Princeton Aims To Buy Rider University's Westminster Choir College Property

September 10, 2024 0 By JohnValbyNation

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Princeton Council on Monday introduced two ordinances with the aim to begin the process of acquiring the site of the historic Westminster Choir College on 101 Walnut Lane.

The Westminster Choir College (WCC) campus belongs to Rider University and is located in the heart of Princeton.

In 2019, Rider moved its students from WCC 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.

The first is a bond ordinance (Ordinance #2024-34) “providing for the acquisition of property and for various capital improvements” to the amount of $50 million.

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The $50 million is broken down into two parts – $42 million for the acquisition of the property and $8 million for capital improvement.

The Municipality will also pay a partial downpayment of $500,000.

The second ordinance (Ordinance #2024-35) authorities the acquisition of the property “by negotiation, purchase, condemnation or eminent domain.”

The ordinance states that the Municipality wishes to develop facilities “serving the Municipality and/or Princeton Public Schools, public administrative offices, recreation, and other public needs”

The public hearing for the bond ordinances will be held on Oct. 14 and the hearing for Ordinance #2024-35 will be held on Oct. 14.

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“Acquisition of this property would represent a generational investment — enabling Princeton to more effectively plan for its long-term future — including but not limited to the provision of much-needed educational and recreational facilities for the community and school district, and other public needs,” the Mayor and Council said in a statement.

“If adopted, Ordinances #2024-34 and #2024-35 will enable the legal process for acquisition to proceed. The Governing Body is committed to working with all interested community stakeholders to determine the best public purposes for this centrally-located site. This is an exciting moment for Princeton and one the governing body believes will result in countless public benefits to be enjoyed for decades to come.”

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 of this purpose, “the land by the unequivocal terms of Ms. Strong Taylor’s gift would become the Seminary’s property,” the lawsuit says.

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