Princeton University land to grow; Sarnoff Corp.’s technology campus to shrink.
By: Gwen Runkle
WEST WINDSOR In an agreement with Princeton University, Sarnoff Corp. has reduced the size of its controversial technology campus, proposed along Route 1, by more than 1 million square feet.
At a press conference Monday, Sarnoff President and CEO Jim Carnes announced that the university would like to purchase about 90 acres of Sarnoff’s 345-acre property along Route 1 and the Millstone River. That land would be used for academic purposes, the exact nature of which is apparently undecided, in the not-so-near future.
The sale is contingent on Sarnoff getting approval for a general development plan for its proposed technology campus expected to be reviewed by the township early next year. And the price of the property has not yet been determined, Mr. Carnes said.
Originally, Sarnoff had planned a 3.5 million-square-foot technology campus, with a floor-area ratio of 24 percent, said Thomas Lento, the firm’s director of communications. The agreement with Princeton University would reduce allowable construction, by Sarnoff and the university, to 2.9 million square feet, with a floor-area ratio of 21 percent.
Of that 2.9 million square feet, Princeton University’s purchase accounts for 800,000 square feet of allowable construction, reducing Sarnoff’s proposed technology campus to about 2.1 million square feet, Mr. Lento said.
"About 800,000 square feet would have been for four separate office buildings and a hotel," Mr. Carnes said, referring to the original plan.
"That 800,000 square feet will stay there and be used by the university. It will not be for a commercial use. It will be for academic purposes," he said.
Current plans for Sarnoff’s technology campus consist of 600,000 square feet of offices east of Little Bear Brook, 750,000 square feet of offices for its venture projects and affiliates to be built near the existing facilities, and expanding the existing facilities from 600,000 square feet to 750,000 square feet.
"This is a win-win-win situation," Mr. Carnes said. "This sale, if and when it is completed, will give us the funds needed (for the technology campus) without requiring us to develop that land.
"The agreement also addresses the major concerns of West Windsor Township officials and citizens in regards to the scope and pace of our proposed development. The total scope of development is less and the university has no near-term plans to develop the property."
Princeton University already owns 400 acres of property in West Windsor, and Pam Hersh, the university’s liaison to state and municipal governments, stressed that any development of the land it plans to buy from Sarnoff is far off.
"Any plans for development will be in the long term," she said. "We bought our first piece of land in West Windsor in 1922 and we still have no buildings on that property."
How the university will use the Sarnoff land also is up in the air.
"Anything right now would be speculation," said Richard Spies, vice president for finance and administration. "We believe this is a valuable purchase because of the flexibility it provides for us over the long term, for uses we don’t yet see or even imagine."
Township officials responded positively to the agreement.
"This is one step in the right direction," said Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh. "Sarnoff has been in the community for more than 60 years and has been a model corporate citizen. I don’t see why we can’t continue our good working relationship. I will ensure full cooperation from the township in working closely with Sarnoff and the university."
Council President Alison Miller and Councilwoman Rae Roeder agreed.
"This is definitely beneficial for Sarnoff because what they needed was capitalization to begin upgrading their facility," Ms. Miller said. "It is beneficial for West Windsor because the research they’ll bring in is great for our ratables and it is good for Princeton University because it gives them an enormous campus."
She also cited less traffic as a benefit, but still had some questions about how much of the technology campus is still planned for the greenbelt lands straddling major stream corridors and connecting forests.
Approximately 120 acres of Sarnoff’s property is designated as greenbelt. The majority is along the Little Bear Brook, where 600,000 square feet of Sarnoff’s technology campus is planned, but that square footage is still under discussion.
"I am concerned, but as for how much is delineated in the greenbelt, we’ll have to wait and see the new general development plan," Ms. Miller said.
Ms. Roeder added, "This is a great idea because it also allows Sarnoff to stay in West Windsor."
Sarnoff had previously threatened to leave the area after the Township Planning Board proposed to change the floor-area ratio in the draft Master Plan from 30 to 15 percent. A compromise of 21 percent was agreed upon.
Kelly Byram of Fisher Place, who formed a neighborhood coalition when Sarnoff first announced its planned expansion almost a year ago, said she will take a wait-and-see attitude.
"I don’t think ownership will really change the issue," Ms. Byram said. "A six-story building right next to our front door is still a six-story building."
She said she will wait to see how the university develops the land, "and how it impacted the traffic and the configuration of the roads in the neighborhood."
David Campbell contributed to this report.