Alternatives offered for Valley Road
By Victoria Hurley-Schubert, Staff Writer
Looking ahead, Princeton Future on Saturday began a conversation about the development of the northern Witherspoon Street corridor, including the former Valley Road School site, expanding emergency facilities and improving traffic at the northern gateway from the borough into Princeton Township.
The main topic of discussion for development and redevelopment was the school site. Four ideas for possible uses were raised at the discussion. All in attendance and on the panel agreed more community space was needed.
”I haven’t thought about these issues and this was a thought-provoking conversation,” said Valerie Haynes, a township resident.
The former school currently has three tenants Corner House counseling service, Princeton Community Television and the township affordable housing office all of which will be homeless after June 30 when Princeton Regional Schools goes out of the landlord business.
The first idea for the former elementary school is to save the building and convert it to community space. Second is to knock the building down, expand the firehouse with an additional bay, build a new home for the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad, and construction of a new building for Corner House counseling services. Third was a hybrid of the two save the façade of the building but construct a whole new building behind it. And lastly, was a new idea to move the YWCA to the site.
”As well-heeled a town as Princeton is, we do not have a community center,” said Dick Woodbridge, township resident, firefighter and former graduate of Valley Road, who said a 501C3 has formed called Save the Valley Road Community Center.
”We would like to preserve it and it doesn’t have to be exactly the same form. I’m just speaking for myself. It could be expanded, modified or made into a more useful facility. Ever since we’ve loaded this idea of a community center, we’ve gotten this huge response to people interested in the idea and would like to be occupants. The $64,000 question is can we get enough money from these people to make it a viable operation?”
As for renovation costs, “we have a substantial cadre of graduates who would probably kick in some money to make it happen,” said Mr. Woodbridge, a former township committee member and mayor.
The group is working on a plan to present to the school board, he said.
Another plan includes demolition of the old building, which is the section that faces Witherspoon Street. The newer section, which houses the school district offices, would remain untouched. A new building would be constructed over the footprint of the old building, expanding the footprint somewhat, to provide space for consolidation of all community emergency and first aid vehicles at this location.
A three-story space for Corner House adjacent to the emergency services building on the northern corner of the property at the intersection of Witherspoon Street and Valley Road would also be built. The adjoining firehouse would also be expanded in a northerly direction to accommodate consolidation of all community fire services at that location.
Panelist J. Robert Hillier, founder of Hillier Architecture, real estate consultant and developer, offered the final two suggestions.
He said the facade might be salvageable and build a whole new building behind it to preserve the memory of the original school.
”If you kept the facade and tore the building down behind it you could enter through all those wonderful arches and go into a new building,” he said. “This is done all the time, where you save the exterior of the building but put a new building behind it.”
Another reason to tear down the building is the lack of compliance with the Americans with Disability Act. There is a ramp out front, but once inside, there are all half-flights of steps, which makes elevator installation in the building difficult, said Mr. Hillier.
”I think the idea of a community center is phenomenal,” said Mr. Hillier, who offered his second idea. “I would like to add another candidate to that community center, emphasis on the word add to it, because I think Corner House, the TV station and the other good things that happen there should be continued there.”
He suggested expanding the community use of the site further, moving the YWCA into the space.
”It would still serve the same neighborhood that everybody felt it should serve,” Mr. Hillier suggested. “You would also have it much more accessible from the township community and much more access by car.”
The playing fields by Valley Road are larger than those at the YWCA’s Paul Robeson Place location, he said. The old Y site could become residential use, with “a lot of people within walking distance of the center of town and that’s a better use of that land.”
He also talked about the traffic jams on Witherspoon Street, which begin about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., when the school and hospital let out. The traffic should be alleviated when the hospital moves next year.
Teri McIntire, township resident and Hillier employee, talked about the pedestrian traffic in the area, especially with the children and immigrant population.
”Do not underestimate the importance of the aggressive driving that goes on to get to the fire house …,” she said.
Attendees have a lot to chew on for future discussion, and even though they aren’t sure what they like, they have opinions on what they don’t like.
”I came away thinking about what we have now and what we ought to have. Look at the long-term population because that will impact what we provide,” said Carl Burns, a township resident. “I’m against the facade idea and whacking off the back of the building.”

