On Monday, March 9, the Princeton Council advanced the five-step process to become a Film Ready municipality, passed an ordinance that preserves historic sites and aids affordable housing initiatives, and heard proposals for renovations.
The Council unanimously passed Ordinance 2026-10, an act to advance Princeton’s Film Ready application.
The government-funded Film Ready New Jersey certification launched in September of 2022 as a five-step marketing program process that educates municipalities on the basics of television and motion picture production, preparing towns to accommodate local filmmaking.
Princeton mayor Mark Freda introduced the ordinance to complete the fifth step of the certification process, compiling a list of local resources and businesses to help production companies in the filming process.
According to councilwoman Mia Sacks, New Jersey has recently become the state with the fastest growing rate for filming, while California and Texas have seen declines in the past few years.
“Being a Film Ready town means bringing business to town. Hiring local actors and stage production crew means jobs and millions of dollars of spending to our local retailers,” Council President Michelle Pirone Lambros said, in hopes that the ordinance will create a positive impact on local businesses.
Robin Lapidus, Executive Director of Experience Princeton, shared her experience with the program in Boston, recalling that it “was a conduit for getting our businesses extra money for locations, props, and rentals.” By providing resources for production teams, local businesses are able to generate more sales.
Princeton’s campus has previously been a production site for major films including “Oppenheimer” and “A Beautiful Mind.”
After Princeton’s application is considered by the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, Princeton will have the opportunity to join nearly 60 other N.J. municipalities currently part of the program.
The Council also unanimously passed an ordinance that amended the permissible infrastructure developments for five buildings in the Jugtown Historic District, near the intersection of Harrison Street and Nassau Street, by moving them into a new zoning district (AHO-19). The area’s zoning rules were adopted in 2020 as part of Princeton’s efforts to meet its affordable housing obligations.
Housing developments have already been a subject of debate this year. A proposed development to demolish part of the historic Joseph Hornor House, one of the buildings included in the new ordinance, had been the subject of intense opposition from the group Save Jugtown, which raised objections over the scale of the change. The property then offered a revised building plan in December that left the house intact, which was approved by the Zoning Board of Adjustment in February.
In the new affordable housing overlay district, the maximum permissible building height is now 35 feet rather than 45 feet. With the retention of street fronting historic buildings, the ordinance prohibits new construction on top of these buildings.
The ordinance will also allow for upper-story residential units paired with ground-level retail or commercial uses, including townhouses and stacked townhouses.
“We are protecting the history of Princeton while having the opportunity for other people to live here, and that’s what happens when people compromise,” Councilman Leighton Newlin said.
The Council also heard a proposal to enhance the streetscape in the central business district.
The proposal suggests upgrades to Nassau Street, Witherspoon Street, and Hinds Plaza, advocating for the replacement of trash cans and seating, repairing the kiosk at Witherspoon and Vandeventer, and removing unlicensed newspaper boxes.
The changes would be set to occur over the summer with a proposed budget of about $410,000. The funds will be obtained from the Clean Communities Grant Fund, Nassau Streetscape fund, Witherspoon Street fund, and the operating budget.
Joshua Ziner, a local architect and co-chair of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New Jersey design awards, has already begun to envision these changes in Princeton. After the Nassau Streetscape proposed the potential for eliminating the kiosks in March of 2025, Ziner began a collaboration with the AIA to instead create a competition to redesign the kiosk at the corner of Vandeventer and Nassau. Other kiosk locations will be considered for updates after sidewalk construction.
New Jersey students and design companies were invited to submit kiosk designs to the AIA.
First place for professional design — voted for by the AIA — was awarded to “The Walk-Thru” model designed by architecture firm Studio Hillier.
The top six entries for the redesign were then displayed at the Princeton Public Library. Community members voted to give the people’s choice award to “The Pivot Point” model, a professional design by Corporate Design of America P.C. The initiative was sponsored by The Bank of Princeton and Roundview Capital.
First place for student design, also chosen by the AIA, was awarded to a model titled “Revolve” designed by Jonathan Chu and Jonathan Fenton, two students at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
The municipality can choose to adopt any of the designs or create a completely new one.
Princeton Council typically meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7 p.m. Its next meeting will be held on March 23.
Giselle Moreno is a News contributor from Dallas. She can be reached at gm2076[at]princeton.edu.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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