School board seeks low-cost improvments and way to generate revenue at former school
By: Hilary Parker
The Princeton Regional School District received proposals from three area architecture firms in response to a request for bids proposing studies of the present and future usage of the Valley Road building, which currently houses the district’s administrative offices.
Proposals were received from Princeton-based KSS Architects, West Windsor-based Hillier Architecture and SSP Architectural Group of Somerville.
"We were excited about this because it’s reusing an existing building that’s mostly vacant," said Merilee Meacock, an associate at KSS. "Not only is it going to improve the neighborhood, but it will also be used as a resource in the community. We wanted to help (the district) find a way to utilize it that would maybe benefit the community in many ways."
According to Ms. Meacock, the project is a smaller-scale version of projects the firm has done revitalizing neighborhoods in other communities, and she said consideration would be given to housing community organizations in the vacant space currently in the building, or renting it out for office space.
J. Robert Hillier, founder and chairman of the board of Hillier Architecture, said, "We have a national practice that is accomplished in adaptive re-use and in real estate strategies, and are fascinated by the possibilities presented by the Valley Road property.
"Locally," he continued, "our work at The Waxwood, a former school, and our proposed plan for the existing University Medical Center at Princeton site indicate the level of community involvement we believe should be brought to a project."
Representatives of SSP were unavailable for comment.
The Princeton Regional Board of Education approved a resolution in January allowing the request for bid proposals for the study. According to the resolution, study findings will be made known to the board prior to the completion of the 2007-2008 budget.
The district was seeking proposals to consider low-cost improvements that might be made to the building, as well as ways revenue might be generated from areas within the building not used by the district. At the same time, the resolution clearly stated the community’s opinions and needs with regard to the facility should be taken into account.
In the past, Princeton Township municipal offices were based in the Valley Road building, and the use of the facility was contentious at one time. In 2002, the township moved to its current location in the offices across Witherspoon Street and the district now holds title to the building.
At an April 21 meeting of the board’s Facilities Committee, board President and Facilities Committee Chairman Michael Mostoller said a public-bidding process would be used to select a firm to conduct the study, and noted that proposals from developers would be sought after any completed study was carefully reviewed by the board.
The Facilities Committee will hear a report on the three submitted proposals today during a closed session at 9 a.m. in the Valley Road building, according to Mr. Mostoller. Depending on that report, the proposals may or may not be discussed in the public session to follow at 10:30 a.m., he said.

