AN ADVISORY SERVICES PANEL REPORT Mercer County NewJersey€¦ · revitalization, brownfields redevelopment, military base reuse, provision of low-cost and affordable housing, and

Mercer County, New Jersey, August 1–6, 2004 1

A N A D V I S O R Y S E R V I C E S P A N E L R E P O R T

Mercer CountyNew Jersey

Urban LandInstitute$

Mercer CountyNew JerseyA Strategy for Redevelopment

August 1–6, 2004An Advisory Services Panel Report

ULI–the Urban Land Institute1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W.Suite 500 WestWashington, D.C. 20007-5201

An Advisory Services Panel Report2

ULI–the Urban Land Institute is a non-profit research and education organiza-tion that promotes responsible leadership in the use of land in order to enhance

the total environment.

The Institute maintains a membership represent-ing a broad spectrum of interests and sponsors awide variety of educational programs and forumsto encourage an open exchange of ideas and shar-ing of experience. ULI initiates research thatanticipates emerging land use trends and issuesand proposes creative solutions based on thatresearch; provides advisory services; and pub-lishes a wide variety of materials to disseminateinformation on land use and development.

Established in 1936, the Institute today has 24,000members and associates from 80 countries, repre-senting the entire spectrum of the land use anddevelopment disciplines. Professionals represented

include developers, builders, property owners,investors, architects, public officials, planners,real estate brokers, appraisers, attorneys, engi-neers, financiers, academics, students, and librari-ans. ULI relies heavily on the experience of itsmembers. It is through member involvement andinformation resources that ULI has been ableto set standards of excellence in developmentpractice. The Institute has long been recognizedas one of America’s most respected and widelyquoted sources of objective information on urbanplanning, growth, and development.

This Advisory Services panel report is intendedto further the objectives of the Institute and tomake authoritative information generally avail-able to those seeking knowledge in the field ofurban land use.

Richard M. RosanPresident

About ULI–the Urban Land Institute

©2005 by ULI–the Urban Land Institute1025 Thomas Jefferson Street, N.W. Suite 500 WestWashington, D.C. 20007-5201

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ULI Catalog Number: ASM079


The goal of ULI’s Advisory Services Programis to bring the finest expertise in the realestate field to bear on complex land use plan-ning and development projects, programs,

and policies. Since 1947, this program has assem-bled well over 400 ULI-member teams to helpsponsors find creative, practical solutions forissues such as downtown redevelopment, landmanagement strategies, evaluation of develop-ment potential, growth management, communityrevitalization, brownfields redevelopment, militarybase reuse, provision of low-cost and affordablehousing, and asset management strategies, amongother matters. A wide variety of public, private,and nonprofit organizations have contracted forULI’s Advisory Services.

Each panel team is composed of highly qualifiedprofessionals who volunteer their time to ULI.They are chosen for their knowledge of the paneltopic and screened to ensure their objectivity.ULI panel teams are interdisciplinary and typi-cally include several developers, a landscapearchitect, a planner, a market analyst, a financeexpert, and others with the niche expertiseneeded to address a given project. ULI teamsprovide a holistic look at development problems.Each panel is chaired by a respected ULI mem-ber with previous panel experience.

The agenda for a five-day panel assignment is in-tensive. It includes an in-depth briefing day com-posed of a tour of the site and meetings with spon-sor representatives; a day of hour-long interviewsof typically 50 to 75 key community representa-tives; and two days of formulating recommenda-tions. Many long nights of discussion precede thepanel’s conclusions. On the final day on site, thepanel makes an oral presentation of its findingsand conclusions to the sponsor. A written reportis prepared and published.

Because the sponsoring entities are responsiblefor significant preparation before the panel’s visit,including sending extensive briefing materials toeach member and arranging for the panel to meetwith key local community members and stake-holders in the project under consideration, partic-

ipants in ULI’s five-day panel assignments areable to make accurate assessments of a sponsor’sissues and to provide recommendations in a com-pressed amount of time.

A major strength of the program is ULI’s uniqueability to draw on the knowledge and expertise ofits members, including land developers and own-ers, public officials, academicians, representativesof financial institutions, and others. In fulfillmentof the mission of the Urban Land Institute, thisAdvisory Services panel report is intended to pro-vide objective advice that will promote the re-sponsible use of land to enhance the environment.

ULI Program StaffRachelle L. LevittExecutive Vice President, Policy and Practice

Mary Beth CorriganVice President, Advisory Services and Policy Programs

Nancy Zivitz SussmanSenior Associate, Advisory Services

Nicholas GabelAssociate, Advisory Services

Jason BellPanel Coordinator, Advisory Services

Yvonne StantonAdministrative Assistant

Nancy H. StewartDirector, Book Program

Julie D. Stern/JDS CommunicationsManuscript Editor

Betsy VanBuskirkArt Director

Martha LoomisDesktop Publishing Specialist/Graphics

Kim RuschGraphics

Diann Stanley-AustinDirector, Publishing Operations

About ULI Advisory Services


The panel would like to express its sincere ap-preciation for the hospitality and support itreceived from numerous people and organi-zations. Specifically, the leadership of Mer-

cer County Executive Brian Hughes was integralin moving the study forward, while Donna Lewis,Mercer County planning director, and her staffprovided the panel with substantive knowledgeof the study area by preparing briefing materialsand arranging for tours and special events. Munic-ipal sponsor representatives that the panel wouldlike to thank include Andrew Carten and BillValocchi from the city of Trenton, Bill Guhl andPhil Caton from Lawrence Township, and BillBennett, Don Meisel, and Janet McLaughlin fromEwing Township.

Special thanks are extended to the New JerseyOffice of Smart Growth and the College of NewJersey (TCNJ)—particularly TCNJ President R.Barbara Gitenstein and Martin A. Bierbaum, ex-ecutive director of TCNJ’s Municipal Land UseCenter, and Linda Rosner, the center’s executiveassistant—for their hospitality, insight, and dedi-cation to the project. Finally, the panel would liketo thank the interviewees for their time and efforts,which helped make the panel process a success.

Acknowledgments


ULI Panel and Project Staff 6

Foreword 7

Overview and Summary of Recommendations 9

Market Potential 11

Development Strategies 16

Planning and Design 25

Implementation 30

Conclusion 36

About the Panel 37

Contents


Panel ChairAlex J. RoseDirector of DevelopmentContinental Development CorporationEl Segundo, California

Panel MembersMary Beth CorriganVice President, Advisory Services and Policy Programs

ULI–the Urban Land InstituteWashington, D.C.

Allen K. FolksDirector, Design StudioEDAW, Inc.Sacramento, California

John R. HixenbaughZoning OfficialCity of St. PetersburgSt. Petersburg, Florida

Paula K. KonikoffConsultant New York, New York

Sakura NamiokaZoning Ordinance Program CoordinatorDepartment of Community Planning, Housing and Development

Arlington CountyArlington, Virginia

Kathleen RosePresidentRose & Associates Southeast, Inc.Davidson, North Carolina

Ken VoigtAdjunct ProfessorUniversity of Wisconsin at MilwaukeeBrookfield, Wisconsin

ULI Project DirectorNicole WitensteinAssociatePolicy and Practice

ULI On-Site CoordinatorCarmen McCormickCoordinatorEvents and Meetings

ULI Panel and Project Staff


At the invitation of the Mercer County Plan-ning Department, a ULI Advisory Ser-vices panel convened to evaluate redevel-opment opportunities in an area of the

county that has been experiencing physical andeconomic decline for more than three decades. Thepanel believes that this area is replete with oppor-tunities for physical and economic revitalization,which can be realized if the region’s public and pri-vate leaders pursue appropriate anchors and ac-tivity drivers to initiate redevelopment efforts.

Mercer County, New Jersey, was significantlyaffected by two national trends in the last half ofthe 20th century: economic restructuring and de-centralized, uncoordinated development. Locatedbetween two major metropolitan markets—NewYork City and Philadelphia—the county attemptedto stabilize its economic base as the manufactur-ing sector lost its predominance in national mar-kets by shifting from primarily industrial produc-tion to a more diverse and service/professionalemployment–based economy. During this same pe-riod, the county’s residential and employment cen-ters shifted from the city of Trenton to its sub-urbs, including the townships of Ewing andLawrence.

The study area, located at the confluence of Tren-ton, Ewing, and Lawrence, has been greatly af-fected by these macroeconomic and metropolitangrowth trends, as it lies in a transitional zone atthe county’s urban edge. Sandwiched betweenTrenton’s urban core and the more affluent adja-cent suburban townships, it also is situated be-tween several educational institutions—the Col-lege of New Jersey (TCNJ), Rider University,Mercer County Community College, and ThomasEdison State College—a regional hospital, andprimary employment centers located both in theurban core and on the suburban edge. The studyarea is comprised of approximately 800 acres, lo-cated primarily along the northern portion of

Foreword: The Panel’s Assignment

Olden Avenue in the North Olden Avenue andSpruce Street corridors.

Land use patterns within the study area are sub-urban in nature, and are comprised primarily oflow-density, automobile-dominated developmentin the form of strip centers and, increasingly, bigbox stores. Initially, industrial production domi-nated the area. As economic conditions changed,the North Olden Avenue and Spruce Street corri-dors became booming regional commercial centerswith active street lives that were accessible bymultiple modes of transportation.

As retail patterns in the area shifted to enclosedshopping centers, strip malls, and car dealerships,automobile transportation became the sole meansof traversing the corridors, which then filled withsingle-use, low-density spaces that were not ori-ented toward pedestrians. Undeveloped pocketsof land fell into disrepair, and the area’s infrastruc-ture deteriorated as well. Vacant buildings and

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parcels and the neglected infrastructure—particu-larly the road network, which lacks pedestrian andaesthetic amenities—all indicate a lack of invest-ment in the study area. The area currently is per-ceived as a deteriorated, undesirable location. Somedevelopment continues, however, and the currenttrend in the area’s evolution appears to be addi-tional big box stores.

Because of its location at the edges of three com-munities, the study area resembles the “hole inthe doughnut,” as civic attention is focused onother areas that are considered more importantand central to each community, resulting in sig-nificant physical and economic deterioration. Re-development efforts have been largely uncoordi-nated among the jurisdictions and appear to havebeen driven primarily by which community andprivate sector developer was able to land the

“next attractive retail deal.” No evidence existsof a comprehensive land use or economic develop-ment strategy for the area.

The Panel’s AssignmentThe panel’s overall objective was to create a guidefor the redevelopment of the study area outliningeffective immediate and long-term strategies forthe county and the municipalities to pursue intheir efforts to transform the area’s deteriorated,neglected spaces into important and productivecomponents of all three municipalities. To createsuch a guide, the panel addressed the followingquestions in its investigations and presents itsfindings in this report:

• What physical form should redevelopment take?

• How will redevelopment efforts overcome whatfrequently has been a jurisdictionally frag-mented planning and decision-making process?

• Is an alternative institutional form necessary toproduce the desired physical result?

• What are the critical social, economic, and envi-ronmental concerns for the study area and itsimmediate surroundings, and how might theybe reflected in the area’s proposed redevelop-ment?

• How will the three municipalities and the countybuild consensus and develop the support neces-sary to implement future plans?

• How can the study area take advantage of thegreater region’s relative affluence?

