By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Princeton University said it has received inquiries from as far as California and Haiti about seven 19th century houses on Alexander Street the school is giving away to anyone willing to relocate them.
The school said Thursday that it had no final commitments “at this time” from anyone ahead of an April 30 deadline. The houses, later turned into university offices and for other purposes, will be demolished to make way for the school’s planned $330 million arts and transit project if they are not moved from the site.
University spokesman Martin A. Mbugua said the school is giving away the homes at no charge. He said the prospective owners would need to incur moving costs.
Information that Mr. Mbugua provided showed that the homes date to as far back as 1860, at a time when the university was still the College of New Jersey. A few of the buildings have had renovations that came later in the 20th century.
Princeton has received lots of inquiries, “some serious, others general,” about the homes, Mr. Mbugua said. Anyone interested in acquiring them should contact the university office of community and regional affairs at 603-258-3204. The school is accepting offers on a first-come, first-served basis.
Mr. Mbugua said the school has not had the homes appraised to see what they would be worth on the real estate market. He said the school would provide details about the homes, including how many rooms are in each, to prospective owners.
The university has said it intends to get working on the arts and transit project with demolition work this month; the school has approved plans for three arts buildings, a new Dinky train station and other changes in that part of town. The project is moving in stages until it is completed in the fall of 2017, according to the university.
The proposal has been met with resistance from opponents who have filed lawsuits seeking to block the university from moving forward. Those suits are pending.
