By Anne Levin

The Municipality of Princeton announced Tuesday that it has officially acquired the 23-acre former campus of Westminster Choir College (WCC) from Rider University.

“While the property has been the subject of lawsuits regarding its legal ownership, the Municipality’s acquisition through condemnation is absolute, and eliminates any and all claims, restrictions, or encroachments by any other party over the property,” reads a press release from the town.

Attorney Bruce Afran, who has been representing the Westminster Foundation, a group of WCC alumni, faculty, and donors in a lawsuit against Rider for attempting to sell the Princeton property, said they will be reviewing their legal options.

“We are disappointed that the town took this step before the case is resolved by the courts,” he said in an email. “Nevertheless, the towns’ attorney in the eminent domain case has said that the town would be willing to speak with the Foundation about the potential for joint use of the property after the town completes the acquisition. So there is hope for some continued use of the property for choral and music training going forward.”

According to the release, efforts are underway to allow the Westminster Conservatory of Music, the community music school that has continued to operate at the site since the Choir College was relocated to Rider’s Lawrence Township campus in 2020, to remain. As well, the licenses of the three nonprofits currently operating in buildings at the site — Music Together, Princeton Pro Musica, and the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra — have been transferred to Princeton.

“We are thrilled to announce that the Municipality has been successful in securing this property for the residents of Princeton,” said Council President Mia Sacks, in the release. “The acquisition process has been a smooth one, and now the hard work begins: to reimagine this historic site to meet urgent public facility needs, while honoring the cultural significance of its past and leaving a legacy for future generations. We look forward to engaging the community over the next

18 months in a multi-faceted planning exercise with robust public engagement and maximum stakeholder input.”

WCC was located on the Princeton campus on Walnut Lane from 1935, when the land was granted by Princeton Theological Seminary, until it was moved to Rider in 2020. Rider had acquired the title of the Princeton property in a 1992 merger deal.

In a controversial move eight years ago, Rider University announced it was putting the WCC campus up for sale. Efforts to sell the prime property to a Chinese company were not successful, and what was left of WCC’s programs was transferred to the Rider campus.

On January 14 of this year, the Municipality of Princeton filed an Eminent Domain Action in the Superior Court of New Jersey to acquire the property.

“Rider University and Princeton Theological Seminary were both named as defendants due to unresolved issues surrounding title to the property,” reads the release. “The defendants filed non-contesting answers, thereby acknowledging Princeton’s right to take title to the property. On March 3, all parties entered into a stipulation wherein Princeton’s appraised value of the property, $42 million, was accepted as the true value of the property. On March 5th, Judge [Robert] Lougy entered an order approving Princeton’s acquisition of the property for $42 million. Subsequent to depositing the funds with the Superior Court of New Jersey, Princeton recorded a Declaration of Taking on Tuesday, April 1, with the Mercer County Clerk.”

Princeton’s Deputy Administrator Deanna Stockton said the municipality has been working with Rider in recent weeks to transfer management of the property.

“We have worked closely with Rider facilities personnel on operational transfer, including security, waste management, utilities, IT, fire and alarm systems, landscaping, and a host of other matters,” she said. “Our work with Rider to ensure a seamless transition has been positive and productive.”

The town recently hired the planning firm Topology to help form a vision for the site.

“We are pleased that the legal hurdles involving the acquisition of this property have finally been resolved,” said Mayor Mark Freda. “We are eager to move forward together with the community to come up with the best plan for this site and our residents.”