Strip malls are commonalong the auto-dominatedNorth Olden Avenue corri-dor, which traverses thestudy area.

Mercer County, New Jersey, August 1–6, 20049

The history of the study area presents a com-plex story and confounding problems. Withthe assistance of community leaders andconcerned citizens, data from various gov-

ernmental agencies, and tours of the site, how-ever, the panel’s weeklong study resulted in whatit believes is a clear understanding of the underly-ing issues that presently hinder the area’s success-ful redevelopment. The panel’s recommendationsare summarized below and described in detaillater in this report.

Market PotentialThe demand for real estate in the study area willbe driven by employment opportunities in thegovernment, education, and health care sectors.Employment growth in the area will be slow butstable, and thus demand for limited office/service,retail, and residential uses is projected to existthere. Overcoming the area’s physical constraints—as well as its social and political constraints—and accommodating the needs of all of the munici-palities’ residents will enable the area to achieveits full market potential.

Development StrategiesTo overcome the study area’s challenges withinthe current historical and geographic context, theoverall development strategy should focus on im-proving the area’s physical appearance by estab-lishing an action plan to spur development in con-centrated nodes along the regional corridors andto improve signage, streetscapes, building aes-thetics, and parking. Improving the image of thearea—which presently is seen as a deteriorated,undesirable location—will require abundant andevident physical improvements and economic de-velopment activities.

The panel also suggests the adoption of a brandingcampaign, which will increase civic attention andenable a coordinated vision of redevelopment. Tocreate a rallying point for the execution of a suc-cessful revitalization strategy, the panel recom-mends a new name for the study area: MercerCrossings.

Planning and DesignTo ensure that development patterns realize rede-velopment objectives as well as the study area’smarket potential, the panel presents recommenda-tions to improve the circulation system within thearea and between the area and the surroundingregion. In addition, it suggests aesthetic, traffic-calming, and other systems and amenities for al-ternative modes of transportation as a means toreinstate the sense of place and community thatformerly existed within the study area.

Finally, the panel presents design recommen-dations for the development of concentrated,mixed-use lifestyle centers—which will be con-nected to nearby uses—at various sites along thearea’s corridors.

To revitalize the study area,the panel recommendstransforming its corridorsinto destinations.

Overview and Summary ofRecommendations


Implementation StrategiesTo overcome the political and fiscal impedimentsthat currently hinder the coordinated redevelop-ment of the study area, the panel suggests theuse of planning tools, an institutional design for a redevelopment agency, and various fundingsources to initiate the development effort andensure its sustainability. Civic leadership mustact as a catalyst for the redevelopment by coor-dinating available resources and pursuing op-portunities in the area. Furthermore, the publicsector’s role is to ensure that service and infra-structure capacity are adequate to attract andsustain new development.


To identify appropriate land uses that arecompatible with the study area’s presentmarket conditions and that have the poten-tial to capitalize on future growth, one must

consider demographic, zoning, infrastructure, mar-ket, social, and political trends.

Demographic OverviewMercer County’s population is estimated to haveincreased by 8 percent from 1990 to 2000, with ad-ditional growth from 2000 to 2010 estimated at 6percent, which will add almost 23,000 residents.Ewing and Lawrence townships both experiencedpopulation gains from 1990 to 2000, growing by 4percent and 13 percent, respectively, while thecity of Trenton’s population decreased by 4 per-cent during this time period. Future populationtrends in the municipalities from 2000 to 2010 areexpected to follow a similar pattern, with positivegrowth in Ewing and Lawrence projected at 4percent and 16 percent, respectively, and a stablepopulation forecast in the city of Trenton.

The population within the study area’s bound-aries has grown by 2 percent from 1990 to 2000and is projected to increase an additional 5 per-cent by 2008. The daytime population, comprisedof employees, is approximately 50 percent of thefull-time population, which indicates that, at alltimes of the day, a large base of people is locatedin the area.

The county’s median household income in 1999was $56,612, which was higher than the nation’s($41,994) at that time. Trenton’s median householdincome in 1999, $31,074, was approximately halfthat of households in Ewing ($57,274) and lessthan half that of households in Lawrence Town-ship ($67,959).

Almost 35 percent of county residents have atleast a college degree, but wide variations in theeducational experiences of residents exist at the

Market Potential

Located at the conver-gence of three municipali-ties, Mercer Crossingshas access to a signifi-cant number of residents,employees, and shoppers.

City ofTrenton

Ewing Township

Lawrence Township

DelawareRiver

Key:Study areaStudy area municipalitiesMunicipal boundaries

MercerCrossings

City ofTrenton

Ewing Township

Lawrence Township

DelawareRiver

Key:Study areaStudy area municipalitiesMunicipal boundaries

MercerCrossings

Figure 1Demographic Characteristics of Study Area Municipalities

Subject Trenton Ewing Lawrence

Population 85,403 35,707 29,159

Median age 32.2 37.0 36.7

White residents 32.6% 69.0% 79.2%

Black residents 52.1% 24.8% 9.3%

Median household income $31,074 $57,274 $67,959

Bachelor’s degree + 9.2% 29.1% 50.5%

Foreign-born residents 14.1% 8.2% 17.5%

Owner-occupied housing 45.5% 74.0% 70.8%

Renter-occupied housing 54.5% 26.0% 29.2%

Single-family housing 14.7% 70.2% 53.6%

Median value of housing $65,500 $133,100 $177,900

Source: U.S. Census, 2000.


facturing, below the 11 percent national average.The predominance of skilled employees in thecounty indicates potential residential and retailmarket opportunities for the study area. The pri-mary economic sectors providing employment inthe study area and surrounding region includegovernment, education, medical and health ser-vices, and professional and business services, asindicated in Figure 2.

The Study Area TodayThe demand for real estate is largely contingentupon local employment opportunities. The studyarea’s real estate demands are positively affectedby its proximity to the state capital and relatedgovernment sectors, and to five colleges, univer-sities, and other educational institutions. Currentmarket conditions within the study area areas follows.

Office SpaceThe largest office absorption is in the service/business/finance industries. While the broaderregional submarket reports a 20 percent vacancyrate, trending lower over prior years, office spaceavailability within the study area is limited, withan overall vacancy rate of 6.8 percent.

Industrial/Flex SpaceLimited industrial space exists in the studyarea, and very little of it is built to current in-dustrial and/or light manufacturing standards.The existing stock has an overall vacancy rate of 15.3 percent.

To accommodate pro-jected growth, new hous-ing will need to supple-ment the existing stock.

municipal level. Only 9 percent of Trenton resi-dents have an advanced degree, compared withEwing and Lawrence’s much higher proportionsof highly educated constituents, approximately 30percent and 50 percent, respectively.

Housing StockThe county comprises a mix of housing types andpredominantly older housing stock. Half of thehousing stock consists of single-family detachedunits, followed by attached single-family units(21 percent), with the balance being multifamilyhousing. The majority of the housing stock ismore than 25 years old and has a median valueof $147,400.

At the municipal level, wide disparities exist inhomeownership rates and housing values. Morethan half of all Trenton residents reside in rentalhousing, while more than 70 percent of Ewing andLawrence residents own their homes. Althoughless than 15 percent of Trenton’s housing consistsof single-family houses, these units make up 70percent of Ewing’s housing and 54 percent ofLawrence’s. Trenton’s median housing value isjust above $65,500, which is just below half ofEwing’s median home value, $133,100, and slightlymore than one-third of Lawrence’s, $177,900.

EmploymentMercer County’s workforce is largely made up ofwhite-collar workers, with 43.2 percent employedin management/professional jobs and 26.5 percentin sales. Only 9.6 percent are employed in manu-


HousingThe residential vacancy rate within a three-mileradius of the study area is approximately 10 per-cent. While housing prices and rental rates vary-ing depending on size, condition, and location,market-rate rents range from $600 to $1,000 permonth and purchase prices from $50,000 to$400,000, with an average purchase price of ap-proximately $200,000. The barrier to entry ishighest in Lawrence Township, with more afford-able housing available in Trenton and Ewing. Theleast expensive housing generally is in very poorcondition and located in impoverished areas.

Retail SpaceThe overall retail vacancy rate is estimated to beapproximately 10 percent. The land immediatelysurrounding the study area contains three pri-mary shopping venues featuring an array of local,regional, and national retailers and restaurants, aswell as the Trenton Farmers Market. Combined,these retail centers total approximately 800,000square feet.

Market OpportunitiesOn the basis of its preliminary findings, the paneldetermined that the primary economic base forjobs in the study area will continue to be concen-trated in the government, education, and healthcare sectors. Employment within the communityis expected to grow at a slow but steady pace overthe next five years for jobs in firms that are tiedto the nonlocal economy as well as jobs such asretail, service, and other professional occupationsthat are affected by local factors. Between 1990and 2000, employment in the county increased by7 percent. It is expected to increase another 6 per-cent by 2010. White-collar employment in thestudy area increased from 63 percent to 65 per-cent between 1999 and 2000. Both employmentand population growth therefore can be expectedto net demand for limited office/service, retail, andresidential uses.

To take advantage of this expected growth and to successfully realize the study area’s full mar-ket potential, the area must add three integralingredients:

• Things to buy, in the form of goods and/or ser-vices, and things to do, such as public gather-ings or other events;

• Housing for the local workforce that is struc-turally sound, affordable, and located withinneighborhoods committed to safety; and

• A place for the community to gather.

To achieve the market potential based upon thearea’s needs, the panel recommends that the fol-lowing product types and land uses be introducedgradually into the study area:

Residential Both resident and employee threshold populationsare needed to patronize local shopping and events.Given existing income levels and a projected in-crease of approximately 2,800 households during

The Capital Health Systemat Mercer is part of thehealth services industrythat is projected to drivepopulation growth in Mer-cer Crossings.

Figure 2Study Area Major Employers

Number of Type ofCompany Employees Business

Bristol Myers Squibb 5,062* Biomedical

Capital Health System 2,900 Health services

New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co. 1,877 Insurance

St. Francis Medical Center 1,069 Health services

The College of New Jersey 1,000 Education

Rider University 954 Education

The Times of Trenton 629 Information

*2,350 in Lawrence.Source: Mercer County Planning Department.


the next five years, an opportunity exists for thedevelopment of new and/or renovated workforceand affordable/moderate-income housing. Thepanel recommends an additional 800 to 1,000 unitsof rental and/or for-sale attached housing (apart-ments, lofts, condominiums, townhomes) withinthe study area.

Entertainment and Retail To attract new residents to the study area, addi-tional retail development, including restaurantsand other civic/public venues for events and cul-tural activities, will be necessary. As part of thisdevelopment, the design of public parking areasor other impervious surfaces for alternative usessuch as public/farmers markets, festivals, fairs, orother events should be considered. The addition ofother entertainment venues such as a movie the-ater, which could share parking facilities, shouldbe considered.

The panel believes that it is appropriate to im-prove and expand locally owned boutique shopsand restaurants along the North Olden Avenue

corridor and to complement this with regionaland national retailers in a lifestyle center format,which could include limited big box stores. Giventhe existing inventory and consumer expenditurepotential, the panel recommends the addition ofanchor and specialty (entertainment) retail spacetotaling approximately 100,000 square feet, inte-grated with public places and parking spaces.

