To all concerned about the future of the Tennent-Roberts-Whiteley campus:
Many of us were surprised to read about what happened at the Zoning Board meeting recently regarding the proposed Graduate Hotel development and its impact on the Bank Street residents. In addition to the media coverage, there have been several thoughtful letters to the editor on this latest turn of events in the heart of town; here is one example.
With that in mind, this seemed like a good time to update you on the actions taken (or contemplated) by a group of your fellow Princeton residents regarding the proposed Tennent-Roberts-Whiteley redevelopment.
We are working hard to ensure that the voices of all of us, throughout the community, are heard and have an impact on any redevelopment on the Tennent-Roberts-Whiteley campus. In addition, and as part of this effort, we believe it is important to place any proposed redevelopment of Tennent-Roberts-Whiteley within the broader context of the overall redevelopment landscape in Princeton. While we understand the importance of appropriate redevelopment in all parts of town, we are strongly of the view that redevelopment should not fundamentally change the character and “feel” of thriving existing communities throughout Princeton. We do hope that our elected officials share this point of view as it pertains to each of the neighborhoods of Princeton.
We are planning to be very proactive in seeking to shape the debate on the future of Tennent-Roberts-Whiteley. To that end, we have already:
Retained a redevelopment attorney who will advise us on how best to obtain an outcome that serves the interests of the surrounding community; and
Filed an Open Public Records Act request for all documents or communications involving local government officials and (i) the Area in Need of Redevelopment designation in 2018, (ii) Princeton Theological Seminary’s efforts at redevelopment in 2018-19; and/or (iii) communications with Herring Properties regarding the Tennent-Roberts-Whiteley campus.
We will soon be forming a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to shape the public debate on the future of Tennent-Roberts-Whiteley. All of you will be invited (and encouraged) to be a part of this new organization.
We think it would be in the best interest of all if we could begin to engage in dialogue as soon as possible with Herring Properties, the presumptive buyer of the Tennent-Roberts-Whiteley campus, on campus redevelopment plans that serve the interests of both the developer and the surrounding community. To this end, we have reached out to Herring Properties on several occasions to request a meeting. Thus far, Herring Properties has indicated they believe it is premature to have such conversations
We are in the process of developing a position paper and/or talking points to publicly express our concerns and offer proposals relating to the redevelopment of the Tennent-Roberts-Whiteley campus. Simultaneously, we are looking into ways to best engage with our elected officials on the future of the Tennent-Roberts-Whiteley campus after the position paper/talking points have been developed.
Should you have questions, comments or concerns about the foregoing or our plans going forward, we encourage you to contact any of the individuals listed (alphabetically) below.
Best wishes,
Jo Butler (jo.butler@verizon.net)
Tom Chapman (tchapman@gsgllc.net)
David DeMuth (dpdhome1@yahoo.com)
Steve Kern (kernsv@yahoo.com)
Jack Kerr (johnjkerr2@gmail.com)
Nora Kerr (nkerr42@gmail.com)
Jane MacLennan (jmaclennan43@gmail.com)
Brad Middlekauff (bradmiddlekauff@mindspring.com)
Karen O’Connell (karen@muttsstudios.com)
Christopher Olsen (christopher.olsen.51@gmail.com)
