Lawrence Township Council unanimously rejected a proposal to operate the long-vacant Lawrence Community Center on Tuesday, Oct. 20, after the submission from Lawrence Non-Profit Housing Inc. was deemed deficient under the township’s request for proposals process.
The decision was required under the procurement rules governing the process, leaving council members unable to approve the proposal or postpone the vote to allow the organization to address its deficiencies.
The rejection marks another setback in efforts to reopen the community center at 295 Eggerts Crossing Road, which has remained vacant since HomeFront relocated in 2024. Council members emphasized that the decision should not be interpreted as a lack of support for reopening the facility.
“I’m not happy with what has to be done tonight,” Councilman Jim Kownacki said. “My hands are tied, but let’s not put an end to the center. Let’s get the redevelopment started.”
Proposal raises financial questions
The township began seeking a nonprofit organization to operate the community center following a June meeting that drew a large crowd of residents calling for progress toward reopening the building.
Lawrence Non-Profit Housing submitted a proposal over the summer to take on that role.
According to documents reviewed during the process, the organization proposed paying $1 in rent, with provisions for future rent negotiations. It also requested up to $135,000 in township funding to support operations.
The township, however, had indicated that it would not provide funding toward the center’s operating expenses.
The proposal was subsequently determined to be deficient under the requirements of the request for proposals.
During Tuesday’s meeting, residents urged council to consider postponing action to give the organization an opportunity to address the problems with its submission.
However, because the proposal was deemed deficient, council could not table the matter to allow revisions and was required to reject it.
Council members acknowledged the frustration surrounding the decision before voting unanimously to reject the proposal.
A center with deep community roots
The Lawrence Community Center has long served as a gathering place for residents of the Eggerts Crossing neighborhood and the broader township.
Over the years, the building housed a variety of programs and services, including day care and a credit union. Residents have described it as an important resource for young people and families, with particular historical significance for Lawrence’s Black community.
HomeFront, a Mercer County nonprofit focused on addressing homelessness, previously operated programs at the center with financial support from the township. The building has remained vacant since the organization relocated in 2024.
The future of the facility has been the subject of repeated public meetings and discussions, including a packed June 8 meeting where residents urged officials to move beyond planning and take concrete steps toward reopening.
At that meeting, township officials outlined a vision for the building that would rely on nonprofit partnerships to provide educational, vocational, arts and cultural programming rather than operate primarily as a traditional recreation center.
The center’s future again drew residents to Tuesday’s meeting.
Longtime resident and community activist Fred Vereen Jr., who has spoken repeatedly about the center’s importance, questioned what kind of facility the township ultimately intends to create.
“Do you want this building to be community center for the residents of Lawrence?” Vereen asked. “Or do you want it to be a recreation center for a small part of our population?”
His comments reflected an ongoing discussion about how the building should serve the community once it reopens.
Funding secured as reopening efforts continue
While the search for an organization to operate the center has encountered a setback, Lawrence Township has secured $2.5 million in state and federal funding to restore and modernize the building.
In August, the township announced a $2 million state appropriation secured through state Sen. Shirley Turner as part of New Jersey’s fiscal 2027 budget. That funding builds on a previously secured $500,000 federal grant through U.S. Rep. Herb Conaway Jr.
The money is intended for capital improvements to the facility, part of a broader effort to reopen the center as a gathering place for community programs and services.
“These grants dramatically reduce the financial burden on Lawrence taxpayers while allowing us to make meaningful improvements to an important community facility,” Township Manager Kevin Nerwinski said in the August announcement.
At the time, the township said it was working with consultants, community partners and a prospective nonprofit operator to move the renovation and reopening plans forward.
The council’s Oct. 20 decision leaves that operating arrangement unresolved, even as funding for improvements to the building is in place.
“I don’t think anyone wants this to be the end of the story,” Mayor Christopher Bobbitt said during Tuesday’s meeting.
The next Township Council meeting is scheduled for Nov. 3.