Office/IndustrialThe study area needs a flexible mix of officespace for small, locally owned service businesses.This should include sales and warehouse spaceas well as Class A office space. The demand foroffice/industrial space will grow with economicexpansion. Because of the consistent decline inmanufacturing employment, the panel does notsuggest the development of any additional in-dustrial space. It does, however, recommend thedevelopment of approximately 20,000 to 30,000square feet of small professional office and flexwarehouse/office space.

Public and Civic AreasLimited gathering places currently exist wherelarge groups can attend live music concerts, artexhibits, and other events. The community shouldcommit to the creation of a central park and publicspace that can accommodate at least 200 people.The panel recommends streetscape improvements,sidewalks, and public benches to encourage visi-tors to stroll and linger, creating a communitygathering place, particularly in Ewing, which cur-rently has no such gathering place.

Figure 3Recommended Land Uses*

Additional Number ofUse Units or Square Feet Type of Development

Detached single-family residential 0 Renovation/revitalization of existing inventory

Attached multifamily residential 800–1,000 units Mix of duplexes, townhomes, condominiums, apartments, including market-rate andaffordable, for-sale and/or for-lease housing at a density of 10 to 14 units per acre

Office/flex space 30,000 square feet Mix of small office and warehouse space

Retail/entertainment 100,000 square feet Mix of tentant sizes and categories; aggregated with other shopping and public space

*Based on the study area’s market potential as determined by the panel.

The study area should bereconnected to the his-toric and traditional towndevelopment of nearbydowntown Trenton.


Place Making Feedback from civic leaders, government repre-sentatives, and residents suggests that the com-munity embraces its historical roots as well as itsethnic and socioeconomic diversity. The studyarea is rich in architecture, ethnic diversity, andculture, which should be celebrated. The challengeis to establish its identity by creating a “sense ofplace” within a community that previously hasbeen developed in a disconnected, sprawling fash-ion over time. All redevelopment activities shouldtake into account the context of the area’s histori-cal and cultural origins, as well as the residents’shared values.

Market Potential StrategiesTo recruit new businesses and residents to thestudy area, and to retain existing businesses andresidents, the panel recommends the implementa-

tion of a marketing strategy in which the privateand public sectors collaborate on plans as well asregulatory and financing tools to initiate redevel-opment. The strategy should consist of coopera-tive marketing plans involving both the public andprivate sectors, and should be prepared with theassistance of an advertising/marketing profes-sional. Such plans will allow the area to “brand” it-self with an identity and purpose, which then canbe communicated effectively to residents and non-residents, students and visitors.

The panel believes that branding is the most use-ful mechanism to initiate and sustain the studyarea’s redevelopment. Although the panel recom-mends the brand name of “Mercer Crossings” be-cause it suggests the links among the area’s com-munities, the specific name decided upon by thecommunities is less important than the act of im-plementing a branding strategy.


The panel considered how to address andovercome existing challenges in order to re-alize the study area’s potential. No plan canbe successful without a proper development

strategy and implementation program. The panelbelieves that the most effective overall objectivefor the redevelopment of the study area is totransform it from a collection of incongruent landuses that neither complement one another norcreate a sense of place to a cohesive, attractivecommunity that serves the needs of its residents,businesses, and surrounding areas. This could beaccomplished by providing a mix of residential,retail, entertainment, and other commercial usesthat are easily accessible by multiple modes oftransportation.

The panel went on to address specific sites in thestudy area and offer some detailed recommenda-tions to create near-term enhancements that cancatalyze further improvements throughout Mer-cer Crossings. The recommended core develop-ment will support and encourage new construc-tion, redevelopment, and renovation throughoutthe entire study area.

ChallengesThe panel recognizes that the study area cur-rently suffers from strong negative perceptions in the surrounding neighborhoods and elsewherein the region. Although some of these percep-tions are accurate, others are unwarranted. Forexample, the area is perceived as poor, eventhough, as indicated earlier, the disposable in-come per household in the immediate vicinity ofthe study area is relatively high. Persistence ofthis negative perception can be a deterrent topotential development.

Other negative perceptions—particularly the per-ception that the area has been haphazardly devel-oped and is not well maintained—are accurate

views of actual barriers to new development inthe area. The mix of residential, industrial, andcommercial uses is not at all cohesive in either de-sign or use. For example, the waste transfer andrecycling center is located in the middle of a com-mercial area. The rundown appearance of manyproperties is the result of inconsistent or no codeenforcement and a feeling that many of the long-time uses, even if they do not represent the high-est and best use of the land, must be toleratedsimply because they “have always been there.”

Other constraints to development include a lackof land that can be easily assembled, environ-mental issues such as the presence of brownfieldsites and wetlands, and the variety of often con-flicting laws and regulations that must be fol-lowed in order to develop in the area. In responseto these constraints, which limit the type and ex-tent of new development options, landownershave been attracted by the benefits of leasingland to freestanding big box retailers. These bigbox uses, however, may not be appropriate forall available sites, since they can result in in-creased noise and traffic, undesirable lighting,and other factors to which residential neighborsmay object. These barriers to new developmentalso have promoted low-density developmentalong the North Olden Avenue and Spruce Streetcorridors, rather than the more appropriate nodalor cluster development.

OpportunitiesThe panel also recognizes that the area has sev-eral positive attributes and views these as oppor-tunities for making Mercer Crossings a uniqueplace in the region. Mercer County has a stronghistorical and cultural heritage that Mercer Cross-ings can use to its advantage. Mercer Crossings ishome to a farmers market that has been a regionalattraction for many decades. North Trenton’sthriving Eastern European immigrant commu-

Development Strategies


nity, stable housing stock, natural areas includingparkland and wetlands, and the successful Shop-Rite retail centers all are positive attributes thatthe area can draw on.

While not within the boundaries of Mercer Cross-ings, the College of New Jersey (TCNJ) and RiderUniversity have a strong presence in the areaand are potential sources of demand drivers thatshould encourage and enhance new constructionand redevelopment within the study area. Resi-dential development is a particularly attractivepossibility for Mercer Crossings because the areahas a tremendous need for workforce housing forthe faculty and staff of higher education facilities,the administrators and health care providersworking in the area’s hospitals, and other middle-income residents. The growing national trend ofempty nesters moving from the suburbs to moreurban environments—where they have easier ac-cess to retail, entertainment, cultural, and profes-sional services—also could strengthen the marketfor residential development and renovation withinMercer Crossings in the future.

By taking advantage of these demand drivers,the initial development activities can lead to addi-tional development clustered around specific usesand activities, such as residential units locatednear retail centers. Concentrating developmentin activity centers can result in synergistic effectsthat can, in turn, have a positive impact on therest of Mercer Crossings.

Planting the SeedsThe panel’s redevelopment strategy for MercerCrossings likely will not be fully realized for fiveto eight years. Some changes, however, can be im-plemented in the near term—most within the next18 months—and would encourage both existingresidents and business owners, as well as devel-opers of potential new projects, to remain in ormove to the area.

Begin by Working Together The panel heard during its interviews that thelocal governments—Lawrence and Ewing town-ships, the city of Trenton, and Mercer County—are willing to work together under a formalagreement to revitalize Mercer Crossings. While

the mechanics of this agreement will be ad-dressed in more detail in the Implementationsection, the agreement also can be viewed as adevelopment strategy. This cooperative agree-ment should be designed to allow the creation of a unified vision and development plan for thearea. This will send a message to developers thatMercer Crossings has a single, cohesive frame-work, that one local jurisdiction cannot be playedoff another. By working together and agreeing on appropriate sites for near- and long-term de-velopment, the jurisdictions can help move devel-opment forward.

Improve Transit Connections The panel heard that the study area suffers from alack of sufficient public transportation. Improvedtransit service is necessary and should be pro-vided on a consistent and fairly frequent basis.Many area residents do not own automobiles, and

Mercer County’s redevel-opment activities shouldbuild upon existing civicamenities in the studyarea, such as the localgathering and shoppingvenue of the TrentonFarmers Market and theservices and support ofthe immigrant community.

Mercer Crossings retail establishments wouldbe more heavily frequented if purchase-ladenshoppers could return home via bus. The countyshould work with New Jersey Transit, particu-larly to improve service along Olden Avenue andSpruce Street.

Identify Appropriate Areas for Redevelopmentand Enhancement Because few large vacant parcels are available fordevelopment, appropriate sites need to be identi-fied for land assembly and, then, for new construc-tion, redevelopment, and enhancement. Manyareas in Mercer Crossings do not need to be com-pletely redeveloped; these areas are good candi-dates for enhancement efforts such as facade im-provements, building rehabilitation, and so forth.This is especially true of many of the residentialneighborhoods, such as North Trenton.

An inventory of land available for developmentand redevelopment as well as key areas in need ofenhancement will inform developers of wherethey can invest their resources most effectively.Developers are more readily attracted to areasthat actively welcome new development, and iden-tifying appropriate sites—whether they need as-semblage, environmental remediation, changes intraffic patterns, or other infrastructure improve-ments—will be evidence of welcome.

Attract Students and Educators When evaluating the market for Mercer Cross-ings, the panel found that the nearby colleges anduniversity represent untapped markets for thestudy area. For example, development in the areahas not targeted TCNJ, which currently has veryfew off-campus entertainment or retail options.While the proposed primary area of opportunitydescribed below is approximately 2.5 miles fromthe campus, this is a quick drive and the panelalso believes that it is within walking or bicy-cling distance. Rider College, which is located inLawrenceville, just three miles north of Trentonon U.S. Route 206, is another potential market.The development strategy for Mercer Crossingsshould focus on two key uses to meet the colleges’needs, residential and retail/entertainment uses.

Residential Development. TCNJ has a populationof approximately 6,000 students. Because of the


paucity of appropriate off-campus student hous-ing, the college has a policy of housing all first-and second-year students on campus. It plans toadd 500 more on-campus beds to house as manythird- and fourth-year students as possible, butadditional off-campus housing for students, fac-ulty, and staff is needed. Even more off-campushousing is necessary to accommodate Rider Col-lege’s more than 5,500 students and 900 facultymembers.

Current housing conditions in the TCNJ area areso limited that both faculty and staff are forced tocompromise and either live in low-quality butnearby housing or commute long distances tohigher-quality but very expensive housing. Newresidential construction and redevelopment couldprovide more convenient housing for faculty andstaff, as well as off-campus housing for third- andfourth-year and graduate students, who generallyprefer to live off campus.

The panel recommends that TCNJ and the ap-propriate public officials pursue a cooperativeventure to initiate a joint housing program. Col-lege officials already have indicated that TCNJis amenable to participating in some form of pub-lic/private partnership to develop new housing inMercer Crossings. This investment would benefitthe college by helping to attract and retain facultyand support staff. A similar partnership should bepursued with the Rider College administration.

Retail and Entertainment Development. Most col-lege students and faculty enjoy frequentingbookstores, coffee shops, music stores, cafés, andcinemas. None of these venues are readily acces-sible to the TCNJ campus at the present time,and the panel believes Mercer Crossings has atremendous opportunity to provide them. Thearea in front of the Capital Plaza shopping cen-ter along North Olden Avenue could be redevel-oped with uses that are attractive to this demo-graphic segment.

