A public meeting focusing on the future uses of the Lawrence Community Center has been set for May 13 at Lawrence High School on Princeton Pike.
The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. with a history of the Lawrence Community Center, which is located at 295 Eggerts Crossing Road. It will be followed by an hour-long town meeting and workshop at 7 p.m.
The meeting grew out of the Mayor’s Task Force on the Future of the Lawrence Community Center. The building, which has been empty since October 2024, is owned by Lawrence Township.
Mayor Patricia Hendricks Farmer appointed the task force, which was created by a resolution approved by the Lawrence Township Council.
The Mayor’s Task Force will advise the Township Council of residents’ concerns, and address the mission statement and future vision of the center, according to the resolution.
Its goal is to engage the community to ensure that decisions about the center reflect the needs of the Lawrence Township community, and to preserve the center’s legacy for all township residents, the resolution said.
The Lawrence Community Center has been vacant since HomeFront Inc., which had leased the building from the township, relocated its services to its expanded headquarters at 1880 Princeton Ave.
HomeFront provides food, shelter, clothing and other assistance to families in need. It offered some of its programs at the Lawrence Community Center, but opted to move them to its Princeton Avenue headquarters.
HomeFront’s actions triggered the need for the task force and for a study of the existing conditions of the building. A consultant has been hired to review the conditions in the building and to recommend improvements.
The Lawrence Community Center was formerly known as the Lawrence Neighborhood Service Center. It has been a cornerstone in the Eggerts Crossing neighborhood since its inception in 1965, and later expanded its services to the broader Lawrence Township community.
Meanwhile, a questionnaire is circulating online that asks respondents about what they believe should be the primary mission of the Lawrence Community Center.
Respondents are asked to rank – from most desired to least desired – examples of potential programs that could be offered at the center. The programs include youth and adult sports leagues, community meetings and cultural events, and after-school tutoring and mentoring.
The survey results will be analyzed – along with data from the May 13 meeting – and presented in a report to the Township Council, tentatively set for June 3.
