VRS-ARC - The Valley Road School -The Adaptive Re-use Committee

The Valley Road School Building has an ideal location at the corner of Witherspoon Street and Valley Road. The building is accessible by public transportation and is within walking distance to downtown Princeton. This location is one of the prime reasons why VRS-ARC feels the building would serve as a valuable community center.

Following the example of other towns which have converted old buildings into successful community centers. Perhaps the best model is The NonProfit Center in Boston (www.nonprofitcenterboston.org), which provides its tenant organizations with stability through affordable, stable rents; the benefits of shared infrastructure; synergy through a collaborative environment that serves both the tenant organizations and other nonprofits; and exposure for all area nonprofits through greater community visibility.

Currently the building is occupied by Corner House, a non-profit counseling agency for adolescents, young adults and their families; Princeton Young Achievers, a unique after-school program that helps children from low- and moderate-income neighborhoods improve their school performance and English language skills; Princeton Township’s Affordable Housing Department; and Princeton Community Television. The remaining space in the building is used for storage of unwanted materials for the school district.

Each of the present occupants can choose to remain, and other Princeton area nonprofits would be invited to join them in the building. Each new tenant would lower the overall costs for every organization.

Ultimately the population to be served are the constituents who receive the services of the organizations that would benefit from a shared resource. Each dollar saved in operational costs would be devoted to the organizations’ programs.

In addition, the building has an auditorium that could be used by arts, cultural and civic organizations at low cost. In addition, the large cafeteria space could be converted into a recreational facility or used for dance and music rehearsals.

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