Specific Strategies Large areas of underutilized or vacant propertycan be found within the approximately 800 acresof the Mercer Crossings district. These lands arefound primarily in the North Olden Avenue corri-


dor, particularly to the south of North Olden andwest of Princeton Avenue. Infill opportunities,however, exist throughout the district on small-and medium-sized parcels. Redevelopment of thefour sites described below will help rejuvenatethe entire district, providing jobs, housing, retail,and commercial and recreational opportunities.The four areas determined by the panel to beopportunity/catalyst sites are as follows:

• The transfer facility/Boehm site;

• The intersection of Spruce Street and PrincetonAvenue;

• Capital Plaza’s frontage on North Olden Av-enue; and

• The New York Avenue corridor.

It is important to remember that North OldenAvenue, Spruce Street, and the surrounding areasdid not fall into their current condition overnightand that they will not be revitalized overnight.Redevelopment projects of this scale take timeand effort. The community can, however, take im-mediate action to catalyze future redevelopment.

Near-Term Opportunity SitesSpecific development and redevelopment zonesneed to be identified to determine which areas aremost appropriate for the aggregation of symbioticuses. Focusing efforts on areas that will be cata-lysts for additional redevelopment and revitaliza-tion throughout Mercer Crossings will maximizethe use of resources. Given the context of the

study area, the North Olden Avenue corridor ismore appropriate for higher-impact uses, whilethe Spruce Street corridor is more appropriatefor residential-scale development and smallerretailers that complement the uses on NorthOlden Avenue.

The Transfer Facility/Boehm Site. The panel be-lieves that the area straddling North Olden Ave-nue near the Capital Plaza shopping center andthe Boehm site and continuing south of the Boehmsite can become a focal point for Mercer Crossingsand provide a much-needed sense of place for theentire community. The area’s many acres of vacantland and buildings present ample opportunitiesfor land assembly. Depending on how the land isassembled, a site as large as approximately 120acres could be made available for redevelopment.This would be the largest redevelopment site inthe district.

The panel’s market study of the available spacein the study area determined that several usesare appropriate for this site, including destina-tion and neighborhood retail space, housing,restaurants, a movie theater, and other entertain-ment venues. Development goals for the siteshould include creating a critical mass of residen-tial development to support the commercial uses,providing housing that is affordable by the middleclass and college students, and creating a destina-tion for area residents.

Entertainment and Retail Development. To re-develop this site as a destination entertainment

Calhoun Street

Princ

eton

Pike

Spruce/PrincetonCorner

TiffanyWoods

Ewing Township

NewYor

k Avenue

Corridor

Key:Commercial useGreen spaceIndustrial useMunicipal boundaryResidential useStudy area boundaryStudy area opportunity site

CapitalPlaza

Frontage

Transfer Facility/Boehm Site

3

Brun

swick

Aven

ue

NewYo

rkAven

ue

Mulberry StreetLawren

ceTo

wnship

City of

Trent

on

North Olden Avenue

Artic Pa

rkway

Spruce Street

The panel identified anumber of sites that areappropriate for redevelop-ment and can spur revi-talization activities.


area, the panel recommends moving the existingTrenton Farmers Market to the site south of NorthOlden Avenue. This site is approximately one-quarter of a mile west of Princeton Avenue, 1,600feet from the market’s current location. This relo-cation will enable the market to act as an anchorfor future development and draw users to the site.Many members of the community want to makethe Trenton Farmers Market a major destinationwithin Mercer Crossings, and the panel agreeswith this goal. The market’s potential to expand at its current site is limited by a lack of availableland and insufficient parking. Furthermore, in-creased activity at the existing location will leadto an increase in traffic issues, which already frus-trate current patrons. Moving the market to NorthOlden Avenue would make possible the construc-tion of an expanded facility that incorporates spe-cial programming such as festivals, art shows, se-nior citizen days, and so forth, as well as adequate,shared parking.

Additional complementary entertainment uses atthis site could include a movie theater and restau-rants. To help soften the edge of the street andprovide services that are useful to and accessibleby neighborhood residents, the panel believes thatthe community should consider supporting the de-velopment of freestanding retail and commercialspaces on both sides of North Olden Avenue. Con-sequently, the relocated and expanded TrentonFarmers Market could become the center of anentertainment district while also supportingsmaller retail outlets.

A cooperative board comprised of local farmerscurrently manages the Trenton Farmers Market.That board, however, lacks adequate resources tomanage the facility’s expansion and/or relocation.The panel therefore recommends that the co-oppartner with the New Jersey Department ofAgriculture and the county to pursue relocationand expansion opportunities.

Residential Development. The panel believes thatthe area south of the proposed movie theater andretail spaces along North Olden Avenue could be-come a new residential community. This housingstock would be a combination of old and new, builton infill sites and assembled land, and include ren-ovations of existing residential property. The

market-rate housing should be targeted to middle-income residents and include both for-sale andrental product. Amenities such as parks and openspace also would complement the residential usesin this area. It is important to connect this newcommunity to the entertainment and retail area,particularly through improved infrastructure suchas pedestrian paths.

The panel recommends that 800 to 1,000 new,attached, primarily one- and two-bedroom unitsbe built in Mercer Crossings, in addition to theexisting housing stock and renovated homes.The new housing should be targeted primarily to young urban professionals, single people,empty nesters, and young families, with somelarger (three-bedroom) units targeted to multi-generational families.

Design. The panel recommends that the relocatedTrenton Farmers Market be surrounded by a newurban plaza and linked to a ten- to 14-screen cin-ema and entertainment complex. The synergy ofthese uses would create a place for visiting, shop-ping, and entertainment and would become theheart and soul of the revitalized district—as wellas resemble the way North Olden Avenue wasused many years ago. The market could shareparking with the theater, since these uses gener-ate peak demands at different times. Other usesto be incorporated along the North Olden Ave-nue frontage could include ground-floor coffeeshops, a family restaurant, and other neighbor-hood-serving uses such as beauty salons, drycleaners, and business support services. Second-story uses could include offices for small- andmedium-sized tenants. The panel does not believethere is a market for significant retail space, butencourages a mix of uses wherever feasible.

To connect the redeveloped site with adjacentareas and to provide an economic base to supportthe new development, the panel recommends lo-cating a new residential neighborhood with a vari-ety of housing choices—ranging from duplex unitsto condominiums and apartments—to the south ofthe commercial and entertainment core. Develop-ers should be encouraged to construct for-salerather than rental housing, to help ensure neigh-borhood stability and build commitment to thearea. The panel believes that approximately 800


to 1,000 housing units are feasible, depending onhow large a site can be assembled.

The panel recommends that the neighborhood bebuilt around an extension of the city of Trentonand Ewing Township grids and the Calhoun Streetextension. Higher-density development could belocated adjacent to the commercial core, withlower-density development to the south. The ex-isting Trenton city park at Calhoun and NorthWillow streets should remain, be enhanced withadditional park amenities and signage and, po-tentially, be expanded to include sports fields thatcan serve the general area. Connections betweenthe existing greenway at the west side of the siteand the park can be accommodated, and will of-fer good pedestrian connections through MercerCrossings for both existing residents and new res-idents. The land adjacent to Beakes Street on thefar south could be developed with light industrial/office flex space, which would be compatible withthe surrounding context. Finally, the panel be-lieves that this site can be developed in phases asland is acquired and cleaned up and as infrastruc-ture is provided.

If it is determined that the Trenton Farmers Mar-ket should not be relocated, or if problems occurwith its relocation, the panel believes that thissite should continue to be considered as a primarymarket locale. Furthermore, the strategy of as-sembling land to increase its market potential alsoshould be considered in any alternative approachto the site’s redevelopment.

The Intersection of Spruce Street and PrincetonAvenue. The intersection of Spruce and Princeton,currently the site of the Trenton Farmers Market,is the second suggested near-term opportunitysite in Mercer Crossings. A vacant gas station atthe corner and other underutilized parcels cur-rently sit within this approximately 16-acre area.With the relocation of the market, its 7.2-acre par-cel would be appropriate for small-scale commer-cial uses, including medical, legal, and accountingoffices as well as shared office space. Such com-mercial uses should be smaller in scale than thosethat have historically located in the North OldenAvenue corridor. Much of the site abuts theTiffany Woods housing development, so residen-tial uses located off Spruce Street are appropriate.The possible extension of Calhoun Street to Mul-

To concentrate develop-ment and establish a des-tination within MercerCrossings, the panel rec-ommends that the exist-ing transfer facility andBoehm sites be redevel-oped as an entertainmentcenter connected to hous-ing as well as civic andopen spaces.

Artic Pa

rkway

North Olden Avenue

Stok

esAv

enue

Troy Street

Dover Street

Princ

eton

Aven

ue

HomeDepot Capital

Plaza

Spruce Street

Tiffany Woods

Mulberry Street

Mixed-Use Site: Commercial,Residential, Open Space

Market PlazaFarmers MarketCommercial InfillTheater/Entertainment

Key:

High-density residential use

Light industrial/office flex use

Loading area

Medium-density residential use

Park

Parking

Pedestrian connection

PP

PP

P

PP

P


berry Street would allow for new parcelizationand development patterns.

Long-Term Opportunity SitesThe panel also identified two sites in the studyarea as longer-term redevelopment opportunities.These sites include the area between North OldenAvenue and Spruce Street north of Princeton Av-enue and the New York Avenue corridor in NorthTrenton. These areas should be designated as anoverlay district in the relevant zoning ordinances,with uses to be determined by current and futuremarket forces. The most cohesive and productiveuses of these areas will become clear as the near-term improvements described above bring newresidents and businesses into Mercer Crossings.

The Capital Plaza Frontage on North OldenAvenue. This location is across North Olden Ave-nue from the recommended first opportunity site.The parking lot that fronts the Capital Plazashopping complex on North Olden Avenue is enor-mous. The distance between the retail buildingsis 850 feet—the length of three football fields—inthe east/west direction and 500 feet from the road-way to the parallel frontage. The panel recom-mends that new commercial facilities be con-structed close to North Olden Avenue to takeadvantage of the spacious, often empty parkingfield. New facilities should be constructed closeto the Calhoun Street/North Olden Avenue inter-section to capitalize on its high visibility. Eithersingle- or two-story buildings, with a vertical orhorizontal mix of uses, could be developed as

appropriate. The implementation of this redevel-opment effort should occur in response to mar-ket demands.

The New York Avenue Corridor. Another impor-tant area that may be ripe for new developmentand reinvestment is the New York Avenue corri-dor. This area originally was developed because itwas accessible by rail, but today it is hemmed inby the Polish Hill neighborhood and the Route 1freeway. The panel’s initial thoughts are that theNew York Avenue corridor, which now featureslargely industrial and light manufacturing uses,should remain a buffer zone between MercerCrossings and Route 1. Because of the closenessof the freeway, light industrial and office flex usesare more appropriate than housing. Parcel depthsare approximately 300 feet and cannot accommo-date larger uses such as warehouses and tradi-tional manufacturing facilities. The panel recom-mends that new users place office uses closer toNew York Avenue and high-bay spaces closer tothe freeway. As redevelopment occurs, the mar-ket demand for industrial and warehouse spaceprobably will shift to more service-oriented uses,such as self-storage space for a growing residen-tial community.

Achieving the Market PotentialThe panel recommends an action plan to helpachieve the market potential for the study areaand to begin to revitalize this area.

The current site of theTrenton Farmers Marketis underutilized, with sig-nificant parking spacefronting the SpruceStreet corridor.


