Plenty of interest in 1,000-square-foot Spring Street site.
By: Jennifer Potash
More than just cars may be found inside the downtown parking garage.
A retail shop is planned for the Spring Street side of the new structure.
The 500-space garage, part of the $13.7 million improvement project funded by Princeton Borough, contains a 1,000-square-foot retail space. The borough’s development partner, Nassau HKT Associates, is building the garage but will not be involved in the selection of the garage retail tenant.
The borough will not directly select the tenant but employ a property management company to do so, said Borough Administrator Robert Bruschi.
"It’s on our radar screen and is something we’ve got to work on," he said.
The borough does not have a specific business or service in mind for the new store, Mr. Bruschi said.
"A lot will depend on how the space is fitted out," he said. "It’s not a very big space."
Many potential retailers have already contacted the borough about the space, Mr. Bruschi said, adding that the borough welcomes the calls or letters of interest.
While the garage is expected to open in April, the retail tenant many not be in place until later in the year, he said.
The rest of the project offers other commercial possibilities.
The five-story building now under construction in front of the parking garage, facing Witherspoon Street, will have a restaurant on the first floor and 20 apartments above.
A plaza will be built in front of the mixed-use building and will include outdoor tables, chairs and benches.
The new Princeton Public Library, adjacent to the garage development, will include the Open Book Café, run by Kelly Hamdan, owner of Chez Alice café and catering business on Nassau Street. The library’s new meeting room will have exterior doors leading out to the new plaza, but use will be limited to special events, said Eric Greenfeldt, assistant library director.
Another phase of the downtown development is a larger five-story building planned for the Tulane Street parking lot.
That building will have a food market on the first floor and 57 apartments on the upper floors.
Negotiations are under way with potential tenants for the market space, said Robert Powell, principal partner with Nassau HKT.