Celebrate ‘Bike To Work’ Week With Two Events In Princeton

Posted on September 22, 2020 by walkableprinceton

Two events are happening this week to mark ‘Bike To Work’ Week (click to expand)

‘Bike To Work Week’ 2020 has been moved from its usual slot in May to this week, September 21-27, because of the coronavirus lockdown that struck earlier this year. Local transportation agencies Greater Mercer TMA and Keep Middlesex Moving are encouraging commuters to leave their car at home, and consider alternatives including biking. Here in Princeton, two events will be taking place to mark the occasion. First, on Wednesday, September 23, Continue reading →

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Princeton Considering Possibility of Closing Lower Witherspoon Street to Motor Vehicles

Posted on September 11, 2020 by walkableprinceton

Witherspoon Street closed to motor vehicles during ‘Communiversity’ in Princeton. (click to expand)

The Princeton Municipal Engineering Department is considering the possibility of permanently closing part of Witherspoon Street to motor vehicles, as part of a consultation on planned improvements to the streetscape. The current project involves the southern end of Witherspoon Street, between Nassau Street and Green Street, and is scheduled to be completed before the end of 2021. An initial community consultation took place at Monument Hall in Princeton on February 13. The public comments collected at that meeting can be viewed on the municipal website, and indicated substantial support for improved biking and walking facilities, and even for dedicating Witherspoon Street in downtown Princeton as a pedestrian area, similar to those seen in several other college towns.
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Posted in Alternative Transportation, Beautiful Walkable Princeton, Complete Streets, Placemaking, planning, Princeton, The Parking Question, Traffic | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Electric-Scooter Rental Program Arrives on the Streets of New Brunswick

Posted on September 3, 2020 by walkableprinceton

e-Scooters on College Ave in New Brunswick, NJ (click to expand)

A new electric-scooter (e-scooter) program has launched in New Brunswick, NJ. An email on Thursday from the Rutgers University Department of Institutional Planning and Operations announced the launch of the program, and by the afternoon, many young people could be seen whizzing around the city on the new scooters. Continue reading →

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Renting in Princeton: How Much Should You Expect To Pay in 2020?

Posted on August 31, 2020 by walkableprinceton

Home for rent on North Tulane Street in Princeton (click to expand).

How much should you expect to pay for apartment rentals in Princeton? We took a look through the listings to try to find out what the going rate is for apartments in central Princeton in August 2020.  We last looked at Princeton rental rates one year go, in August 2019.

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Renderings of Proposed 20 Nassau Street Hotel in Downtown Princeton

Posted on August 21, 2020 by walkableprinceton

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.

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Posted in architecture, Density, Placemaking, planning, Princeton, Real estate, Smart Growth, Sustainability, The Parking Question, Traffic, Zoning | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Town of Princeton Facing Legal Challenge Over Thanet Redevelopment

Posted on August 10, 2020 by walkableprinceton

375 Terhune Road, Princeton (click to expand)

The town of Princeton’s plan to redevelop the Thanet Circle office park (map) has become the subject of a court challenge in Mercer County Superior Court. A company known as “375 Terhune Road, LLC” is suing the town, alleging that the process used to redevelop the site did not meet legal standards, and should be overturned. If successful, the case could delay or prevent the proposed redevelopment of the site with 300 new apartments.

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Princeton Council Considering More Homes and Retail at Franklin-Maple Site

Posted on July 17, 2020 by walkableprinceton

The Franklin Ave parking lot, a potential affordable housing site (click to expand)

In 2014, Princeton University donated a disused parking lot on Franklin Avenue (map) to the town of Princeton. The parking lot has not been used much since, but at their meeting on Monday night, Princeton Council took the first steps toward rezoning the land for housing. At a minimum, the site will be used for 80 units of affordable housing, but Council is also considering an alternative plan that would allow for up to 160 homes, including new ground floor retail at the nearby intersection with Witherspoon Street. Continue reading →

Posted in Affordability, People, Placemaking, planning, Princeton, Smart Growth, The Parking Question, Zoning | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Outdoor Pizza Oven Coming to Hulfish Street in Downtown Princeton

Posted on July 13, 2020 by walkableprinceton

The Teresa Caffe outdoor pizza oven, which will be set up in Palmer Square in downtown Princeton. (click to expand)

Princeton Council tonight approved an application by the owners of Teresa Caffe to place a mobile pizza oven at 29 Hulfish Street in downtown Princeton. The mobile oven will be located in a parking bay outside the ‘Mediterra‘ restaurant. The adjacent square with the fountain will be dedicated for outdoor dining, as part of Princeton’s continuing efforts to increase outdoor dining opportunities in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Continue reading →

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Planning Board Rejects Concept Plan for Four-Story Housing at Princeton Shopping Center

Posted on July 10, 2020 by walkableprinceton

The south-east corner of Princeton Shopping Center, which has been identified as a potential site for new housing (click to expand)

At a marathon hearing on Thursday night, the Princeton Planning Board endorsed a new Fair Share Housing plan for the town of Princeton. The Board also approved several affordable housing ordinances, which had been sent for review by the Town Council. But several issues proved controversial, most notably the ‘concept plan’ for affordable housing at Princeton Shopping Center. Continue reading →

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Four-Story Housing To Replace Pharmacy At Princeton Shopping Center (Updated)

Posted on July 9, 2020 by walkableprinceton

Map of proposed new housing at Princeton Shopping Center (click to expand)

Tonight, the Princeton Planning Board will review the town’s plan to meet state-mandated affordable housing requirements. The plan has been developed over a period of several years, and envisages over 700 new housing units, as well as zoning changes to make it easier to add affordable housing in several areas. Although many of these proposals have been discussed in public meetings previously, the documents for tonight’s meeting provide an unprecedented level of detail about where and how the town will add new affordable homes. Among the sites for affordable housing is a major redevelopment at Princeton Shopping Center. According to the draft overlay, 200 new rental apartments will be built on the site of the existing Walgreens Pharmacy, which would be demolished, and rebuilt at a new location nearby. Continue reading →

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