By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
An executive with the company that owns the Princeton Shopping Center faced tough questions from Princeton council members this week about the direction it is taking the center amid concerns that established businesses are being pushed out to bring in higher-end replacements.
Councilwoman Heather H. Howard told Edens Vice President David Germakian of hearing concerns from people who say “long standing, beloved stores are not being retained.” Councilwoman Jenny Crumiller picked up on that theme, citing the decision not to renew the lease of Jordan’s Stationery & Gifts after more than 30 years, with the owner of the store, Lewis Wildman, at the council meeting watching.
“What is your business plan?” Ms. Crumiller said. “What I think people fear is that you’re hoping for high-end stores rather than things that are more useful.”
Ms. Howard asked Mr. Germakian to discuss the philosophy Edens has, in particular she expressed concern about the future of the Princeton Laundromat, the only one in town.
He said Edens has renewed the leases of close to 20 of the existing retailers- including the Laundromat.
“Everything’s driven by the community,” he said. “So I think that from a high level, our intent is to put businesses into the shopping center that are going to be complementary and adopted by the Princeton community.”
Ms. Crumiller told him his answer was “not totally reassuring” by pointing to what has happened to Princeton’s downtown, which has enough wealthy out-of-town customers to keep “very high-end” stores alive.
“And so, I’m wondering, well, maybe that’s what your plan might be too,” she said.
Mr. Wildman, who had been in the center for 34 years, spoke to council during public comment and got choked up in his remarks. He called it an “honor” to serve the community.
“I guess I look forward to the next part of my life,” he said.
Edens, the owner and operator of 120 retail shopping centers nationally, acquired the Shopping Center in 2012. The company has been in the midst of improving the property, reconfiguring traffic circulation, expanding sidewalks and turning a former service station into a Nomad Pizza that is due to open next month.
“Edens thinks that this is a wonderful community and just a terrific shopping center that was really built as a unique place in the 1950s,” Mr. Germakian said.
He added that there are “national tenants” mixed into a center that is “rooted in the community.” Retailer Orvis opened there last year.
Mayor Liz Lempert told reporters earlier in the day that the shopping center is where locals go for food and other needs.
“It’s definitely a concern and it performs a really important role for the community,” she said of the center. “This is a difficult climate, nationwide, for retail. We’ve seen that locally too.”
