Sketch of proposed new hotel at 20 Nassau Street in Princeton, NJ (click to expand)

Last year, it was announced that Graduate Hotels had purchased 20 Nassau Street, a large building in downtown Princeton that has most recently been used for retail uses and offices (map). Graduate Hotels manages boutique hotels in around 30 locations in the USA. At a recent neighborhood meeting, they shared further concept plans about how the new hotel in downtown Princeton might look. The images shown here are from the presentation.

The existing building at 20 Nassau Street was constructed in 1918. It was originally used for Princeton University dorms, then subsequently as the headquarters of the Educational Testing Service, before being subdivided into offices with ground floor retail. In its current form, the building reaches to five stories on Nassau Street, but just two stories in the adjoining structures to the rear, which face onto Chambers Street. Following the sale of the building last year, the businesses on Chambers Street were closed, but those on Nassau Street remain and are likely to stay. A major goal of the proposed hotel concept is to maintain and preserve the existing historic building fronting onto Nassau Street.

Existing structure at Nassau St and Chambers Str. (click to expand)

If the new hotel is built as proposed, the entrance would be on Chambers Street, and look like this:

Proposed entrance on Chambers Street. (click to expand)

The buildings on Chambers Street would be demolished, and replaced with new, five-story additions in two ‘modules’, which would match the height and style of the existing historic structure fronting onto Nassau Street:

Proposed changes in massing in the new hotel (click to expand)

And 80-bay parking garage would be built in a basement level. The developer proposes that the new hotel will lead to a net increase in parking availability in downtown Princeton, because the hotel is not expected to require as much parking as was needed for the former offices, and because of the new parking available in the basement garage. The new building would be built to LEED Silver standard, with a green roof, free bikeshare, and electric vehicle charging stations.

Possible future view along Chambers Street if the new hotel is constructed. (click to expand)

The plan is attracting criticism from some residents on neighboring Bank Street (at foreground in image below), who are unhappy about potential increases in traffic, and the limited setbacks adjacent to Bank Street.

Massing and setbacks of proposed hotel adjacent to Bank Street (bottom left) (click to expand)

The plan was discussed by the town’s Site Plan Review Advisory Board at their meeting on August 12. The proposal requires variances, and would presumably be ruled on by the Zoning Board of Adjustment, although no date for a hearing has been published on the municipal calendar at the time of writing. If constructed, the hotel could provide the town with a substantial commercial ratable. The town could also collect hotel taxes from visitors who might otherwise stay in accommodation on US-1.

View the full concept plan document at this link: Graduate Hotels Princeton Concept Plan. (82MB PDF)