Brand the Study AreaThe panel recommends branding the study area—establishing name recognition—to help overcomethe lack of civic attention to the site and the unco-ordinated vision for the area. A branding cam-paign, like those that have been implemented inother cities around the world as well as by mostcorporations, will accomplish several things. Itwill help overcome the existing negative percep-tions of the study area; provide a single, recogniz-able name for the area; and create an “address”for the development that will be taking place.

While the panel has given this area the workingname of Mercer Crossings, the stakeholders maywell come up with another name. Whatever nameor brand is ultimately decided upon, it will workmost effectively if used consistently and incorpo-rated into all future materials—such as marketingplans and signage— related to this area. Thebranding concept also can be extended to smallerneighborhoods within the study area. It alreadyhas been successfully implemented by Trenton’sMill Hill neighborhood.

Calm Traffic The panel believes that, in order to bring life backto Spruce Street and North Olden Avenue andallow the areas surrounding these arteries toachieve their full development potential, trafficmust be “calmed” so that people do not just passquickly by on their way to someplace else. Thiscalming also will increase the attractiveness of

the existing and future residential development inMercer Crossings. This concept is discussed inmore detail in the Planning and Design section.

Create and Maintain Green InfrastructureMercer Crossings contains some natural areasthat should be preserved because they provideimportant amenities, such as urban respites andrecreational and other public spaces. Pocket orneighborhood parks and other open spaces alsowill make the proposed new residential neighbor-hoods more appealing to potential residents.These benefits will be particularly important if thepanel’s suggested residential development strat-egy is implemented, since higher-density neigh-borhoods require community open space. Further-more, given their ecological and civic benefits, thewetlands along Shabakunk Creek should be con-served as a natural area with passive recreation,trails, and interpretive stations.

Relocate the Transfer and Recycling FacilitiesThe panel recommends that these facilities be re-located within Ewing Township, in order to makethis site available for the development of a signifi-cantly sized project to be built on land assembledfrom the transfer and recycling facilities, the Boehmsite, and other adjoining parcels. Relocation ofthese facilities also would reduce the amount oftruck traffic in the immediate area. Ewing, in co-operation with the county, should identify an ap-propriate site for the facilities and commit to relo-cating them.

Inconsistent implementa-tion of design guidelineshas resulted in parkinglots fronting commercialcenters along the NorthOlden Avenue corridor.


Consistently Enforce CodesThe panel believes that land use ordinance codesare not effectively enforced in several key areas ofMercer Crossings. This is evident in residential,industrial, and commercial uses. Enforcing codesrelated to facade maintenance, trash and vegeta-tion removal, and so forth can dramatically im-prove the visual impact of the area in a very shorttime, making it more attractive to potential devel-opers, commercial tenants, and residents.

Green North Olden, Spruce, and BrunswickThe appearances of North Olden Avenue, SpruceStreet, and Brunswick Avenue need to be im-proved. This can be accomplished with landscapedstreet medians, sidewalk improvements, and spotintersection enhancements. Cost-efficient mea-sures that can be implemented immediately in-clude hanging planters on streetlight supports andinstalling consistent and interesting signage. Thepanel understands that there is a plan for the re-development of Brunswick Pike and encouragesthe strategic implementation of this plan.

Reconsider the Big Box StrategyWhile the panel understands the desire for bigbox development in Mercer Crossings, it stronglyrecommends that the type and location of big boxretail be thought through thoroughly in the con-text of larger economic development strategiesand ultimate community development goals.North Olden Avenue may be the right place forappropriate larger retail outlets such as furnitureand clothing stores, bookstores, and music stores,but optimally Spruce Street—a narrower streetthat cannot handle the traffic generated by largerretail outlets—should be reserved for neighbor-hood-scale stores. The panel recommends thatNorth Olden Avenue become the center of a retailand entertainment area that will be able to sup-port larger retailers, while Spruce Street remainmore residential in nature. The larger retail storeson North Olden Avenue can be complemented bysmaller, locally owned stores on Spruce Street,and vice versa.


The panel evaluated the physical context ofthe study area and the causes of its currentconditions, in order to make design and de-velopment recommendations for the various

sites and for the overall functioning of the circula-tion system.

Regional development patterns have seen neigh-borhood growth expand to the west and north ofthe study area in increasingly less dense develop-ment patterns. The transportation system has aradial pattern that originates in the city of Tren-ton and provides easy travel along north/southarterial spokes from its downtown to the outlyingtownships, which accommodate and encouragethis growth pattern. Very few east/west routesallow travel among the wedge areas between thearterial spokes. Olden Avenue is one of the feweast/west routes available to serve this travelneed. Interstates 95 and 295 provide a high-speedroadway that serves a portion of this travel de-mand, reducing traffic pressure on Olden Avenueand allowing it to serve more local traffic patterns.Olden Avenue and, to some degree, Spruce Streetconnect trip generators, such as the regional mallslocated along the interstate, the existing TrentonFarmers Market, and TCNJ. While both Oldenand Spruce are part of the county highway sys-tem, many of the area’s north/south arterial routesare part of the state highway system.

Development PatternsLocal development patterns in the study area,which historically have been commercial in nature,have become fragmented and include various-sized parcels and awkward transitions with mini-mal buffers between neighborhood, business, andcommercial land uses. As the panel already hassuggested, one extreme example is the countytransfer and recycling center, which is incompati-ble with existing and future development of theNorth Olden Avenue corridor and fragments the

Planning and Design

Olden Avenue is themajor roadway providinglocal access to MercerCrossings.

City ofTrenton

Ewing Township

Lawrence Township

DelawareRiver

Key:Study areaStudy area municipalityLocal circulation routeMunicipal boundary

North Olden Avenue

206

Alt.1

1

195

295

31

33

611579

29

MercerCrossings

606

area. These facilities are a remnant of the area’sindustrial past; today, they stifle neighborhoodand commercial development patterns and localstreet network connectivity. They also increasetruck traffic through a truly local street network,creating a highway rather than a calmer urbanstreet atmosphere.

Circulation PatternsThe historical change in local development pat-terns reflects the change from pedestrian to auto-mobile trips within the study area. Although a

25


transit route once ran along Olden Avenue, transitin the study area now serves only the north/southtravel demand on Calhoun Street, Brunswick Av-enue, and Prospect Street. The study area stillneeds pedestrian and other nonautomotive connec-tions with adjoining high-density neighborhoods—some of which have strong ethnic identities—andcollege campus student populations. In addition tothe lack of east/west travel routes, the study areadoes not have a strong local street network, whichwould help local residents make short trips with-out using North Olden Avenue or Spruce Street.This lack of local street continuity exists in boththe east/west and north/south directions.

The existing street system accommodates a com-bination of local traffic, access for study area des-tinations, and through traffic. Olden Avenue andSpruce Street provide east/west access to thenorth/south arterial system and the Route 1 free-way. The lack of cross-town routes has created in-tersection congestion problems, like those experi-enced at both North Olden Avenue and SpruceStreet for access to the north/south arterial sys-tem at Brunswick Avenue and Princeton Avenue.Although the Whitehead Road extension has beenproposed to relieve some of this congestion by ac-commodating some of the cross-town travel de-mand, this extension would need to cross exten-sive environmentally sensitive areas yet wouldnot provide direct access to existing commercialdevelopments.

Circulation Improvements Access management separates and reduces trafficconflicts by limiting the number of driveways permile. National statistics show a reduction in streetaccidents as the number of access points is re-duced. Typical access management criteria includeshared-access requirements and internal circula-tion systems, channelized traffic movements, andprohibited left-turn controls. Access managementmeasures could significantly improve traffic flowalong study area corridors and support the devel-opment of adjacent sites. Mercer County currentlyis working on a comprehensive access managementcode. This tool, when complete, should be used toincrease the efficiency and safety of streets in thestudy area.

The study area’s land uses and street system needto be knit together with adjacent neighborhoodsand arterial roads to serve local travel demandfrom pedestrians and automobiles. Facilities thathave the potential to collectively accomplish thisinclude the following:

• A Calhoun Street extension from south of NorthOlden Avenue to north of Spruce Street;

• New east/west and north/south North OldenAvenue and Spruce Street connections betweenArtic Parkway and Princeton Avenue, with therelocation of traffic signals at the Capital Plazashopping center entrance and new signals onSpruce Street;

• A Fifth Street extension north of Spruce Streetalong the environmental corridor to WhiteheadRoad, including a potential pedestrian and biketrail and the widening of Spruce Street betweenArtic and Fifth streets;

• Secondary extensions of local east/west streetssouth of North Olden Avenue; and

• The Whitehead Road extension.

All of these improvements have the potentialto reduce local traffic demand on arterial roadswithin the study area by providing a grid ofstreets to serve local development access andneighborhood circulation patterns.

To improve circulationpatterns, the panel rec-ommends street exten-sions and the construc-tion of a new road.

Artic Par

kwayCa

lhoun

Exte

nsion

Princ

eton

Aven

ue

1000' minimum

Spruce Street

Mulberry Street

600' minim

um

Key:

New intersection

Proposed road

Street extension

Street segment removal

North Olden Avenue


These transportation system connections cannotbe accomplished without the concurrent develop-ment and implementation of plans for a pedestrianand bicycle system and the provision of east/westtransit service for study area residents and devel-opment users who do not own or want to rely oncars. This layering of systems can connect existingneighborhoods and businesses to reduce the needfor automobile travel on study area streets. Allstreets in the study area should have completesidewalks on both sides. Potential bike routes in-clude a Spruce Street connection from TCNJ tothe historic North Olden Avenue Farmers Marketcommercial area as well as connections to the hos-pital area and to local recreational facilities.

The implementation of a study area circulatortransit route among the colleges, existing ethnicneighborhoods, and commercial development—along with the construction of bus stop amenitiessuch as benches and shelters—could greatly en-hance the area’s accessibility and attractiveness toexisting and potential new development activities.It also would reduce the need for auto travel inthe study area.

To build upon the desire to begin stitching thearea back together again, and to help alleviatetraffic at congested intersections, a linear streetconnection should be made that parallels Prince-ton Avenue between Princeton and Artic. Inter-sections currently are spaced at half-mile intervalsbetween Artic and Princeton, which is consider-ably long compared with those between Princetonand Brunswick.

The panel recommends that Calhoun Street be ex-tended due north to connect with North Olden Av-enue, creating an intersection at the far west sideof the Capital Plaza parking lot. This intersectionshould be spaced a minimum of 1,000 feet fromPrinceton to avoid creating further traffic conges-tion. Calhoun Street should continue to extenddue north through the existing shopping centerparking lot to Spruce Street. The final leg of theCalhoun Street extension could be a new roadwaythat curves southeast to meet the traffic signal atMulberry Street. Implementation of this leg obvi-ously would require moving not only the FarmersMarket but also other existing structures. This

link would relieve some traffic destined for theSpruce/Princeton intersection.

Other major circulation considerations shouldinclude resolving the circulation problems fromPrinceton Avenue to the Brunswick Circle. Thepanel recommends creating a new “T” intersec-tion along Princeton Avenue a minimum of 600feet north of the signal at Mulberry Street. Fi-nally, adding an east/west connector road betweenArtic and the Calhoun extension may relieve someof the pressure on North Olden Avenue and SpruceStreet and create new future development parcels.

