To the Editor:

The Witherspoon-Jackson Development Corporation (WJDC) was established in 1976. It is a 40-year-old organization with an impressive history of serving the Witherspoon-Jackson (WJ) neighborhood. Initially, with $90K in funding, its efforts focused on redeveloping the original Shirley Court into new affordable for-sale housing units. The organization later began purchasing and repairing existing neighborhood homes to sell to Witherspoon-Jackson families. WJDC also extended help to some existing property owners towards the payment of property taxes. Remarkably, the organization facilitated the purchase of 23 houses in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood by the mid-1980’s. Unfortunately, without sufficient funds in a competitive real estate market, the organization experienced a long period of dormancy.

In the past year, due to the many dynamics affecting the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, steps have been taken to revive the WJDC. Resurrected, the WJDC hopes to continue as a resource in addressing neighborhood issues of affordable housing, home ownership, maintenance, and supporting the residency of longtime families in the WJ neighborhood. This summer, interested members of the community met to discuss creative ways for the organization to explore the nature, use and type of existing properties through zoning or other measures in order to address diverse housing needs, economic development, and neighborhood services. At that meeting, a vigorous discussion ensued on the need for the neighborhood to secure a position in its physical planning and long term viability as a socio-economically diverse neighborhood, recently designated as the Witherspoon-Jackson Historic District.

Last month, WJDC was fortunate to have been granted $1.25M from Princeton University as a stipulation of the property tax lawsuit settlement. The grant will be dispersed over three years to help support WJDC’s general mission. WJDC appreciates the recognition of past accomplishments, is humbled by Princeton University’s faith in it as a revived organization, and looks forward to the active participation by the University as a member of the WJDC Board of Directors.

WJDC leadership is particularly grateful to the Eleanor Lewis Estate and the 27 plaintiffs, most of whom are Witherspoon-Jackson property owners. Represented by attorney Bruce Afran, they challenged the status of the University as a non-profit organization in its payment of municipal property taxes. Because of the generosity and courage of these plaintiffs, many property owners throughout Princeton will benefit. The settlement also stipulated the dispersal of funds for a tax relief program for those who qualify for the NJ State Homestead Rebate Program, for which the application deadline is November 30, 2016.

While the projected sum of the lawsuit settlement to the WJDC provides a real boost to advance the organization’s efforts to address various issues from program development through to implementation, WJDC will still need to develop a vigorous financial plan and engage in fundraising to address the rising costs of real estate, some of which are tenfold since the founding of the organization.

On December 1, 2016 WJDC will hold its first meeting of the full board of directors and advisory board. We look forward to the challenging work ahead under the guidance of a diverse, experienced, expert, and energized group of volunteers who will be dedicated to addressing a broad set of neighborhood needs and aspirations. We invite the community to join us in this journey and ask for your support.

Henry Pannell, Joan Hill, 

Penney Edwards-Carter, Yina Moore