Metuchen Arts District Plan Advances With New Ordinance

METUCHEN, NJ – Earlier this week, Metuchen introduced an ordinance adopting an amended redevelopment plan for the expanded arts district within the borough.

This ordinance is a significant step in the development of the Metuchen Arts District and crucial for the construction of a Forum Theater.

“This is a particularly exciting one, because this is the next step in the advancement of the Metuchen Arts District. This is essential for getting the theater ultimately built,” Mayor Jonathan M Busch said.

The mayor emphasized the challenging process involved in reaching this milestone. “This is one that was not easy to get to. This is the first step since the meeting where we had the concept of the arts district plan presented by DEVCO and our planners.”

The ordinance was adopted unanimously on first reading, and will not go the Planning Board. A special Planning Board meeting is scheduled for May 7 to further review the ordinance.

A public hearing on the ordinance is set for May 12.

The theater was built in 1928 as a simple theater, and today is in a significant state of disrepair, with visible cracking through the exterior walls and foundation.

Currently the theatre is about 8,600 square feet, and the proposed reimagined theater will be about 21,000 square feet. The Forum Theatre project cost is around $30 million, with Metuchen already having $25 million. The borough is now seeking $5 million more.

Read More Here: Metuchen’s Forum Theatre Project Includes Building Residential Units

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