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Princeton University, Princeton Seminary, Westminster Choir College Slated to Receive State Funding for Construction Projects

A rendering of the new academic building at Westminster Choir College. by KSS Architects. The school is slated to receibe $4.6 million from the state for the project.
A rendering of the new academic building at Westminster Choir College by KSS Architects. The school is slated to receive $4.6 million from the state for the project.

Gov. Chris Christie has announced $1.3 billion in funding for 176 construction projects at 46 public and private colleges and universities.

Princeton University, which has a $17 billion endowment, is slated to receive $6.4 million. About $3.2 million will help fund construction of the new Andlinger Center. The center supports research on sustainable energy development and the environment. The other $3.2 million will fund the renovation of the former Frick Laboratory at 20 Washington Road. The 200,000-square-foot, renovated Frick will house the University’s economics department and also provide space for some of the University’s international initiatives.

Rider University is slated to receive $4.6 million for a new academic building on the Westminster Choir College campus in Princeton. The 11,790-square-foot building will include a recital and rehearsal room. a lobby ticket booth, and multimedia classrooms.

Princeton Theological Seminary is slated to receive $645,323 for technology upgrades at the Luce Library and a new multimedia conference room for online education.

Institutions of higher education in Mercer County will receive a total of $95.4 million if the state Legislature approves the spending plan.

The largest award earmarked for a college in Mercer County is for College of New Jersey, which will receive $57.5 million. Thomas Edison State College is slated to receive $16.6 million and Mercer County Community College will receive $9.7 million.

Last August, Christie signed legislation placing a $750 million construction bond question on the ballot. Voters approved the bond authorization in November. The state also made bond proceeds from the reauthorization of four other higher education funding programs available, including the Higher Education Capital Improvement Fund, the Higher Education Facilities Trust Fund,  the Higher Education Technology Infrastructure Fund, and the Higher Education Equipment Leasing Fund.

Princeton University was not eligible for funding from the higher education bond question in November because of its large endowment. The funding awarded to Princeton University will come from the Higher Education Capital Improvement Fund.