The Princeton Planning Board approved a total of just four homes in 2025. Few new proposals for housing made their way to the Board, and several proposals that had already been approved remain unbuilt.

The one application with new housing that the Planning Board approved was the conversion of the second floor of an office building at 14 North Harrison St into four rental apartments. The Planning Board heard that application way back in January, and the units appear to be available for rent already.

No other new applications for housing were heard by the Princeton Planning Board in 2025. Nine scheduled meetings of the Planning Board were canceled, indicating that very few people see a realistic prospect of building anything in Princeton at this time. The applications that were considered included institutional projects, such as the School Board’s plans to expand elementary schools, and Princeton University’s plan to build a ‘Quantum Institute’.

Why has the rate of development slowed to such a trickle? One problem is clearly the threat of litigation by neighborhood objectors, which has dragged out or downsized projects at the old Princeton Seminary lands and at 344 Nassau Street. The sheer difficulty of getting planning approval in Princeton is another problem. Redevelopment of the 70-74 Witherspoon St site was abandoned in June of this year, with the owners blaming delays associated with a years-long process of getting the necessary site plan approvals. Meanwhile, a planned redevelopment of properties on Witherspoon Street was stalled by new state regulations relating to affordable housing.

Other projects appear to have become stalled because of challenges with funding and financing. A proposed development at 21 Wiggins St, which was originally approved in February 2022, has still not progressed, with the owners blaming “the downturn in the economy.” A four-unit apartment building at 217 Witherspoon Street, which was approved in April 2023, has also not been built.

The Planning Board even rescinded the approval of a planned two-home subdivision at 479 Jefferson Road. The owner had requested more time to complete the project, but the Planning Board rejected that at their meeting on July 17, mainly because they feared a legal challenge from neighborhood objectors. This site was previously the subject of an objector campaign from the anonymous “Save Our Streetscapes” group.

There is some hope for an increase in housing approvals in 2026, as the town of Princeton’s “Fourth Round” fair share plan moves forward. The plan was passed earlier this year, and aims to ensure that Princeton maintains compliance with state affordable housing mandates (Report: “Town of Princeton Embraces ‘Smart Growth’ With Proposed Sites For New Affordable Housing“). In the recent past, the town of Princeton fought to try to reduce its state-mandated affordable housing requirements, so it is significant that Princeton Council passed a really good fair share plan this year. Unfortunately in the absence of state mandates, Princeton’s still approving almost no multi-family housing at all.