After a unanimous approval by council, it’s now a question of raising money.
By: Gwen Runkle
WEST WINDSOR It’s official. The township plans to use the Princeton Junction firehouse building as a community arts center.
The Township Council unanimously approved a resolution Monday declaring the firehouse should be used for such purposes and received warm thanks for doing so from the newly formed West Windsor Arts Council.
The Township Council’s action represents a first step toward determining how the center will be run and organizing funding to renovate the building.
The Arts Council anticipates it will be responsible for managing the arts center and providing community programs.
"We see the township retaining ownership of the building and enabling our board of directors and staff, on a long-term lease basis, to be responsible for programming and activity decisions," said Jeff Nathanson, Arts Council vice president.
The Arts Council expects to set up multidisciplinary arts programming for children, teens and adults, including dance, theater and music performances and classes along with fine arts and crafts exhibits, culinary arts classes, literary arts readings and classes, media artwork and after-school and evening teen programs.
"We do have a grand vision," Mr. Nathanson added. "When we ultimately open up the center’s doors, you might not see all this at once, but we do see it as possible as a long-range vision."
Exact plans for renovation of the firehouse have not been completed, but rough ideas have been fleshed out.
The large truck bays would work perfectly for studio space, a windowless basement space would make an excellent darkroom and an industrial kitchen could be converted for use as a café or for a culinary arts program, said Heidi Kleinman, an area architect, township Planning Board member and member of the Arts Council’s board of directors.
Renovation to the inside of the firehouse is estimated to cost more than $500,000, according to Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh, all of which he anticipates taxpayers will not have to pay for.
"We are going to have to work on fund-raising to get things started," he said previously.
"It’s a grassroots effort right now," Councilwoman Kristin Appelget added Monday.
An art sale at the West Windsor branch of the Mercer County Library has already raised a small amount of money for renovations. The township also received a $66,000 county grant for improving the streetscape of the site.
The outside of the firehouse is expected to be kept as it is now and a plaque will be hung on the building to explain the history of the site.
Even without a base of operations, the West Windsor Arts Council has been active.
The private, nonprofit group, officially created in July 2002, has already organized several activities and created partnerships with local businesses.
On May 31, the Arts Council is putting together an event called "Artist Connection" to give residents a chance to meet all the artists that call West Windsor home. In addition, on June 21, the council will be holding its second annual Summer Solstice poetry reading. A musical event is also planned for June, said Paul Cerna, Arts Council president.

