By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
The soon-to-be-sold Palmer Square Post Office will be turned into either a retail store or a restaurant, said a Princeton councilwoman who was in touch with the buyer of the property.
At the council meeting Tuesday, Councilwoman Jenny Crumiller said she and Councilwoman Heather H. Howard had spoken by phone to an unidentified representative of LCOR Ventures, based in Oakland.
LCOR emerged as the winning bidder on the property, although the deal has not been closed. The company has not responded to prior requests for comment.
“I think what we heard from the buyer was there’s not yet a tenant, so we can’t say with specificity what’s going to happen here. But one thing that we did urge to the potential purchaser is to please come to the community as soon as you know more, because this is a community that wants to know,” Ms. Howard said. “This is such an important part of town.”
“I think we can also say with pretty much certainty that it’s going to be either a retail establishment or a restaurant,” Ms. Crumiller added.
In either of those cases, they would enter an already crowded shopping district filled with restaurants and stores.
Greg Lackey, a representative of the Postal Service, told the full council on Tuesday that the Post Office would relocate to its new home at 259 Nassau Street “on or about” Nov.1. The location is the former West Coast Video property that will be turned into a 7-Eleven and Post Office.
Only a few weeks ago, the Post Office had announced that operations would be relocated effective Sept.21. Mr. Lackey did not specify a reason for the delay.
The historic and controversial mural inside the building will remain Post Office property. Mr. Lackey said the buyer would have to maintain the artwork, titled “Columbia under the Palm,” depicting kneeling Indians before white colonists.
