PRINCETON, NJ – On Monday, Council adopted an ordinance to move ahead with its plans to acquire the Westminster Choir College on 101 Walnut Lane.
The ordinance authorizes the acquisition of the property “by negotiation, purchase, condemnation or eminent domain.”
The Westminster Choir College (WCC) campus belongs to Rider University and in 2019, Rider moved its students to the University’s main campus in Lawrenceville.
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The WCC campus is also right across the street from Princeton High School and currently, the Municipality has an agreement with Rider for public parking at the campus.
“Last night was a historic evening for Princeton. My colleagues and I voted unanimously to put in motion a process to ensure that the residents of Princeton will be in the driver’s seat to determine the future of this critical property,” Council President Mia Sacks said.
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“Our town has many pressing educational, recreational, and municipal facilities needs. The opportunity to acquire this key site for public use was not one that we could, in good conscience, walk away from. We know that current residents and future generations will benefit from our willingness to act boldly to protect the public’s interest.”
The WCC is currently the subject of several lawsuits including one filed in 2019 by students who opposed the move to Lawrenceville.
Another suit filed by the Princeton Theological Seminary cites the 1935 donation of the WCC property by Sophia Strong Taylor as a gift to advance the “training of Ministers of Music of Evangelical Churches.”
However, if Westminster does not use the property for this purpose, “the land by the unequivocal terms of Ms. Strong Taylor’s gift would become the Seminary’s property,” the lawsuit says.
During Monday’s meeting, the attorney handling the acquisition for the Council addressed the issue.
“Municipality’s right to acquire that property either through private sale or through condemnation is not impeded at all by any of the claims made in the ongoing litigation,” the attorney said.
“The Municipality is free to acquire the property and ownership is free to convey that property – that’s clear through the current litigation, that’s clear through the law.”
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During public comment, a member of the Westminster Community Orchestra appealed to the council and community to keep the existing music facility in place when the property is acquired.
“The music history, the music facility and the music people in Walnut Lane are an asset for Princeton, not a liability. I think this council should keep this in high regard,” the speaker said.
Historian and preservationist Clifford Zink congratulated council for taking the step to acquire the property and offered some advice.
“When the town actually acquires the property I think it’s very important to get all the architectural records, not the records for the actual operation, because there will be a lot of information in there,” Zink said.
He also urged the council to “be creative in repurposing” the site.
After the public comment section, Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros reassured residents that there would be a proper planning process in place for the site.
“We are hearing some concerns, some good ideas, some comments and a lot of questions. Just a reassurance that we are not yet at the point in the process, but when it’s appropriate there will be a robust planning process that will incorporate stakeholders and the community,” Lambros said.
Public hearing on the bond ordinance (Ordinance #2024-34) to the amount of $50 million to buy the property will be held on Oct. 14.
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