Experience Princeton (“EP”) is a nonprofit organization that was established in 2022 as the Princeton Business Partnership, Inc., a Special Improvement District dedicated to strengthening and promoting all of Princeton through placemaking, marketing, and economic development. EP’s geographic area includes the central business district, large shopping centers, small boutiques, hotels and conference centers, unique residential neighborhoods, historic sites, cultural landmarks, and one of the world’s most prestigious and beautiful universities. The Special Improvement District includes over 270 properties and 850 businesses.
As Princeton’s zoning has not been significantly updated in decades, EP has found that it doesn’t support contemporary users, including entertainment and experiential retail, medical and personal services businesses, educational businesses like test prep or adult learning centers, artisinal light-manufacturing, life sciences/lab space, and artificial intelligence research.
To improve Princeton’s economic vitality and remove barriers to opening new businesses in the municipality, EP engaged a consultant team lead by BFJ Planning to analyze the municipality’s current zoning and provide potential revisions to support the EP’s mission. RESGroup was tasked with obtaining critical feedback on changes in zoning that could help local stakeholders to attract new retailers. Stakeholders included property and business owners, brokers, architects, institutions, and regional economic development authorities. Findings from these interviews were analyzed and presented to EP and BFJ Planning, and supplemented work conducted by other team members.