Lawrence Township has received $2 million in state funding toward renovations at the Lawrence Community Center, formerly known as the Lawrence Neighborhood Service Center, at 295 Eggerts Crossing Road.
State Sen. Shirley K. Turner (D-Mercer Hunterdon) secured the funding in the 2027 state budget for the Lawrence Township-owned building, which has been vacant since October 2024.
Township officials are working toward reopening the center. The Mayor’s Task Force on the Future of the Lawrence Community Center was created in November 2024 to guide potential uses for the the center.
The Mayor’s Task Force released a report in September 2025 which recommended a townshipwide vision that named the LCC as a place for all residents – across age, race, income and neighborhood – while also ensuring special attention to communities with limited access to other resources.
Township officials subsequently issued a request for proposals, seeking a nonprofit group that would provide community-based programming and services. Those services would include youth and family support, community social services, education and personal development.
Meanwhile, Lawrence Township received $500,000 in federal funding through the efforts of U.S. Rep. Herb Conaway (D-12th Congressional District) earlier this year, bringing the total of state and federal funding to $2.5 million.
The combined state and federal funding is in addition to $1 million set aside by the Lawrence Township Council in the capital improvement section of the 2025 municipal budget.
Turner presented an oversized replica of the $2 million check at a press conference in front of the Lawrence Community Center on Aug. 12. It was attended by the Mayor and Township Council and other dignitaries.
“Good morning. This is a mighty fine morning,” Turner said, as the attendees returned her greeting.
Turner thanked the Mayor and Township Council, Municipal Manager Kevin Nerwinski, the Eggerts Crossing Civic League and everyone who has worked to bring the LCC back to life.
Turner, who lives in Lawrence Township, said she brought her children to the center when they were growing up. It is where they made friends and enjoyed activities at the center.
“(But) for nearly two years, this center has been closed and unavailable to the community. During that time, Lawrence residents have been without a facility that should be bringing people together and providing opportunities for recreation, education, the arts and community services,” she said.
“Today, we are taking a major step toward changing that. I am proud to announce that I secured $2 million in the 2027 state budget for repairs and improvements to the LCC,” Turner said.
It is estimated to cost about $3 million to rehabilitate the building, she said. The list includes ADA improvements, such as ramps and wider doorways at the entrance to the building, plus bathroom and kitchen renovations, electrical and plumbing upgrades, and new flooring.
The work will not happen overnight, but the $2 million from the state budget is a major step toward reopening the center, Turner said. It is money that will not have to come out of Lawrence taxpayers’ pockets.
The announcement is about repairing the building, but the real investment is in young people who need safe, positive places to learn and grow, and in families looking for programs close to home, she said.
It is an investment in seniors who are looking for opportunities to socialize, stay active and connected, and in local organizations that are working to strengthen the community.
“I look forward to the day when we can put ‘community’ back in the center and it is once again filled with residents, activities and opportunities for all of Lawrence Township,” Turner said.
Township Councilwoman Patricia Hendricks Farmer, who appointed the Mayor’s Task Force on the Future of the Lawrence Community Center during her term as mayor, told the attendees that she grew up in the Eggerts Crossing neighborhood and remembers when the center was a vibrant place for young people to gather.
What began as a neighborhood center has grown into a beacon for Lawrence Township and a reflection of what is possible when a community comes together to lift up its neighbors, Farmer said.
“One of the reasons I ran for Township Council was to ask a simple but important question – what could we accomplish together if we invested in our community center and the people it serves,” she said.
Farmer said she has always believed that the LCC should be a vibrant, welcoming place for young people, seniors, longtime residents and the newest residents of the township.
Lawrence Township is much larger and more diverse than any one neighborhood or historic identity, she said. The LCC offers an opportunity to create a place that is more inclusive, representative and accessible to the larger community.
The Mayor’s Task Force grew out of the need to study the building and determine possible uses for it. It has been empty since HomeFront Inc., which leased the building from the township, relocated its services to its expanded headquarters at 1880 Princeton Ave. in October 2024.
HomeFront provides food, shelter, clothing and other assistance to families in need. It offered some of those programs at the LCC, but opted to move them to its Princeton Avenue headquarters.
The building at 295 Eggerts Crossing Road has been known variously as the Lawrence Neighborhood Center, the Lawrence Neighborhood Service Center and more recently as the Lawrence Community Center.
It has been a cornerstone of the Eggerts Crossing neighborhood since its inception in 1965, and later expanded its services to the broader Lawrence Township community.
