WW council, arts group take step toward art center agreement

Memorandum of understanding approved for use of former firehouse

By: Molly Petrilla
   WEST WINDSOR — The Township Council approved a memorandum of understanding with the West Windsor Arts Council on Monday night following minor changes to the document.
   The memorandum serves as a preliminary agreement under which the township will designate the former Princeton Junction firehouse on Alexander Road as an arts center. Under the agreement, the township will retain ownership of the firehouse and the arts council will enter a long-term lease agreement of at least 10 years.
   The memorandum is "simply a prelude to the lease," Township Attorney Michael Herbert said. "It’s just a two-page document containing some of the fundamental principles" for the agreement. In fact, he said, arts council officials may approach the Township Council in the future about changes to the document.
   But questions arose Monday regarding the memorandum’s promise that "the Township will bring the building up to code and use municipal funds to provide all necessary renovations to make the building code compliant for public use."
   Councilman Charles Morgan said it may be essential for the arts council to help raise funds, in addition to the assistance it will receive from the township, to bring the building up to code. "I’m in search of why we need the memorandum of understanding if it’s not here to help the arts council go out and raise funds," he said.
   "We want to know that we’re going to be offset (financially)," Councilman Franc Gambatese added.
   To address this issue, the council added a clause that its assistance in the project will be "subject to a determination of financial feasibility." Officials have already allocated $50,000 in this year’s budget to evaluate the 7,200-squre-foot building.
   Eduardo Garcia, the arts council’s executive director, said Thursday that his organization is willing to apply for grants and fundraise if the township finds it is unable to foot the entire bill.
   Another addition to the memorandum regarded use of the arts center by "small community groups such as book clubs, language study groups, garden clubs, and neighborhood associations." The council affirmed that these groups will be able to use the center for meetings free of charge.
   The nonprofit West Windsor Arts Council grew out of Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh’s arts task force in 2002 and has been seeking a permanent home in the former firehouse — a one-story building with a partial basement and partial second story — for more than three years.
   Mr. Garcia said the organization would like to use its new space for art exhibitions, performances and classes for adults and children. Following renovation, the space may be able to accommodate as many as 150 people for poetry readings or open-microphone nights, he said.
   In the meantime, Mr. Garcia said the arts council will continue to expand its current programs, and is discussing possibilities for a temporary space in addition to the outdoor area it often uses in Nassau Park shopping center.