Mercer County Buys 56 Acres from Rider University for $8.5M

Mercer County has committed to buying roughly 56 acres of land from Rider University for approximately $8.5 million, a deal that delivers much-needed cash to a financially struggling institution while locking away ecologically significant open space for generations to come.

Rider University President John Loyack, Mercer County Executive Dan Benson, and the county’s board of commissioners announced the agreement this month. The purchase will be funded primarily through a combination of the county’s Open Space Trust Fund and its capital budget. Lawrence Township has also pledged to contribute through its own open space funds.

Once the transaction closes, most of the purchased acreage will be designated for permanent preservation as open space. That designation makes the land eligible for up to 50% reimbursement from the state through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, a provision that could return millions to county coffers and ease the financial burden on local taxpayers.

The centerpiece of the preserved land is the final surviving remnant of “The Big Woods,” a beech forest in Lawrence Township with deep roots in American conservation history. Aldo Leopold, widely regarded as the father of wildlife ecology and the American conservation movement, explored those woods as a student at The Lawrenceville School in the early years of the 20th century. The forest will now be permanently protected.

Lawrence Township Mayor Christopher Bobbitt expressed strong support for the deal. “The father of wildlife ecology, Aldo Leopold, spent his high school years studying the ‘Big Woods’ in Lawrence, and I am delighted that they will now be preserved for future generations to enjoy,” Bobbitt said.

For Rider, the financial dimension of this deal is equally significant. The university has been working to stabilize its balance sheet amid mounting pressures facing small private colleges across the country. The total value of these transactions, including a separate facility-use agreement, comes to roughly $10 million. That agreement grants Mercer County access to Rider facilities for operational uses and events, giving the university an additional revenue stream and the county added flexibility for programming and services.

Loyack framed the deal in blunt terms. “This agreement represents another critical step in reimagining a meaningful Rider as we continue to swiftly rebuild our financial strength,” he said. “The agreement demonstrates the ultimate in creativity and speed that can be achieved through meaningful public-private partnerships.”

Benson struck a similar note. “Rider University is an invaluable asset to our community,” he said. “I’m proud that we were able to sit down and work collaboratively with University leadership to reach an agreement that strengthens our partnership, and that’s a win-win for the school and for Mercer County residents.”

The two sides are already eyeing additional opportunities. The county and Rider plan to discuss a possible easement purchase along the planned route of the Johnson Trolley Trail, a pedestrian and bicycle path intended to connect Trenton and Princeton when completed. An easement through Rider’s property could be a critical link in that corridor.

The deal reflects a pattern that’s becoming more common as smaller private universities face enrollment declines, rising costs, and tighter endowments. Land assets that once seemed peripheral to an institution’s academic mission are now being converted into operating capital. In Rider’s case, the university is at least finding a buyer committed to preservation rather than development, a distinction that matters to the surrounding community.

For Mercer County residents, the transaction checks several boxes. It protects rare natural land, supports a local university through a difficult stretch, and creates the potential for a future regional trail that would benefit cyclists and pedestrians across the area. The state reimbursement mechanism, if fully realized, could ultimately cut the county’s net cost in half.

Whether this purchase marks the bottom of Rider’s financial difficulties or simply buys the university more time to restructure is an open question. But the county moved quickly, and the result is a deal that delivers real value on multiple fronts.