Aesthetic Design PrinciplesThe first step toward the study area’s renaissanceis to make it physically more attractive by increas-ing the overall curb appeal of Mercer Crossings.Signage and banners, streetscaping in the form oftrees and planters, stronger and more consistentcode enforcement, the removal of nonconforminguses, and frequent street and sidewalk cleaningand trash collection all will help show that thearea is ready for redevelopment.

Another important early step is to develop andimplement design criteria for all new developmentand redevelopment. Consistent design criteriahelp to promote a sense of place, avoid repeatingthe hodgepodge nature of the current develop-ment, and show new residents and investors that

The panel recommendsimproving the overallcurb appeal of MercerCrossings by using aes-thetic design principles to create an attractive,pedestrian-orientedstreetscape.

27


local governments and existing businesses careabout the community. Developers will be encour-aged to know that one set of rules has been put inplace and will not be changed arbitrarily.

The study area’s built structures and its streetsboth are in need of aesthetic improvements, whichare critical elements in place making and trafficcalming. The lack of aesthetic amenities along atransportation corridor creates a perceptionamong drivers that the road is merely a passage-way as opposed to a destination, resulting inspeeding and an unwillingness to stop and shop.

To create the perception that the corridors are adestination, the sites should be arranged accord-ing to stringent design codes. Neither NorthOlden Avenue nor Spruce Street currently has anurban character; both feature large parking areas,deep setbacks to commercial buildings, wide traf-fic lanes, billboards cluttering the viewshed, andinadequate accommodations for pedestrians andcyclists. Good urban design should include build-ings set at the street edge with appropriate fa-cades. Streetscape design should reflect the fol-lowing urban, traffic-calming aesthetic principles:

• Access management controls;

• Greened tree-planting areas along sidewalks;

• Wider sidewalks;

• Contextual street-lighting fixtures;

• Buried or relocated utilities;

• Intersection design improvements;

• Pedestrian-friendly crosswalks; and

• Traffic controls, such as enhanced crossing sig-nals.

Synergistic improvements often result from thecombined actions of street greening and contex-tual urban street-lighting design, and from in-tersection and pedestrian-related improvements.Greening streets by adding planted medians andinstalling wider grass- and tree-planted areasalong curbs can have a major impact on chang-ing a street’s character from a high-speed subur-ban or rural arterial roadway to a slower, local,

urban street. Replacing cobra-style freeway polesand light fixtures with more urban fixtures alsoadds to the urban character of a street, makingit more a place of interest rather than simply athrough route.

Along the study area’s transportation corridors,narrow sidewalks without landscaping buffersbetween traffic lanes currently create an atmos-phere that is very unfriendly toward pedestrians.This problem is exacerbated by the location ofutility poles along street curbs or on sidewalks,which reduces visibility for pedestrians as well asthe sidewalks’ effective width. Sidewalks typicallyneed to be at least six feet wide if they are to pro-vide a pathway for more than a single pedestrian.Active pedestrian sidewalks allow two or morepeople to walk side by side, as well as two-waypedestrian flow, without requiring walkers to stepoff the sidewalk to give way to other pedestrians.Building access needs to include direct, markedpedestrian linkages from the sidewalk system tobuilding entrances, which should be located withinshort walking distances of adjacent sidewalks andbus stops.

Crosswalks should be provided at all major streetintersections and should be enhanced by streetmarkings and adequate pedestrian signal timing.Enhanced crosswalks can include colored pave-ment, zebra or ladder pavement markings, in-pavement lighting, advanced pedestrian signalphasing, and/or countdown pedestrian timers fit-ted with technologies that improve access forhandicapped persons.

Urban street design typically eliminates barriersto pedestrians at intersections by reducing oreliminating large, free-flow, right-turn curb radiiand channelized right-turn lanes. This designboth improves pedestrian capabilities by reduc-ing roadway widths and calms the traffic flow byreducing vehicle turning speeds and free-flowhighway operation. The panel therefore recom-mends (as shown in the illustration on the fol-lowing page) that a more urban street design beput in place at these intersections.

Current technology and standard traffic controlscan effectively change how a street operates, in-creasing its efficiency and ability to move traffic.


Existing traffic signals should be connected andoperated as a system, with coordinated, progres-sive signal timing along the corridor. This can re-duce traffic delays between signals, and minimizeintersection queuing and vehicle stopping. Up-graded pavement markings and signage also willimprove the efficiency of automobile travel in thestudy area corridors and improve access to adja-cent development.

The collective impact of the implementation ofthese design criteria and aesthetic standards cre-ates the potential to alter the roadway characterfrom that of a highway to that of a more urbanstreet that accommodates all users and calms theflow of traffic. Community leaders need to deter-mine the purpose of their roads. Should theyfunction merely to move traffic as quickly as pos-sible, or should they provide connections among

adjacent land uses as well as opportunities forall residents to travel by a variety of transpor-tation modes, including public transit, walking,and bicycling?

The Olden Avenue Redevelopment Plan and theBrunswick Turnpike South Redevelopment Planprovide consistent and solid urban design criteriacompatible with these principles. Implementationof these design principles on all arterial roads inthe study area can change the character of thelocal street system. Street improvement projectsshould be scheduled in a way that gives priority to North Olden Avenue and Spruce Street, thepredominant streets in the area. Aesthetics alongthese two street segments between Artic Park-way and Princeton Avenue are the most deterio-rated in the study area.

North Olden Avenue, Proposed Traffic Pattern

6' 6' 6'6'5' 5'12'12'12'12' 14'96'

North Olden Avenue, Existing Traffic Pattern

6' 6'13.5'13.5'13.5'13.5' 14'80'

North Olden Avenue, Proposed Traffic Pattern

6' 6' 6'6'5' 5'12'12'12'12' 14'96'

North Olden Avenue, Existing Traffic Pattern

6' 6'13.5'13.5'13.5'13.5' 14'80'

To reconfigure the NorthOlden Avenue corridor,the panel recommendsreducing the roadwaywidth, removing barriersto pedestrians, and creat-ing additional space forpedestrians, bicycles, and landscaping.

Implementation of the panel’s Mercer Cross-ings plan, using the tools and methods de-scribed below, can result in the sustainable anddesirable development of the crossroads of

Trenton, Ewing, and Lawrence. In the absence ofsuch implementation, the future of the area maycontinue to be one of inactive interest and discon-nected activity. Whether this area continues on itscurrent course or makes a dynamic and excitingtransformation will be dependent upon the jointefforts not only of the three municipalities, butalso of Mercer County, which can serve as boththe facilitator and leader of this change.

The panel recognizes that a number of the plan-ning tools that already exist within the MercerCrossings area can serve as a foundation for theproposed coordinated effort. Furthermore, thepanel finds that county and state laws allow foradditional mechanisms that can advance the vi-sion sought by these communities. In this section,the panel identifies the existing issues and theactions needed to implement the plan. The panelwishes to emphasize that implementation is, bydefinition, an ongoing process. The plan set out bythe panel is ambitious and therefore will requirephasing. As future public investment and policiesattract private capital and development of thearea proceeds, unforeseen changes may occur. Allplans must respond to changing conditions, mar-kets, and demands. These conditions inevitablywill require adjustments to the strategies setforth below.

Disconnected Efforts, DisconnectedResultsHistorically, the three municipalities have workedseparately to redevelop their portions of the studyarea without much coordinated effort or unifiedleadership. The absence of a coordinated efforthas hampered their ability to establish the full po-tential of the area as a target location for new in-

vestment, commerce, and residents. While pock-ets of success and sustainable development ex-ist, the lack of a unified vision has resulted in dis-jointed development and missed opportunitiesthat could be captured by a coordinated effortsupported by a shared vision. Since similaritiescurrently exist in the form and function of thepockets of development throughout the studyarea, the purpose of the redevelopment planshould be to make the study area appear to beone seamless place physically as well.

Existing Redevelopment PlansAll three municipalities have established redevel-opment areas within their respective boundaries,as allowed by state enabling legislation. Of spe-cific interest to Mercer Crossings is the OldenAvenue Redevelopment Plan adopted by theEwing Redevelopment Agency and the Bruns-wick Turnpike South Redevelopment Plan pre-pared by Lawrence Township. Both of these re-development plans offer guiding policies for theredevelopment of the areas and redevelopmenttools such as incentives for new investment withintheir boundaries, including graduated tax abate-ments and by-right modifications of the zoning re-quirements. Both redevelopment areas, to someextent, have achieved successful results, and bothplans represent conscious efforts to direct specialattention toward these areas.

Unfortunately, both of these redevelopment areascurrently stand alone, without any collaborationwith their neighbor. Neither plan makes refer-ence to the other or allows for coordinated rede-velopment efforts. Moreover, only a very smallportion of the Brunswick Turnpike plan lies withinthe study area. The remainder of Mercer Cross-ings is not subject to any redevelopment plan.

Absence of a Coordinated Planning EffortIn the absence of redevelopment planning tar-geted to the entire study area, development andinvestment within Mercer Crossings have been


Implementation


subject to three separate sets of regulations, asprescribed by the zoning ordinances of the munici-palities for their respective jurisdictions. Throughits review of these ordinances and a field inspec-tion of existing development, the panel found thatno coordinated effort has been made to ensureconsistency or uniformity in site plan and urbandesign requirements within the study area.

Each municipality has its own set of rules and itsown processes, even though the study area is aphysically connected place without any naturalbarriers. Even the regulations that apply to proj-ects lying within a single jurisdiction can be incon-sistent. Within the Olden Avenue planning area,for example, proposals for projects that take ad-vantage of redevelopment incentives are not nec-essarily subject to the same regulations as otherdevelopment that does not qualify as redevelop-ment. The panel believes that the most importantelement in implementing its redevelopment planwill be consistency and an agreement among juris-dictions to develop uniform regulations that willattract private investment to the area.

Lack of an Intermunicipal Team with a SharedVisionLike many other jurisdictions that abut one an-other, each municipality in Mercer Crossings hasrightfully taken a strong home rule focus on the is-sues and development proposals that lie within itsown boundaries. The fact that projects that willresult in impacts across municipal boundaries arebeing approved in each jurisdiction has causedconcern and raised awareness of the need forgreater communication and cooperation amongthe communities. During its fact-gathering inter-views, the panel repeatedly was advised that theabsence of communication and cooperation hascreated some discord and mistrust among thecommunities.

Compounding this history of strong home rulepolicy and the lack of a coordinated planning ef-fort is the absence of any strong leadership to im-plement a unified vision for the area. Panel mem-bers repeatedly were advised that any effort tocoordinate planning efforts within Mercer Cross-ings was inconceivable just a few years ago. Now,with raised awareness about the importance ofcooperation among local leadership, the focus of

statewide smart growth initiatives, and the pres-sures of market forces within the study area, thethree municipalities and the county have come to-gether to develop a redevelopment plan with ashared vision. When implemented, this effort canserve as a model for intergovernmental coopera-tion in a new era of smart growth in New Jersey,an area in which the state already is a nationalleader. Furthermore, the panel believes thatTCNJ’s newly created Municipal Land Use Cen-ter can play a role in helping to support this coop-erative effort.

