The Planning Board is reviewing a new 350-seat theater.
By: David M. Campbell
The Princeton Regional Planning Board has postponed action on the proposed Berlind Theatre, a 350-seat addition to McCarter Theatre, to allow the board to deliberate further on parking and circulation issues.
The board is expected to resume its hearing on the 27,110-square-foot expansion at its June 21 meeting, Princeton Planning Director Lee Solow said Monday.
On Thursday night, the Planning Board deliberated until about 11:30 p.m. over outstanding concerns about parking and drop-off during showtimes.
There are currently 389 on-street parking spaces in the immediate vicinity of the theater, including the municipal lot near the adjacent Dinky train station. McCarter proposes to continue to use these spaces and provide additional parking in Princeton University’s new garage, located about 700 feet away off Faculty Road, Mr. Solow said.
McCarter’s traffic consultant has suggested that striping be used to shift traffic away from the theater along University Place, where most of the showtime drop-off traffic occurs, Mr. Solow said.
The existing theater seats about 1,000 and hosts from 170 to 180 performances annually. The addition, which is expected to cost $10.5 million to build, would increase capacity to 1,474, which includes new rehearsal space.
The new theater would include two rehearsal halls, offices and auxiliary spaces, and would be shared by Princeton University theater and dance students and McCarter.