By Anne Levin

In March 2022, Princeton Council passed an ordinance creating a special improvement district (SID). Now known as Experience Princeton, the organization — at first called the Princeton Business Partnership — is funded through fees paid by business owners in town.

The SID took the place of the Princeton Merchants Association, an all-volunteer, less formal organization of local businesses. Late last fall, Experience Princeton hired Isaac Kremer, former executive director of the Metuchen Downtown Alliance, as executive director. The organization’s first annual report is now at experienceprinceton.org/post/experience-princeton-annual-report.

Kremer, who gives regular, fast-paced progress updates to Council, said this week that efforts to fill empty storefronts, bring together the business community through monthly “meetups,” and more effectively spotlight the town are succeeding.

“One of the big accomplishments right out of the gate was to establish a discernible brand, with a new logo and website presence to help position us strongly, both locally and regionally, in the marketplace,” he said. “The new logo and website really describe the work we do as an organization. We have welcomed 20 new businesses to town, and have had 11 ribbon cuttings. We’re seeing the vacancy rates creep downward again. And I get five or six requests a month from businesses that want to move here. The process begins, and we try to find a good fit.”

Stores like Johnny Was, Charbellum, the returning Lilly Pulitzer, and the yet-to-open Hermès are welcome additions to the downtown, Kremer said. He has no worries that the high-end Hermès is too rich for local tastes.

“Hermès does appeal to high net worth consumers,” he said. “But it is also an anchor. It gives an image boost, allowing a whole group of businesses to be successful around it. All of them will get an uplift and benefit from that. Likewise, at Princeton Shopping Center, where Princeton Bridal has opened — when was the last time you could buy a wedding dress in Princeton? These are signs that there is recovery, that places are getting filled.”

Kremer is particularly enthused about the monthly meetups, eight of which have been held so far at locations like Hinds Plaza, Morven, Princeton Senior Resource Center, and the Arts Council of Princeton. Restaurant Week, Small Business Saturday, and a monthly newsletter are additional initiatives he cites as signs of success. A digital gift card that can only be used in Princeton, and will be accepted by 54 businesses, is being developed for the holidays.

“These events, in particular the meetups, are good for connectivity. It’s a great opportunity to get people to different locations,” Kremer said. “People connect on a human level. It’s been really nice to see how they have brought people together.”

While the mom-and-pop stores of Princeton’s past are largely gone, “businesses that are deeply connected to the community are here, and they seem to do well here,” Kremer said. “Businesses that don’t make the effort may do well, but I think it’s much harder for them.”

Goals for the future include advocating for the expansion of allowable uses, modernizing zoning and building applications, making the town easier to navigate, and encouraging residents to shop locally. Public art projects, keeping streets and sidewalks in good condition, and adding temporary plantings to tree wells and beds on Nassau Street are among additional goals.

“It’s a process,” said Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros, who serves as liaison to Experience Princeton. “Some of the things we’re doing might not have an impact today, but will in years to come.”

Experience Princeton’s budget for the first year was $367,000. The local business climate “has changed dramatically,” Lambros said. “We have a very robust website. We’re about to launch a directory that is a real resource for businesses and residents. We’ve never really had that before. There’s just a lot more substance to the whole interface. It’s a communication tool we didn’t have before.”