An Implementation Strategy The panel proposes four major steps that it be-lieves must be taken before the stakeholders andleaders of Mercer Crossings can begin to success-fully coordinate their redevelopment efforts.These include the following:

• Appoint a local facilitator who can shepherdcommunity support for the creation and adop-tion of coordinated redevelopment plans for thearea;

• Adopt a series of interlocal agreements to allowfor the preparation and implementation of theplans;

• Prepare three redevelopment plans as well as ashared, multijurisdictional master plan for Mer-cer Crossings; and

• Hire an executive director of a newly createdredevelopment agency to oversee the coordi-nated redevelopment planning effort.

Municipal planners dis-cuss redevelopment plansfor Mercer Crossings.


• A coordinated site plan review process, pur-suant to zoning ordinance requirements;

• A coordinated, multijurisdictional capital im-provement program; and

• Opportunities for the transfer of developmentrights among jurisdictions.

The panel recommends that each municipalityand the county be a party to each interlocal agree-ment that addresses the goals stated above. Theadoption of such agreements will create a frame-work for the more detailed recommendations tofollow. In particular, all three municipalities needto adopt a shared master plan with detailed rec-ommendations for land uses, zoning map and textamendments, urban design guidelines, and site im-provement standards to achieve the shared visionfor the study area.

Create a New, Multijurisdictional MasterRedevelopment PlanBecause the study area extends over three munic-ipal boundaries, each jurisdiction needs to adoptits own share of the redevelopment plan, consis-tent with the master interlocal agreement. Thenew redevelopment plan should supersede exist-ing redevelopment plans for the areas lying withinthe study area boundaries. The master plan shouldinclude the following:

A Land Use Plan. Land use and zoning changes willbe required to encourage the mixed-use focus ofthe concepts proposed by the panel.

Zoning Ordinance Amendments. Each municipalityneeds to agree to amend its zoning ordinance andzoning map to make them consistent with the pro-posed master land use plan. These amendmentsshould be specific to the adopted vision for the en-tire planning area and to the special opportunitysites recommended by the panel. Amendmentsalso should include urban design standards, so thearea can be transformed under the shared visionto a pedestrian-friendly environment with effi-cient automobile circulation patterns. The panelrecommends that these amendments includehigher standards for site planning; architecturaldesign; access management and comprehensivetraffic impact analysis; building placement, height,

Appoint an Advocate for a MultijurisdictionalRedevelopment PlanTo implement the panel’s recommendations, lead-ership that is recognized by all four jurisdictionswill be needed to advocate community support forchange. This leadership must initiate the planningeffort. The panel believes, based on its experience,that a failure to address the need for leadershiplikely will result in a plan implementation processplagued with frustration and counterproductiveeffort, and few—if any—positive results. Withoutthe push of leadership, delays could impede thetempo of revitalization and narrow the range ofdevelopment opportunities presented by currentmarket forces.

The panel proposes that the leadership role beassigned to Mercer County. The county has theresources and means to bring together the appro-priate interested parties. Interviewees repeat-edly indicated that the facilitator for the redevel-opment plan should not be associated with or astaff member of any of the three individual mu-nicipalities. Accordingly, the role of coordinatorshould be assigned to the office of the county ex-ecutive. While final responsibility should lie withthe county executive, the person assigned tothis task should serve at the pleasure of thecounty executive.

Adopt Interlocal AgreementsBecause no means currently exist to establish across-jurisdictional redevelopment district with-out major legislative efforts, and because thereappears to be no support for any of the three mu-nicipalities to delegate home rule authority, themost appropriate means to achieve collaborationis the use of interlocal agreements or memorandaof agreement (MOA). These can be effective toolsfor establishing formal roles and responsibilitiesamong the four jurisdictions. MOA will allow eachmunicipality and the county to participate equallyin the creation of the following:

• A shared vision for the planning area;

• A collaborative planning strategy or district;

• A master plan for the study area;

• Zoning ordinances for the study area that arebased on the shared vision;


and bulk; and landscaping and signage. Once clearand uniform development standards are estab-lished, the approval process for site plan reviewand the issuance of permits must be streamlined.The review process must be consistent and timely.Establishing an administrative review process inlieu of board review should be considered for proj-ects with fewer impacts because of their scale,project type, or location. A streamlined reviewprocess will serve as an incentive and make thestudy area attractive to new investment.

Proposed Incentives for Qualifying New Develop-ment and Redevelopment. The plan should outlinethe types of incentives to be offered within thestudy area. These incentives should be as equal aspossible across municipal boundaries, so that eachmunicipality is equally attractive to investment.Incentives may include tax abatements and/or taxfreezes. Specific results and benchmarks must beintegral to incentives to ensure that the intendeddirect and collateral results are achieved.

Public Improvements and Investment. The existinginfrastructure in the study area is old and some ofit will not support new development. Developerscan be expected to upgrade some of this infra-structure in concert with the construction of newprojects. When large-scale improvements such asstreet realignment or extensive sewer line re-placements are required, however, public invest-ment may be necessary.

The panel recommends that public improvementsbe implemented throughout the study area. Theseimprovements should include planned street ex-tensions and realignment, pedestrian improve-

ments, street lighting, district signage, streetfurniture, bus shelters, underground utilities,stormwater improvements, and landscaping. Thepanel suggests that state and federal fundingsources be used as much as possible to pay for thecosts associated with these improvements. The re-mainder will need to be financed through a bondissued by the Mercer County Improvement Au-thority. Consequently, some local funds will beneeded to repay the bond issue. The county’sopen-space acquisition and development programalso should be included in the plan, to fund theprotection of green space within the study area.

The panel identifies the following tools, which canbe used to make these public improvements:

• A capital improvement program. Municipal landuse law regulates the capital improvement pro-gram, which is a component of a municipality’scomprehensive master plan. The study area’sthree municipalities should make programmingneeded infrastructure improvements in thestudy area a high priority.

• Mercer County Improvement Authority. Thepanel recommends that municipalities takeadvantage of the financing authority madeavailable by the Mercer County ImprovementAuthority.

• Uniform and consistent development standardsand processes.

• Transfer of development rights (TDR). The NewJersey State Planning Code is being amendedto allow for the transfer of development rights.The panel believes that this tool may serve as a

Public investment shouldmaintain existing residen-tial uses and attract newresidential developmentto Mercer Crossings.


useful incentive to ensure appropriate designand land uses for development projects thatinclude areas designated as open space orwetlands.

• Streamlined development approval.

• Low-interest loans for facade and site improve-ments. Particular efforts should be made to ob-tain funds through signage grant programs.

• Shared costs for public improvements. Collabo-rative cost sharing could be used, for example,to improve streetscapes, upgrade utilities, andplace utilities underground.

• Land assembly. The jurisdictions have thepower of eminent domain and need to be pre-pared to use it, if necessary, once redevelop-ment plans are adopted.

Hire a Redevelopment Agency ExecutiveDirectorThe panel strongly recommends that an executivedirector of a newly created Mercer Crossings Re-development Agency be hired to oversee the co-ordination of the redevelopment plan and processamong the three redevelopment agencies of NorthTrenton, Ewing, and Lawrence. The executive di-rector should be an appointee of the county execu-tive, and should serve as an at-will, contractual,salaried employee of the county. The positionshould be funded equally by the county and thethree municipalities. It also should be structuredto, in some way, address the problem of the incon-

sistency of leadership that occurs with changingadministrations.

Serving as a representative of the county execu-tive, the executive director should be responsiblefor providing cross-jurisdictional cooperation andcoordination. This should include, but not be lim-ited to, the following:

• Coordinating intermunicipal plan and ordi-nance amendments. As redevelopment takesplace, it may become necessary to amend theredevelopment plan and applicable zoning mapsand zoning ordinances. The executive directorshould manage this process.

• Coordinating intermunicipal site plan reviews.Although each proposed development projectwill be required to comply with the policies anddirectives of the master plan, ultimate approvalauthority will continue to lie with the jurisdic-tion within which the proposed project lies. Theexecutive director should manage the reviewprocess.

• Seeking funding sources and grants. The execu-tive director should be responsible for filing ap-plications for grants and funding sources, andfor administering those funds to cover the costsassociated with public improvements includedin the redevelopment plans.

• Coordinating meetings among the municipalredevelopment agencies. The executive directorwill need to schedule intermunicipal meetingson an as-needed basis to reevaluate plan prog-ress, review projects that cross municipal bound-aries, and discuss proposed amendments to theredevelopment plans and zoning ordinances.

• Promoting the redevelopment area. The exec-utive director should work with local civicgroups, chambers of commerce, economic de-velopment agencies, building and real estateindustry organizations, and other marketinggroups to promote development opportunitieswithin the redevelopment area. The directoralso should be responsible for maintaining aredevelopment area web site that can be linkedto the web sites of all four jurisdictions as wellas other relevant sites.

Leaders of the College ofNew Jersey’s administra-tion and the MunicipalLand Use Center discussthe university’s role in theredevelopment of MercerCrossings.


• Securing community development block grant(CDBG) allocations. The executive directorshould serve as the lead county agent to secureCDBG monies for the study area. These fundscould be used for infrastructure improvements,housing rehabilitation, park and playground de-velopment, and streetscaping.

• Assisting potential developers and other inter-ested parties. The executive director shouldserve as a liaison between the municipalitiesand developers who may be interested in devel-opment opportunities within Mercer Crossings.Efforts should include providing market data,information on available redevelopment incen-tives, area contact information, site availability,and other applicable information.

• Researching and furthering opportunities forthe sharing of ratables and the establishment oftax increment financing. The executive direc-tor should serve as a liaison between the NewJersey Office of Smart Growth and local juris-dictions to pursue opportunities for the sharing

of ratables among the three municipalities, aswell as the establishment of tax increment fi-nancing. Because this multijurisdictional rela-tionship will be viewed as a model for intergov-ernmental cooperation, the director shouldestablish relationships with both the state plan-ning agencies and the Municipal Land Use Cen-ter at TCNJ. These relationships should be usedfor further research and, ultimately, legislationthat allows for the sharing of ratables for inter-jurisdictional redevelopment planning initia-tives and the creation of tax increment financ-ing districts.

In the interim, and to assist with the establish-ment of the redevelopment plan and its organiza-tional structure, a committee of representativesfrom the three municipalities, county agencies,and the Municipal Land Use Center should con-vene to plan for the early stages of the studyarea’s revitalization.


Successful revitalization efforts have severalcommon themes. First, they take time, pa-tience, and persistence. Some real estatedrivers are short term while others are

long term, and the community must push forwardsimultaneously on both fronts.

Second, there is no single easy answer. There isno silver bullet. The best initial opportunities canand do come in small, quickly doable packages. Bigcatalytic projects have their role as well, but it isthe smaller-scale, readily achievable project thatgets things going and attracts the attention ofnew investment.

While economic and social forces seem to have alife of their own, economic and physical redevelop-ment require more than just opportunities to be-come reality. They require civic leadership, initia-tive, and creativity; risk-taking; cooperation; andcollaboration on multiple levels. These forces areessential to recognizing and taking advantage ofthe opportunities presented in the study area.New Jersey is a national model for public sectorleadership in smart growth. Evidence of that lead-

ership exists in Mercer County as well. Leader-ship forces must be applied, in conjunction with awide variety of available tools and resources, tomake the study area a vital and productive placeonce again.

