Lawrence Township is looking for a seeking a nonprofit organization run the vacant Lawrence Community Center
The township is seeking to lease the township-owned building to 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.
The successful respondent would allow the Lawrence Township Recreation Department and other local nonprofit groups to use the building from time to time for programs, events and meetings, according to the request for proposals.
The deadline to submit proposals is Aug. 25. The anticipated lease term is five years, with the option to renew for two additional one-year leases.
The LCC has been empty since HomeFront Inc. 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 until it decided to consolidate its offerings at its Princeton Avenue headquarters.
Then-Mayor Patricia Hendricks Farmer appointed a task force in 2024 to help determine the future use of the building. Municipal Manager Kevin Nerwinski had floated the idea of using it as a recreation center, but the idea was dropped due to opposition.
The Mayor’s Task Force on the Future of the Lawrence Community Center included representatives from civic, community and faith-based organizations that had long-standing relationships with the center.
The task force sought community input on the building’s future through a survey, emails and in-person discussions. It released a report in September 2025 based on that input.
The task force report 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.
The report recommended developing strategic partnerships with nonprofits, schools, universities, businesses and philanthropic foundations to collaborate with the LCC and share resources, expertise, funding and governance responsibilities to enhance its offerings and sustainability.
The LCC should become a “vibrant, inclusive hub where all residents are empowered to connect, thrive and grow. Rooted in a legacy of socio-economically disadvantaged communities, the center (should) foster equity, learning, recreation and well-being through accessible programs and services,” the report said.
The LCC was formerly known as the Lawrence Neighborhood Service Center and served some of those same functions. 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.
The need for a community center in the Eggerts Crossing neighborhood was identified in the 1960s, according to a report written by Fred Vereen Jr., who grew up in the neighborhood.
The forerunner of the Lawrence Neighborhood Service Center and the LCC was located in a small building on Landover Road, off Eggerts Crossing Road, Vereen said. He was the Lawrence Neighborhood Service Center’s first executive director.
Land for a new center was purchased and the building at 295 Eggerts Crossing Road was constructed. It opened in 1971.
