will use district geo-exchange for heating and cooling. The stormwater management approach will include a series of localized green infrastructure practices dispersed throughout the site.
The café and community center will have green roofs, and the main buildings are designed to accommodate rooftop solar arrays in the future. The project aligns with Princeton’s sustainability standards and is seeking both Passive House and LEED certification for the buildings.
The 5-tier parking garage is intended to serve the shared parking needs of the Lake Campus as it grows over time. It is positioned north of Washington Road and allows drivers to park immediately upon entering the new campus.
In its initial phase, the garage will include 612 spaces for the graduate student residents on the Lake Campus, as well as parking for athletic events and visitors.
It will feature a fabric facade, which is intended to soften the appearance and provide an architectural backdrop to the Washington Road landscape. The Garage will include 20 electric vehicle charging stations, and is designed to allow for a rooftop solar array to be added at a later date.
“Robust tree-planting, landscaping, and architectural screening will respect the site’s natural setting. Garage driveways will connect to new and improved campus roadways that are being designed to efficiently manage vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic,” states the facilities website. “This project meets or exceeds Princeton’s sustainability standards. The University is seeking ParkSmart certification, a standard established by Green Business Certification, Inc.
