Rendering of Nelson Glass building addition with residential units. (click to expand, credit: JZ&D architects)

The Princeton Planning Board recently approved a proposal to add three stories to the ‘Nelson Glass’ building at 45 Spring Street. The project promises to add 6 new apartments in a very walkable location at the heart of downtown Princeton. One of the apartments will be designated as an ‘affordable’ unit under the town’s inclusionary zoning policy, and the project will meet LEED-Silver environmental standards.

Nelson Glass has operated in Princeton since 1949. Owner Robbie Nelson, the daughter of founder Bob Nelson, is aiming to use the site to help meet the need for housing in central Princeton. Designed by local architect Joshua Zinder, the 3-floor addition will include one 1-bedroom, three 2-bedroom, and two 3-bedroom units. Pricing has not yet been announced. The existing first-floor commercial premises will be retained. The plan was approved at the Planning Board meeting on Thursday, February 15.

The Nelson Glass building as it appears today, in Feburary 2018. (click to expand).

Several members of the Planning Board expressed concern about the parking availability on the site. Although the plan includes sufficient parking to meet the requirements of local zoning, some of the parking is ‘stacked’, where one car blocks the vehicle behind it. A number of supporters of the Nelson family were also in attendance.

The new apartments at the Nelson Glass site are the first multi-family residences to be approved in Princeton since the adaptive re-use of the Aaron Lodge #9 Masonic Temple on MacLean St, which was approved in Feburary 2016.