The Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce has outgrown its office space at 9 Vandeventer Avenue and is looking to sell. But it also is looking to stay in downtown Princeton.
“Between the members, our programs, and our staff size, we’ve just outgrown it,” said Peter Crowley, the chamber CEO, of 9 Vandeventer. The chamber has six on staff and is looking to add a seventh person, but Crowley said the real space crunch comes in the building’s eight-person conference room. “Most of our programs have 10 or 12 people involved,” he says. “It’s a great location, it’s been good to us, but there’s just no room.”
There also is the matter of practicality. “I don’t think a chamber should be a property manager,” Crowley said. “We should be focusing on our members and our customers, not the building.”
The Princeton Chamber Foundation is the owner of the building, which is on the market for $1.195 million. Crowley said the money from the sale will go straight to financing the foundation and its expanding plate of programs. He said a few buyers have shown interest in 9 Vandeventer, but there is nothing definitive yet.
The chamber itself is looking to become a renter somewhere downtown. “We wrestled with buying another building, but decided against it,” Crowley said. He said the chamber has its eye on a few places and might be close to a deal, but he would not say where.
Princeton Regional Chamber of Commerce, 9 Vandeventer Avenue, Princeton 08542; 609-924-1776; fax, 609-924-5776. Peter Crowley, CEO. www.princetonchamber.org
