Princeton Club President Ted Gamble called the Town Hall Meeting on February 11 to “get input” from members and “give a progress report”.

Architects RMJM Hillier want to maintain the clubhouse’s classical underpinnings while making it more “club-like” and “welcoming”, citing the Prospect Lounge. They will also distinguish between public space for members and catering space used for rentals, an important revenue source.

They asked for input on schematics presented for floors 1-5, which are advanced but not final plans. Gamble suggested considering the floor plans in total, since the architects propose to swap some locations.

Ground floor – Becomes a members’ floor.A revamped entry groups the reception desk/office and cloakroom. An inner lobby divides catering visitors, directed up a redesigned stair to the second floor, from members, directed left toward a lounge with service bar, illuminated by three new windows.Turning further into the clubhouse leads to a larger quiet lounge with fireplaces, an adjacent library and business center. The new library space is at least 60% larger.

Second floor – Primarily used for catering and meeting income. The Prospect Lounge stays as is with minor renovations in the James Madison Room.

Third floor – Reconfigured to take advantage of the kitchen. The front of the clubhouse is divided between a re-designed Bar & Grill and more formal, whitetablecloth dining with different menus, both with natural light.

Fourth floor – Stays as meeting rooms. Configuration changes allow more flexibility in room size. The architects plan to make the outdoor space to the west available for use in good weather.

Fifth floor – Re-done into hotel rooms, adding to the club’s hard-pressed inventory.

During the Question & Answer period:

Lighting – The architects will determine if the lot line allows for natural lighting in the back.

Ceilings – The architects will seek Prospect Lounge-like effects by raising lowered ceilings where possible.

Space – Princeton secured a long-term office space lease in the adjoining building and will add an entry from the clubhouse.Taking staff out of the clubhouse and reconfiguring public space adds significantly to space, especially lounges and library. Exact numbers are not yet available.

Dining – The two third floor facilities will accommodate about 150 people in total.

Environment – The architects plan a “green” 50% LEED project, meeting standards for a Gold rating.

Styling and materials – The architects are open to comments. No decisions made yet.

Scheduling – Limiting construction to times of least use, current plans call for starting work:

Third floor – May 1, 2008
Fourth floor – June 1, 2008
Fifth floor – after that
First floor – in the spring of 2009

While there will certainly be some disarray during this renovation period, it appears the club’s members will benefit significantly from planned changes.

Nicholas Rudd, CC ‘64 BU ’67