A newly formed panel of University and community leaders is planning a revitalization of the Princeton downtown area with the goal of creating an additional tax base, increasing available housing and establishing a new town center only a couple of blocks north of Nassau Hall.
The panel — called Princeton Future — was formed by former University President Robert Goheen, Sheldon Sturges, president of Sturges Publishing Company, and Robert Geddes, former dean of the University's architecture school.
"Princeton Future is a new citizens' council and it seeks to bring together the downtown neighborhood and the downtown core," said Geddes, the panel's co-chair. "This is the last chance we have to build in a significant area."
One of the main goals of the group is building a second community hub — much like Palmer Square — on or near Wiggins Street, north of Nassau.
"When Palmer Square was built, it transformed the town," Geddes said. He added that he expects the construction of "Madison Square" — as the area tentatively is named in honor of former U.S. President James Madison 1771 — to have a similarly positive effect.
The creation of Madison Square is designed to open up the downtown area and include shops and restaurants that appeal to all community members. "I think it is very important for the kind of Princeton we'll have here in 15 years as to how that downtown area is developed," Goheen said.
The increased number and size of shops also will create an additional tax base for the town, Geddes said. The resulting boost to the local economy will help make housing in the area more affordable and more available.
Developing areas like a nowempty lot on Paul Robeson Place that Geddes termed "an insult to the community" is another goal.
One of the big hurdles the panel faces is securing funding for the projects. Sturges said the panel will raise money for overhead costs, then work on funding each project individually.
Another of the panel's most immediate projects is to include a Princeton Downtown Master Plan in the region's new Princeton Community Master Plan to be revised in 2002. The cost of realizing the downtown plan alone will be $100,000 to $200,000.
Sturges added that the panel is asking for support from local citizens and from University students. "One of the things that we know the students would like is an all-night cafe," he noted, explaining that appealing to students is a key focus of the panel.
Also on the panel are University President Shapiro, Vice President for Finance and Administration Richard Spies GS '72, Wilson School Dean Michael Rothschild and Ralph Lerner, the current dean of the University's architecture school.
The committee also is developing a website and will be holding open meetings for those who are interested in the panel's plans.
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