Someone asked me the other day whether or not the proposed widening of Broadway Street would have a positive affect on the local real estate market. Well, if this project does happen, the answer is YES! Ofcorse, there are a few homes and busineses that will be affected negatively, but overall we will benefit from such a project in many ways.
The general consensus that I am hearing about the Main Street project is a very positive one. Most would agree that travel on North Main Street is so much easier and enjoyable than before. I also hear many compliments about the new sidewalks, street signs and street lamps. I suspect that a similar project on Broadway will garner the same response when it is completed. Any sort of addition to our community like this will always have a good affect on our local market. That is something that we should all be thinking about. The better we make our city and county, the more attractive it will be to prospective residents. I will remind everyone of this though...if the construction on Broadway does begin, it will have an immediate impact on homes and businesses that are near the construction. I am sure that this project would take quite some time to finish, so as residents we will just have to tough things out until then. But, the finished road would surely generate some new excitement and pride in our community.
Another question I have had recently is about the state of Princeton's town square. I know that many people (including myself) are nostalgic for the days when the town square was full of unique busineses and was asthetically more pleasing. It is unfortunate that those days seem to be a distant memory. I see there being a few reasons why this area of town is challenged when it comes to sustaining business.
First, most of the buildings on the square are very old and need so much repair. Also, many of these buildings are no longer relavent to the layout and needs of 'would-be' modern busineses. The next issue is parking. There just isn't much in the way of parking. The projected widening of Broadway Street would eliminate even more street parking on the south side of the town square. Another consideration is the fact that many people that have an interest in opening a small busines would find it difficult to afford the repairs on these buildings and the cost that it would take to modify them for their business. I find it hard to believe that we will ever see the town square like we remember it many years ago, unless we are able to get some assistance from the city or the state in the way of grants or tax credits for revitalization or business start-up.
If you have any opinions, comments or ideas on this subject, I would love to hear them.
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