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| Boxed in by security as Dell Omo approaches Press Briefing - I made him walk a narrower path into the Press Briefing where he announced. |
Yesterday, Rider - President Dell Omo - announced its long awaited decision to attempt to sell Westminster Choir College to another institution to take over operations.
Many thought the decision yesterday was the least offensive of 3 bad options. (The other two options were complete closure and moving Westminster to Rider's Lawrenceville campus location.) GUESS AGAIN!
The demand was always SAVE WESTMINSTER CHOIR COLLEGE IN PRINCETON. That was *not* accomplished.
Princeton Public Schools Wants to Buy Westminster Choir College Property
I was unable to clip the text describing what was passed so instead took this pic of it:
You thought - well at least we have another year - we can probably find someone to buy us out and keep us in Princeton?
You thought that everything will be ok after all?
That we had pushed back just enough for the best of the worse . . .
THE FOR SALE SIGN IS STILL UP!
As Rob sang:
NOT FOR SALE AT WESTMINSTER!
The administration was quite crafty - as the release of this additional information was delayed until the NEXT DAY - the opposition comments in the paper were - "well it's the best of 3 bad proposals" - so they cleverly undermined more hard hitting commentary on the day the media was most interested.
While Rider committed to trying to find a parent institution to purchase Westminster Choir College it obviously did NOT commit to the idea that the institution would purchase Westminster Choir College TO STAY IN PRINCETON - which has been the principle demand.
Questions:
Is Rider in negotiations with Princeton District?
How long have those negotiations been engaged?
Is Rider willing to sell the property in a separate transaction from the sale of the institution of Westminster Choir College?
Obviously - Princeton District was privy to the decision before it was announced to be able to roll out its plan to move on the property. Obviously they have researched the Rider decision and made sure that Rider's commitment to sell the institution does not preclude it from selling the property to another buyer.
Yesterday's press briefing was scheduled for 1 pm but did not occur until around 2pm - perhaps Dell Omo was giving Princeton District some time to line up its ducks for last night's meeting at which the move on the property was approved. Princeton District and Rider Administration are OBVIOUSLY coordinating.
Another point . . . selling the land (and the buildings) out from under Westminster Choir College is an important asset. It is questionable what portion of student undergraduate body will follow the college to another site. At least part of the faculty will not be able to relocate. So a diminished student body, no land and diminished faculty - what is left to sell? What is to attract the institutions that WCC supporters hope to be able to pitch to? So this could be a blueprint for closing - just a year later.
Who wants to carry the banner at the next Princeton Planning Board meeting where the plan to make a move to destroy WCC will be proceeding? Princeton Public Schools is trying to schedule their move against Wesminster Choir College on the agenda of that meeting.
To contact Princeton Planning Board:
To contact Princeton Planning Board:
April 6 7:30 pm
Facebook event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/409504999424114/
Princeton Planning Board
Lee O. Solow, PP, AICP - Planning Director
Ilene Cutroneo, Planning Bd. Coordinator
400 Witherspoon Street, Princeton, NJ 08540
609-924-5366 - Fax: 609-688-2032
Call or text 908-881-5275 if interested.
I will add more to this article - but this firms up my oft stated proposal.
THAT WE NEED TO MARCH DOWN 206!!!
Here are the addresses of the Princeton Public School Board that voted to make these moves against Westminster Choir College:
Princeton Public Schools Board of Education
betsy_baglio@princetonk12.org
bill_hare@princetonk12.org
connie_witter@princetonk12.org
dafna_kendal@princetonk12.org
debbie_bronfeld@princetonk12.org
evelyn_spann@princetonk12.org
fern_spruill@princetonk12.org
greg_stankiewicz@princetonk12.org
justin_doran@princetonk12.org
patrick_sullivan@princetonk12.org
Update March 30:
WCTC Article
Quote from article:
“While we appreciate their interest and deeply value our place in the Princeton community, as President Dell’Omo informed the Rider community, over the next 12 months, our highest priority is to find an institution willing to acquire Westminster Choir College and keep it in Princeton,"
I find this apparent attempt to reassure to be DISINGENUOUS and here is why:it suggests that after the 12 month period - the parameters change A, and B - it says that is its highest priority but it does NOT say that they will NOT also be entertaining other offers to buy the property separately.
If you put that together with statements made by Dell Omo that his concern is purely financial - in the transcript of his meeting with faculty - that has not changed.
The administration public position all along on this was that they were talking about merging to Lawrenceville.
That is how they played up until the last couple of weeks so a press statement has no real commitment - especially with all the subterfuge that has occurred compliments of Dell Omo and administration. I am not discouraging those who have the wherewithall to seriously broker a deal with an institution to keep WCC in Princeton but i believe there is more potential for this PPS deal than some are giving it - the quote is trying to assuage concern over it - my suspicous mind tells me that helps them continue to foster the deal - IN THE DARK!
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