City leaders have decided on a possible solution to the fiery dispute over an abandoned apartment complex in Princeton.
The Princeton Luxury Apartments have been under development for seven years now, but the unfinished buildings have been left to rot since 2023, causing an outcry in the community.
In the middle of Princeton, a vision for more than 300 luxury apartments has been literally falling apart.
The 12-building project was abandoned in 2023 after failing a city inspection, and residents have told NBC 5 it’s become a concerning target for vandalism and an eyesore.
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“The unfinished luxury apartments on Highway 380 have become a symbol of failure and unmet promises,” said Madeline Awalt.
This week, engineers updated the city on the state of the buildings, finding that three buildings will have to be torn down completely and eight buildings will need significant repairs, including treatment for mold contamination.
“There’s not enough money in this entire world that I would ever live in those apartments,” said Maxine Ellis. “People are going to end up with respiratory infections; they’re going to end up with asthma.”
A contractor who worked on the project told city leaders after construction was shut down, the site’s owners still owed builders $6.8 million for the work they completed.
“We did reach a settlement between all of us, but through the financing stuff, no one has been able to get paid,” said Bryce Delean.
The property’s owners came forward, saying they’ve been working through financial problems.
“We need to apologize to the community,” said attorney Himesh Gandhi. “This project was never intended to look like those awful pictures that you saw earlier today.”
The owners have placed security guards and video surveillance at the property and agreed to a new plan to finish the long-awaited apartments.
Under the agreement, three buildings would be knocked down by Sept. 15, and the entire complex would be completed by February 2026, nearly a decade after the project began.
“I understand there’s some remediation that has to happen, but that still seems a little excessive to me,” said Marlo Obera, Place 2 representative on the Princeton City Council. “I’m not in construction, but two years seems a little long.”
Ultimately, city leaders approved the plan and assigned an outside engineering firm to ensure work stayed on schedule.
“In summary, these buildings can be fixed,” said Tony Childress with Childress Engineering Services. “It’s going to take obviously time and money.”
Some residents called for the city to rezone the land so the apartments could no longer be built there.
In response, Princeton leaders said their attorneys found this wouldn’t have been possible without a contentious legal battle with the landowners.
