Community Corner

Back to the Drawing Board for Vacant School

Engineer John Clearwate, said the school board's resolution was just a fancy way of saying "No, it's just too hard."

 

The Princeton Board of Education has rejected a plan to turn the former Valley Road School into a hub for local non-profits. 

"(Valley Road School-Adaptive Reuse Committee) failed to provide the Board with credible, documented assurances that it has or can secure funding adequate for the extremely extensive renovations necessary to make 369 Witherspoon safe," read the resolution the school board passed on March 5. Board member Dan Haughton was the lone vote against the resolution.

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But the board dismissed the proposal without prejudice, meaning that if VRS-ARC can address the school board's questions and concerns, the board will be happy to reconsider it. 

School officials have been evaluating what to do with the former school, which is located at 369 Witherspoon St. across from the Princeton Municipal Complex.

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The school district owns the property, but admits the building has been in poor condition for at least 30 years, even before it was turned over to the district. The district has made it clear it will not divert scarse educational resources for renovations.

VRS-ARC, led by Princeton residents Dick Woodbridge and Kip Cherry, hoped to save the building and rent space through long-term leases, shared space and one-time conference or performance space. Renovations would be funded through grants and private donations. 

One of the major points of disagreement was how much it would cost to renovate the building. The school board received an estimate of $10.8 million. VRS-ARC's estimate was much less and included multiple phases over several years. 

John Clearwater, a professional engineer and VRS-ARC board member, said the school board's resolution was just a fancy way of saying "No, it's just too hard."

Clearwater said the $10.8 million renovation estimate seems too high. He compared it to Princeton's Transition Task Force receiving an estimate of $35 million for a new public works building last year. In the end, the TTF reduced the estimate to roughly $11 million, one third of the cost to "build the Taj Mahal" version.  

School board members say they asked for, but didn't receive, complete information from VRS-ARC, despite multiple requests and opportunities for discussion. Among the information Superintendent Judy Wilson sought: 

  • an adequate funding plan
  • parking plan
  • zoning changes
  • subdivision plan
  • adequate insurance
  • opinion from a structural engineer
  • agreement for the use of the building (the district does not want to be a landlord, but wants to retain some legal interest in the property should the district's needs change.) 

"The Board received no additional or amending materials from VRS-ARC that adequately or even minimally responded to the demands and questions set forth in Superintendent Wilson's letter," the school board's resolution read in part. 

Cherry asked the board to table its resolution rejecting the VRS-ARC plan, but the board declined.

"We think (the resolution) reflects a previous position of the school board and we're still hoping that eventually the school board will think as we do that Valley Road School has a big future and we should all be part of that future," Cherry said.


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