To the Editor:
You’ve probably seen the orange signs around town proclaiming, “Defend Historic Princeton.” But what, exactly, are we defending?
As a native Princetonian whose family roots stretch back to the late 1800s, I hold this town’s history close to my heart. My colleagues and I, most with deep, multigenerational ties to Princeton, are working to protect the character and legacy that make this community so special.
Yet the greatest threat to Princeton’s history isn’t new housing, it’s the loss of the people who built this community. As housing prices have soared, we’ve watched too many longtime residents, teachers, artists, landscapers, police officers, tailors, and small business owners, priced out of the town they helped shape.
The Princeton I grew up in was a place where people from all walks of life lived side by side. University staff, professors, and retirees shared neighborhoods with the workers who kept the town running. That mix gave Princeton its warmth, creativity, and sense of shared purpose. Today, that diversity is slipping away, and with it, the living culture that defines our “historic” identity.
Let’s be honest: living in Princeton is expensive. Desirability has driven up costs and widened the gap between those who can afford to stay and those who cannot. That’s why we’re working to expand housing options, responsibly and in ways that strengthen our community. Our goal is not merely to meet a state obligation, but to offer real choices for the people who make Princeton work.
Inclusionary developments are essential to this vision. They allow people from different economic backgrounds to live together, broaden our tax base, and generate new revenue that helps stabilize property taxes. These projects help preserve the socioeconomic diversity that has long been Princeton’s hallmark.
We’ve been intentional in identifying sites for redevelopment, focusing on underused properties such as surface parking lots and vacant offices. Guided by smart-growth principles, these projects are located near transit and commercial centers, primarily within Princeton’s core.
Which brings us to the source of those orange signs: the pushback against the Stockton Street (Seminary) redevelopment. This is the first mixed-income housing proposal ever in the wealthiest section of town.
Some recent ads and letters have called it a “high-rise,” but the proposed buildings are no taller than the structures that once stood there. The design honors Princeton’s historic character, echoing the collegiate architecture of our town. The plan includes features which reflect Princeton’s values of sustainability, stewardship, and thoughtful design.
Under New Jersey’s Redevelopment Law, the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement enables the town to meet our affordable housing obligation and deliver benefits such as underground parking to reduce surface lots and expand green space, cutting edge stormwater mitigation systems where none exist today and high-quality building materials.
The plan earned unanimous approval from both the Governing Body and the Planning Board, and was accepted by Fair Share Housing Center as part of Princeton’s affordable housing obligation. In addition to 48 affordable units, the project earns double credit, representing as many as 96 units that would otherwise need to be built elsewhere in town.
Some neighbors have urged the town to pursue a 100 percent affordable project, but a private entity is the contract purchaser. Even if the municipality had been given the opportunity, the acquisition and construction costs would require tens of millions in taxpayer subsidies, even after state credits. This would force all residents to fund housing in one of Princeton’s wealthiest neighborhoods and forego tens of millions of dollars in PILOT revenue. That was never a fair or financially viable option.
Instead, this plan advances multiple community goals: meeting our affordable housing obligations, creating new homes near downtown and transit, promoting sustainable land use, and generating new tax revenue, all on a parcel that has historically been tax exempt.
True preservation isn’t about freezing Princeton in time; it’s about keeping it alive. Change is inevitable. The question is whether we resist or guide it to preserve the true spirit of Princeton.