Rider enters $10 million deal with Mercer County 

By Grace Bertrand

Mercer County’s purchase of 56 acres of land from Rider’s campus for $8.5 million, along with access to the university’s facilities, provides Rider with a cash flow of $10 million, according to a March 6 press release from Mercer County. 

“[Rider] is an invaluable asset to our community,” said Mercer County Executive Dan Benson. “I am proud that we were able to sit down and work collaboratively with university leadership to reach an agreement that strengthens our partnership, and that is a win-win for the school and for Mercer County residents.”

Mercer County Commissioners approved the plan to purchase two plots of land and enter into a facilities and services agreement with Rider on Feb. 24, Rider President John Loyack wrote in a universitywide email, calling it “another critical step” in keeping the university afloat.

The funds will be “used to meet requirements under [Rider’s] current debt obligations” Loyack wrote to the campus community on Feb. 26, ensuring that the university “will be educating our communities in central New Jersey and beyond for years to come.”

The facilities and services agreement, in turn, gives Mercer County employees access to Rider facilities for recreational uses and events, such as the Schimek Family Fitness Center at the Student Recreation Center and the Richard A. Coppola Pool in the Canastra Health and Sports Center. 

While Rider is an open campus, with Mercer County residents strolling through on a regular basis, the new deal would allow county employees to enter into facilities also used by students.

This has raised some concerns among parents in how the university plans to keep the campus safe, while committing to the agreement. 

Questions such as if town employees and their families would be allowed into locker rooms and restrooms were posted in the Rider University Parents page on Facebook, with an overall curiosity for if the deal would pose a security risk for students.

In response to these concerns, Provost Kelly Bidle told The Rider News on March 10, “The facilities and services agreement is with county employees, not all residents.”

The landmark agreement also allows Mercer County to designate most of the purchased land as open space, preserving places like the Big Woods, the forest located in the back of campus that was explored by the father of the American Conservation Movement, Aldo Leopold, during his education at The Lawrenceville School. 

Daniel Druckenbrod, chair for the department of Earth and chemical sciences, called the forests “a living ecological connection to Leopold.” 

He said, “They have been an important part of the campus over the past few decades serving as an outdoor classroom for science courses and research projects as well as a respite to enjoy nature.” 

Additionally, the deal includes the purchase of “the environmentally sensitive wetlands,” the press release stated. Mercer County’s plan for the preserved land is to renovate the trails that follow the pathways to the recreation services. 

Druckenbrod explained the importance of having the wetlands also protected, saying that the ecological benefits “help reduce runoff and improve water quality both in Lawrenceville and communities downstream, including Trenton.” 

The majority of the funding for the purchase came through Mercer County’s Open Space Trust Fund, allowing the land to be eligible for reimbursement from the state for up to 50% through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the press release stated.

Benson said, “Proposing this purchase allowed us to provide Rider with an alternative to selling off this important land to private residential developers.” 

As further negotiations ensue between Rider and Mercer County, there is the possibility of another purchase of the Johnson Trolley Trail to provide a pedestrian and bicycle path from Trenton to Princeton. 

Lawrence Township Mayor Christopher Bobbitt said in the press release, “Lawrence Township fully supports Mercer County’s efforts to preserve vital open space in our community and partner with [Rider] during this difficult time for the school.”