A new year beckons, and what could 2024 bring for the town of Princeton? Let’s consider the possibilities…and read on to review how we did with our predictions for last year!

Princeton Predictions for 2024:

1. Terra Momo Bread Shop To Be Torn Down – It’s an old favorite on Witherspoon Street, but the building housing the ‘Terra Mono bread store’ is likely going to be torn down in 2024, as the site is redeveloped with a mixed-used development featuring a pizzeria and apartments. (See: “Momo Brothers Propose New Pizzeria, Apartments On Witherspoon Street in Princeton“). The adjoining cigar lounge, “A Taste of Cuba” also looks like a goner. Note: You can still get the delicious Terra Momo baked goods at 15 West Delaware Ave, Pennington, NJ 08534 during construction! Likelihood: 7/10.
2. Triumph Brew Pub to open on Palmer Square – Meanwhile, expect 2024 to be the year when Princeton’s Triumph Brew Pub reopens in its new location in the old USPS post office on Palmer Square. We first reported on the plan in 2017! (See Proposed Triumph Brewpub At Old Princeton Post Office: Images And Site Plans!) The new location is supposed to be open already, after endless delays. Surely it’s going to happen this year, right? Likelihood: 8/10.
3. A New Affordable Housing Plan for Franklin Ave? – Princeton University donated a large surface parking lot on Franklin Avenue to the town in 2014. Although housing has always been considered a possibility for the site, it has taken almost 10 years for an actual plan to emerge. Expect that to change this year, because Council recently approved a contract that should lead to more details (See: “Council Kickstarts Work on the Next Piece of Princeton’s Affordable Housing Obligation: Franklin Avenue“). Likelihood: 7/10.
4. New affordable housing targets for Princeton? – Several affordable housing projects are currently being built in Princeton, to meet the last round of state-mandated “fair share” housing obligations. (See 2019 report: “Princeton Settles Affordable Housing Agreement“) But the next round is scheduled to begin in 2025. The State Assembly is fast-tracking a new process for determining how much housing each town will be required to build, and if the proposed timeline is implemented, a ‘special master’ could specify how many new units of affordable housing Princeton will be required to build as soon as November. Likelihood: 3/10.
5. Objector group to sue over mixed-income housing – One project that could help the town of Princeton meet its next round of affordable housing is the proposed redevelopment of the old Princeton Seminary lands. A concept plan was unveiled in October of this year, and most commentators seemed to like it. (See: “A Concept for the Princeton Seminary Site: 238 Apartments, 48 Affordable“). Certain local objectors, who style themselves as the “Princeton Coalition for Responsible Development”, are furious about the plan. 2024 could bring a court action by these objectors, in an attempt to downsize or block this redevelopment. Likelihood: 5/10.
6. New Faces on the Planning Board – Expect some change on the Planning Board, where several members have had enough and are moving on. Who will fill the vacancies, and will it move the Board in a different direction? We will find out soon! Likelihood: 9/10
7. Town to Settle Crash Litigation – Earlier this year, we learned that the family of a woman who died in a high-speed crash on Nassau Street was suing the town of Princeton and Mayor Mark Freda (See: “Princeton Mayor Mark Freda sued for alleged involvement in deadly car crash“). They allege that Mayor Freda engaged in a dangerous ‘Batman’-style pursuit of teenage car thieves, chasing at high speeds through the Littlebrook neighborhood and onto Nassau Street, ending in a fatal collision with a car driven by 61-year-old Rutgers University administrator Jodi Marcou. Don’t be surprised if the town pays to settle the litigation this year. Likelihood: 5/10.
8. Textile Research Institute to Sell Up – The Textile Research Institute, in the Riverside neighborhood, is a weird place. Nobody knows why it exists, and there has been speculation that it is some kind of CIA dark site. Last year, there was an abortive attempt by the town to declare the site an “area in need of rehabilitation”. That effort went nowhere, but it’s possible that 2024 will be the year that this important site finds a use that people can make sense out of. Likelihood: 2/10.
9. Jasna Polana sold for redevelopment – Another important piece of land in Princeton, the former Johnson family estate, which became the Jasna Polana golf course, is up for sale. (See: “Real estate broker accepting bids for Jasna Polana golf course sale“. The town has shown no interest in discussing terms for redevelopment, so the land is likely to be sold off for expensive McMansions in 2024. Likelihood: 5/10.
10. A new launch for the Paul Robeson House? – Thanks to the work of volunteers and activists, the former home of Paul Robeson on Witherspoon St has been extensively rehabilitated. 2024 may mark a landmark, when the historic dwelling, which has been undergoing painstaking renovations, may be ready for new use. Likelihood: 6/10.

Review of predictions from 2023! (original post can be viewed here)

1. Yard Waste Reform. Did it happen? Yes! The town got stricter about yard waste, but there was probably more of a public rage about the requirement to switch to standardized trash carts instead of the old garbage cans, a change that came in the first half of 2023.
2. More Surveys For Master Plan Rewrite. Did it happen? Yes! Princeton planners held multiple public outreach events to get input for the Master Plan rewrite, but many residents still complained that their voices were not heard. Expect to read more about this on ‘Walkable Princeton dot com’ in 2024…
3. Support for Dinky Upgrade. Did it happen? Yes! Princeton Council did zero to support the proposed “Princeton Transitway” but the new town Master Plan provides official support for the plan.
4. New ‘Lincoln Court’ apartment plan. Did it happen? Yes! The Barsky Group won approval for a redevelopment at this site in February of 2023.
5. Town of Princeton to acquire land on Franklin Avenue. Did it happen? Yes! The town of Princeton purchased land from the Princeton Housing Authority earlier this year for a sum estimated at around $1.7 million.
6. Construction begins at SAVE Animal site. Did it happen? Yes! It took until relatively late in the year, but as of December 2023, site preparation was well under way off of Mt Lucas Rd, for the affordable housing development at the old ‘SAVE Animals’ site.
7. New restrictions on e-bikes. Did it happen? No! Although Princeton Council considered new restrictions on e-bike usage in December 2023, the ordinance was not approved because Councilman David Cohen insisted on further clarifications. Restrictions on e-bikes are likely to pass early in 2024.
8. Community Park South Vision. Did it happen? Yes! Princeton Council approved a new plan for redevelopment of Community Park South in December 2023.
9. Students move into Princeton University ‘Lake Campus’. Did it happen? No. Students have not moved into the new ‘Lake Campus’ as of December 31, 2023, and it seems that Princeton University now wants to call it the ‘Meadows Campus’ instead. Graduate students might also call it the “So Far Away From Campus That It’s Not Even Princeton Any More Campus”.
10. Resolution of Westminster Choir College litigation. Did it happen? No. Writing at “Tap Into Princeton” in December 2023, Richard Rein speculated that there might be some hope for an end to the purgatorial litigation that has left the old Westminster Choir College site empty for years. It’s hard to see it at this point, and it wouldn’t be a big surprise if the site remains unused for the rest of this decade.

Final score for 2023: 7/10.

Thanks for reading ‘Walkable Princeton’ this year!!