By Matthew Hersh
Mercer County Executive Dan Benson announced last week that the county would purchase 56 acres of land for preservation from Rider University in Lawrence Township, including the final surviving portion of “The Big Woods,” the beech forest explored by prominent conservationist Aldo Leopold during his time as a student at The Lawrenceville School in the early years of the 20th century.
The purchase totals approximately $8.5 million, with the majority of funding coming from a combination of the county’s Open Space Trust Fund and capital budget. Calling the transaction “a landmark agreement that will strengthen the University while preserving ecologically and historically significant lands as open space for future generations,” Benson and Rider University President John R. Loyack said most of the purchased land will be designated for permanent preservation as open space.
The open space designation makes the purchase eligible for up to a 50 percent reimbursement from the state through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Lawrence Township has agreed to contribute towards the purchase using its own open space funds. The county is also entering into a facility use agreement with Rider, which will allow the county to access university facilities for operational uses and events. In total, these transactions will total about $10 million.
The purchase provides Rider with needed cashflow as the university works to stabilize and strengthen its finances, Benson and Loyack said. Rider University is currently facing a severe, long-term financial crisis, saddled by a $21 million deficit in FY2024, declining enrollment, and accreditation probation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. As a result, Rider last year announced a cut of a quarter of its full-time faculty and a reduction of employee salaries by 14 percent.
Following his arrival in July 2025, Loyack launched the March to Sustainability Plan to assess and address the University’s financial situation and begin rebuilding Rider’s future. The resulting plan, which began with an audit of the University’s recent financial history, prioritizes a set of actions to address Rider’s immediate financial challenges and to build on the University’s 160-year legacy.
Following the release of the report, Loyack told Town Topics that the layoffs were painful. “But now to a great extent, there’s a whole second wave of work that begins on how we’re starting to do things to enhance existing programs, and begin to work on new ones we have on the horizon,” he said.
With the recent land preservation agreement, Loyack signaled that Rider is taking steps to build financial strength with the help of area institutions and governments. “The agreement demonstrates the ultimate in creativity and speed that can be achieved through meaningful public-private partnerships,” he said.
“Rider University is an invaluable asset to our community,” said Benson. “I’m proud that we were able to sit down and work collaboratively with University leadership to reach an agreement that strengthens our partnership, and that’s a win-win for the school and for Mercer County residents.”
Princeton Mayor Mark Freda praised the land acquisition, saying the move would have long-term environmental benefits for the region. “I am in favor of us preserving open space of this type,” Freda said. “It really is good for our environment and it’s an investment in our future.”
Rider’s previous land assets included the 22-acre Westminster Choir College campus, located along Wiggins Street in Princeton, which is now owned by the municipality of Princeton. Westminster Choir College has been a part of Rider since 1992. Loyack’s predecessor, Gregory Dell Omo, made an unsuccessful attempt to sell the Westminster campus in 2017 and relocated what remained of the school and its programs to Rider’s main campus in Lawrence in 2020. The municipality of Princeton acquired the Westminster campus land last year.
The 56 acres purchased for preservation are known to have helped shape Aldo Leopold’s ecological perspectives, most notably elaborated in his work A Sand County Almanac. In addition to The Big Woods, the purchase includes environmentally sensitive wetlands. The county plans to improve trails on the property for better access to passive recreation, according to Benson.
The county and Rider University continue to discuss further options for cooperation, Benson noted in the announcement, including the possible purchase of an easement along the planned route of the Johnson Trolley Trail. When completed, this trail will provide a pedestrian and bicycle path running from Trenton to Princeton.
“Proposing this purchase allowed us to provide Rider with an alternative to selling off this important land to private residential developers,” added Benson. “I want to thank the Board of Commissioners for their important support during these negotiations, as well as Lawrence Township for their valuable input throughout this process.”