The Lewis Center is named in honor of Peter B. Lewis of the Princeton Class of 1955. A Charter Trustee of the University, Mr. Lewis is Chairman of the Board of the Progressive Corporation. Among his many gifts to Princeton, Mr. Lewis made a $101 million gift to the University in support of a new vision for the creative and performing arts on campus. It is through this extraordinary generosity that the Lewis Center was established.

The Lewis Center for the Arts will allow Princeton to fully engage with a range of programs that integrate the creative and performing arts into a broad liberal arts education. The Center will give a new focus and force to the Programs in Creative Writing, Dance, Theater, and Visual Arts, as well as to Film and Video, Musical Theater and to the Princeton Atelier. It will also have close links to the Center for African American Studies, School of Architecture, Department of Art and Archaeology, Council of the Humanities, Department of Comparative Literature, Department of English, Department of Music, Princeton University Art Museum and the McCarter Theatre Center.

Recent updates on the Arts and Transit Neighborhood site

The memorandum of understanding posted below was approved by Princeton Borough on Oct. 4, 2011, and by Princeton Township on Oct. 24, 2011.

The township and the borough introduced zoning ordinances over the summer to allow development for the arts in this area. The ordinances were reviewed by the Princeton Regional Planning Board. The township on Oct. 24 and the borough on Oct. 25 introduced revised ordinances incorporating the suggestions from the planning board.

These revised ordinances now go back to the planning board for further review on Nov. 10, and after that review they return to the municipalities for public hearings and possible adoption.

Revised memorandum of understanding regarding the Arts and Transit Neighborhood prepared by Princeton Borough, Princeton Township and Princeton University, and released Sept. 28, 2011:

• Memorandum of Understanding Revised Draft (.pdf)

Background information provided to the Princeton Regional Planning Board for its July 7, 2011, meeting:

• Princeton Regional Planning Board Review of AET/E-5 Ordinances (.pdf)

Information presented at the June 21, 2011, Borough Council meeting on the benefits and impacts of the Arts and Transit Neighborhood:

• Benefits and impacts presentation (.pdf)

Vice President and Secretary Robert Durkee responds to a question raised at the May 10, 2011, Princeton Borough Council meeting on whether the University would consider developing the Arts and Transit Neighborhood without relocating the Dinky terminus:

• May 11, 2011, letter to the mayor and council of Princeton Borough (.pdf)

President Shirley M. Tilghman discusses arts and transit proposal at the Feb. 14, 2011, CPUC meeting:

• Arts proposal and fundraising at top of Tilghman's agenda

Information presented at the Jan. 31, 2011, joint meeting of the Princeton Borough Council, Township Committee and Regional Planning Board:

• Remarks by Princeton President Tilghman (.doc)
• University presentation (.pdf)