Chamber Plans to Table Kiosk Proposal

Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce has decided to table- but not abandon- its plan to lease and upgrade the kiosks along Nassau Street.

Instead, Chamber officials will look to partner with local non-profits to reduce the cost of the kiosk upgrade and maintenance, and ultimately reduce the amount of outdoor advertising.

The Chamber’s plan, which some residents strongly opposed, called for the local business organization to lease the kiosk at the corner of Nassau and Witherspoon Streets for five years, renovate the ailing structure and provide ongoing maintenance.

The plan was for the kiosk to have space allocated for local businesses, non-profits, the town and residents. There would also have been advertising; a point of contention for some who argued that commercializing the structure is a bad idea. 

“We have heard the concerns of the community loud and clear,” said Peter Crowley, president and CEO of the Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Even though many people fully supported our efforts for a vibrant downtown, we are going back to the drawing board to see if we can develop a plan that makes sense for what the community says it wants so we can have a kiosk that meets everyone’s needs.”

Crowley admits he underestimated some of the pushback from residents, opposition mostly against advertising on the kiosks. 

“The Chamber is an organization that tries to support the community, even if you win by 3-3 and there’s a tiebreaker, that’s not winning to me,” he said. “My perfect world is you don’t need advertising.”

The majority of Princeton officials supported the Chamber’s plan, in large part because they said the kiosks need refurbishing, but doing so was low on the town’s priority list and the Chamber plan would help prioritize the project and save the taxpayers money. 

Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert said a public hearing on the Chamber’s proposal is scheduled for the Council meeting on May 13, but that Council will honor the Chamber’s request to table the issue.

“I understand their desire-and it’s my desire too- to get to a point where we build consensus,” Lempert said.

There have already been some informal offers to help maintain the other kiosk- located at the corner of Vandeventer and Nassau Streets and not included in the Chamber’s proposal- by local groups, Lempert said.

“I think the goal on the town side is to figure out a way to do some needed maintenance on them and provide for upkeep without it being a burden to taxpayers or big use of staff time,” Lempert said.

The advertising was always meant to pay for the upgrades and maintenance of kiosks, Crowley said. If they can find ways to minimize those costs, there would be less advertising, he said.

He said conversations have already begun with some non-profits and he expects to have a better idea on what a new proposal might look like in a couple of months.

The Chamber has no intention of abandoning its plan, but Crowley also said he’s not against another group stepping in if they have a better plan to upgrade and maintain the downtown structures.