Board reviews plans for Ivy, jazz club

Princeton Township's Site Plan Review Advisory Board met Monday night to review proposals for Ivy Club's planned expansion and for a new restaurant and jazz club, marking the next step toward the approval of both projects — and the potential expansion of entertainment options both on and off the Street.

Stephen Distler, the principal of developer JAT Holdings, presented his proposal for Aston's Restaurant and Bar, a jazz club he hopes to build on the site of Mike's Tavern on Bayard Lane. The 159-seat restaurant, located just over half a mile from the University, would host two jazz performances every night.

"We want this to be a quality restaurant as well as a quality musical experience," Distler said at the meeting.

University students are enthusiastic about the possibility of a new local performance venue.

"One characteristic of a good college town is having a place for live music," said Jonathan Marks '05, a drummer with the University Jazz Ensemble. "We have Café Viv and McCarter Theatre, but we don't have a venue dedicated to performance in a casual setting in the community."

Ben Wasserman '07 agreed that while McCarter Theatre frequently hosts well-known jazz musicians, students would benefit from an establishment like Aston's.

"A jazz club is a completely different atmosphere from a theater. It opens up the possibility of jam sessions and student musicians getting gigs there. Sounds like a good idea to me," said Wasserman, who plays tenor saxophone with the Jazz Ensemble.

Local residents, however, expressed concern and even opposition to the project. The restaurant's prospective neighbors filed a lawsuit against the project in July, claiming that they had not been properly notified about the proposal.

Municipal officials said they are also concerend that the site's parking lot would not be adequate.

Last April, the Board of Adjustment approved several variances — exceptions to local zoning regulations — that allowed the project to proceed. But after reviewing complaints from residents and local officials, JAT Holdings revised its proposals. Among other changes, they cancelled plans to build a packaged goods store on the site.

JAT Holdings presented its new plan to the advisory board at Monday's meeting, including strategies to address architectural, landscaping, parking, lighting and noise concerns.

The board also discussed Ivy Club's proposed expansion. Ivy hopes to build an addition designed by Porphyrios Associates — which also designed Whitman College — that would include a new "great room" and a "crypt" to be used for computer and study space.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

Though several board members expressed concern over the size of the addition, the board as a whole was generally receptive to the plans presented.

The mayor-appointed Advisory Board, made up of experts in architecture, engineering, law and related fields, advises the Planning Board on building projects in the Township. Princetonian Staff Writer Regina Lee contributed reporting to this article.