Beyond providing for the public safety and edu-cation, there is no more important role for thepublic sector than maintaining and augmentinginfrastructure. The streets and roadways, thetransit systems, the sewer and stormwater sys-tems, the parks and open spaces, the schools, arethe bones and muscles around which neighbor-hoods, through neglect, suffer and wither, andthrough investment grow and prosper. The countyand the municipalities have demonstrated theirwillingness to pursue the redevelopment of theregional corridor by supporting the execution ofthis report. The panel is confident in the juris-dictions’ ability to revitalize Mercer Crossingsthrough the use of the suggested tools andthrough persistent collaboration.

Conclusion


Alex J. RosePanel ChairEl Segundo, California

Rose serves as director of development for Conti-nental Development Corporation in El Segundo,California. He is responsible for managing all de-velopment and construction activities for the sub-urban office/research and development (R&D)park developer, whose holdings include 3.5 millionsquare feet in southern California’s South Baymarket and the city of San Francisco. Rose over-sees acquisitions and new project development;planning and execution of all tenant improvement,core and shell renovation, and new constructionwork; major facilities maintenance and upgrades;project budgeting and cost controls; internal proj-ect management; and architect, engineer, and con-tractor management.

Over the past nine years, Rose has overseen thedevelopment and acquisition of nearly 1 millionsquare feet of Class A office space, as well as thephysical transformation of more than 1 millionsquare feet of single-tenant R&D facilities intomultitenant office space, restaurants, and retailand entertainment uses. Prior to assuming hisdevelopment and construction responsibilities,Rose served as the firm’s director of propertymanagement. He also has extensive experiencein title insurance and is a licensed California at-torney, with experience in general civil and bank-ruptcy litigation.

Rose received an MBA from the University ofSouthern California (USC), a JD from Southwest-ern University School of Law, and a BA in politi-cal science from the University of California atLos Angeles (UCLA). He is a trustee of the UrbanLand Institute, chair of ULI’s Commercial andRetail Development Council, a vice chair of theInstitute’s national Program and District Councilcommittees, and a member of the ULI Los Ange-

les District Council Executive Committee. Rosehas chaired and served on numerous AdvisoryServices panel assignments focusing on downtownand transit corridor redevelopment and revitaliza-tion and office development issues, and has partic-ipated in several ULI office sector workshops.

Rose has been a member of numerous other com-munity, industry, legal, UCLA, and USC groups,including the Los Angeles Conservancy, Leader-ship Manhattan Beach, and the steering commit-tee of New Schools Better Neighborhoods, abroad-based private and public citizen’s advisoryboard which is researching and developing stan-dards and methodologies for the development ofmore than 100 new community-asset public schoolsin the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Mary Beth CorriganWashington, D.C.

Corrigan is a planner and policy analyst with morethan 20 years of experience working with local gov-ernments and private clients in helping addressand resolve land use and development issues. Asvice president of the Advisory Services Programat ULI–the Urban Land Institute, she has coor-dinated more than 100 Advisory Services panelsfor communities throughout the United Statesand abroad. Her role involves meeting with thepanel sponsors to define issues and questions andprepare for the panel’s site visit, identifying ap-propriate expertise for the panel and recruitingpanel participants from ULI’s membership, over-seeing logistical arrangements for the panel, join-ing the panel for its site visit, providing technicaland logistical support, and overseeing the produc-tion of the final report.

Prior to joining ULI, Corrigan was with TetraTech, Inc, an environmental consulting firm,where she was responsible for developing non–point source pollution control guidelines and best

About the Panel


opment and zoning ordinances. Hixenbaugh alsodirectly supervises the Development Review Ser-vices Division’s staff of 11 professional and tech-nical employees who provide zoning, site planreview, platting, sign review, tree removal, land-scaping, and other development-related services.

Hixenbaugh began his career with the city of St.Petersburg in 1998. He previously held profes-sional planning positions with the city of PortOrange, Florida, and the village of Schaumburg,Illinois. A member of ULI–the Urban Land Insti-tute, the American Institute of Certified Planners,and the American Planning Association, Hixen-baugh received a BFA in drawing and an MA inurban and regional planning from the Universityof Florida

Paula K. KonikoffNew York, New York

Konikoff is an independent professional real es-tate consultant with 20 years of experience pro-viding clients with advisory, valuation, and otherreal estate consulting services. The scope of herpractice includes designing and conducting duediligence investigations on properties, conductingand evaluating property appraisals, and advisingprivate and public institutions (both owners andlenders) in connection with the acquisition, devel-opment, and disposition of their real estate hold-ings, as well as their fit within a real estate port-folio. Konikoff has been retained to provide suchservices concerning properties throughout theUnited States, from Hawaii to New York, andabroad, from Hong Kong to the Czech Republic.

Konikoff holds both a law degree and a memberof the Appraisal Institute (MAI) designation.Prior to establishing her independent real estateadvisory practice in 1993, she was director of na-tional real estate valuation services at KPMG. Shejoined KPMG in 1989 after having served as presi-dent of the Hudson Group, a national real estateconsulting and appraisal firm. Previously, Konikoffhad been an attorney in private practice at thePhiladelphia law firm of Dilworth, Paxson, Kalish& Kauffman, where she worked in both the realestate and corporate law practice areas.

management practices manuals. She also workedfor the South Florida Regional Planning Councilas an environmental planner and policy analyst,where she was manager of the environmental sec-tions of the Regional Plan for South Florida, re-viewed environmental issues for development ofregional impact (DRI) submittals, and managedseveral projects related to environmental andgrowth management, including the 1989 South-west Broward/Northwest Dade SubregionalStudy, which looked at development alternativesfor that part of the region.

Corrigan received a BA from Kutztown State Col-lege and an MS in coastal zone management fromthe Florida Institute of Technology.

Allen K. FolksSacramento, California

Folks, a licensed landscape architect and planner,directs the design studio at EDAW, Inc., in Sac-ramento. He has prepared master plans and di-rected the implementation of a wide range of proj-ects in the western United States and abroad.Folks’s waterfront planning experience includeslarge mixed-use projects in several Bay Area citiesand the resolution of issues related to the Califor-nia Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Folks alsowas very active in the design and preparation ofseveral key waterfront military base reuse plans,including those for Mare Island Naval Shipyardand the Alameda Naval Air Station.

Folks’s current responsibilities include the prepa-ration of specific plans for new developments inthe California cities of Napa and Half Moon Bay, aspecific plan that addresses urban infill in the cityof Walnut Creek, design of Microsoft’s new southcampus in the city of Mountain View, and the mas-ter plan for a new development in Cairo, Egypt.

John R. HixenbaughSt. Petersburg, Florida

Hixenbaugh is the zoning official for the city ofSt. Petersburg, Florida, a position to which he wasappointed by the mayor. He is responsible for theday-to-day administration of the city’s land devel-


Namioka joined ULI’s Public/Private PartnershipCouncil five years ago. She decided to become anarchitect while in high school and, after receivingbachelor of architecture and master of urban de-sign degrees, practiced as an architect beforeswitching to local government planning.

Kathleen RoseDavidson, North Carolina

Rose is president of Rose & Associates Southeast,Inc., a boutique land planning and developmentadvisory firm specializing in strategic planning,market feasibility, site selection, and due dili-gence. The firm also specializes in Values BasedPlanning™ and serves both public and privatesector clients.

With more than 18 years of experience, Rose hasmanaged the planning, development, and market-ing of retail, industrial, multifamily, hotel, andmixed-use real estate projects. She also is man-aging partner of Prism Development, a NorthCarolina–based regional development company.

Rose holds the certified commercial investmentmember (CCIM) designation of the CommercialInvestment Real Estate Institute. She has servedon the CCIM Institute’s faculty and a number ofits national committees, including member ser-vices, strategic planning, and as past chair of des-ignation promotion and the international coor-dinating committee. She was instrumental inadvancing the CCIM Institute’s global initiatives,including implementing an ambassador programand expanding course delivery to other regions ofthe world. Rose currently serves on the board ofdirectors for the North Carolina CCIM chapter.She also is a member of the International Councilof Shopping Centers (ICSC), the Urban Land In-stitute (ULI), the National Network of Commer-cial Real Estate Women (NNCREW), and theAmerican Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).

Rose frequently speaks at meetings of relatedprofessional trade organizations and has authoredarticles for national real estate trade publicationssuch as the Commercial Investment Real EstateJournal and Shopping Center Business. She is alicensed real estate broker in Connecticut and

An adjunct professor at New York University,Konikoff has taught graduate and undergraduatecourses on real estate finance, real estate markets,and real estate appraisal. She also is an instructorfor the Appraisal Foundation, where she conductsprograms on standards of appraisal practice andon professional appraisal ethical rules. In addition,Konikoff develops and presents real estate valu-ation seminars for continuing education credits forCPAs and attorneys. She also has served as anexpert witness in a variety of cases in which realestate valuation and damages issues have comeinto dispute.

Konikoff has served as a member of several Ap-praisal Institute committees, the Appraisal Stan-dards Board, and other professional organizations.She is a member of the real property law commit-tee of the Association of the Bar of the City ofNew York and chair of its program subcommittee.Konikoff earned a BS from Temple University anda JD from Villanova University School of Law.She frequent speaks and writes on appraisal andother real property issues. Prior to her appoint-ment to the Appraisal Standards Board in Janu-ary 2003, she presented seminars on standards ofpractice, ethics, and valuation issues in litigationfor the Appraisal Institute.

Sakura Namioka Arlington, Virginia

Namioka, a certified planner with a background inarchitecture and urban design, is the zoning ordi-nance program coordinator for the Department ofCommunity Planning, Housing and Developmentin Arlington County, Virginia. Her major respon-sibilities include coordinating zoning ordinance re-views and amendments, drafting zoning ordinanceamendment reports, reviewing residential andmixed-use development projects, and workingwith citizen advisory groups.

As a local government planner, she strives to ad-dress broader public issues by struggling to defineand represent public benefits. Her work experi-ence also includes comprehensive planning, landuse laws, environmental reviews, grant applica-tions, project reviews, and citizen participation.


North Carolina, and a Connecticut Certified Com-mercial Appraiser.

Ken VoigtBrookfield, Wisconsin

Voigt, an adjunct professor at the University ofWisconsin at Milwaukee with teaching experienceat Marquette University and the University ofWisconsin Extension Department, has more than35 years of experience in the field of traffic engi-neering and transportation planning. He recentlycompleted the Pedestrian and Bicycle InformationCenter workshop on pedestrian-accessible facili-ties. Voigt also has taught a series of seminars forthe Wisconsin Department of Transportation Bu-reau of Highway Safety on traffic calming. He has

conducted major transportation corridor studies;special event traffic studies for Miller Park, theKansas City Race Track, and National Airport;and numerous traffic impact studies for small andlarge developments throughout Wisconsin, Min-nesota, and Illinois.

Voigt serves on numerous national technical com-mittees with the Institute of Transportation Engi-neers (ITE) smart growth and trip generationcommittees. He is an international director forITE, vice chair of the American Society of CivilEngineers (ASCE) traffic operations committee,and a member of the Transportation ResearchBoard subcommittee on highway capacity forunsignalized intersections.

Documents

AN ADVISORY SERVICES PANEL REPORT Mercer County NewJersey€¦ · revitalization, brownfields redevelopment, military base reuse, provision of low-cost and affordable housing, and