Metuchen Mayor Jonathan Busch toured state officials and other stakeholders through the Brainy Borough’s shuttered Forum Theater April 2. The trip, which included Gov. Phil Murphy, marked recent funding for a long-anticipated project to revitalize the historic venue.

“Today we’re proud to announce our vision for the Forum Theater is closer to reality,” said Busch in a social media post following the event.

In 2019, Metuchen received a $3.5 million grant from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund to facilitate the purchase of the Forum Theater. The venue first opened in 1928. During its time, it served as a home theater for movies, vaudeville, performing arts and more. Closed since the pandemic, the town has tried to resuscitate it.

“The Borough first acquired the Forum in July 2019 because we were committed to ensuring that it would always remain a theater. Time had not been kind to the Forum and swift action was necessary. Out of concern that we might lose it forever, Middlesex County provided a $3.5 million grant to cover the purchase price and help us dig in to the real work of determining what it would take to resuscitate the Forum in an economically viable way,” said Busch.

The mayor has discussed that very project and topic during multiple interviews with NJBIZ over the past two years.

“The goal has always been to vigorously pursue the creation of a Metuchen Arts District, with the Forum as the centerpiece, and to do so without our residents incurring significant costs or unnecessary debt,” Busch continued. “Importantly, the Metuchen Arts District will also eventually include the adjacent abandoned gas station property, which the Borough is actively engaged in the process of acquiring.”

Incentives

In December 2023, Murphy signed legislation establishing the Cultural Arts Incentive Program under the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA).

The initiative provides tax credits to support eligible applicants’ larger-scale projects to revitalize New Jersey’s downtowns. The incentives can cover capital and operating costs for cultural arts institutions. Those efforts could include the rehabilitation of theaters, museums, galleries, libraries, performing arts centers and related efforts.

“With the expected help of a cultural arts tax incentive statute that Borough officials were directly involved in crafting, signed by Gov. Murphy after passing both legislative houses, Metuchen’s iconic theater will roar back to life in 2026,” said Busch.

The Metuchen Arts District would mark a major evolution of the nationally recognized downtown and Main Street area. Last year, Metuchen was honored with a Great American Main Street Award, which NJBIZ extensively reported on.

Packed with potential

“This morning, I took the Governor, @SpeakerCoughlin (D-19th District), @MiddlesexCntyNJ Commissioner Director Ronald Rios and DEVCO President Christopher Paladino on a tour of the Forum and we discussed its importance to our community and extraordinary history,” said Busch. “We all recognize that its revitalization will provide an overwhelming boost to the Borough’s flourishing arts scene. Investment opportunities like these are catalysts for broader economic development in communities throughout New Jersey because they help attract visitors and businesses to places like Metuchen.”

“Visiting Metuchen’s Forum Theater today served as a reminder of the venue’s immense potential,” said Murphy. “New Jersey’s cultural hubs – from our theaters to our music venues – bring people together in support of artistic expression and creativity. We look forward to working through the Economic Development Authority to revitalize community treasures across New Jersey, and to watching the Metuchen Arts District continue to take shape over the coming months.”

“Metuchen’s Forum Theater is a prime example of a renewed local institution that will benefit an entire region,” said Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-19th District. “My thanks to Gov. Murphy for his partnership and to EDA CEO Tim Sullivan for his work in implementation so we can see more success stories across the state.”

“Our cultural hubs are critical to our state’s job market and overall economy – and I look forward to continuing to work with Gov. Murphy, Speaker Coughlin, and the entire Legislature on creating programs that will help strengthen and restore community assets,” said Sullivan.

Gathering thoughts

Over the next few months, Busch noted that public input sessions will allow residents to provide feedback on this project.

“We knew from the moment we acquired the Forum that reopening it would take time, not only due to the theater’s structural issues or the pandemic, but because projects like these require vision, innovation, collaboration, methodical planning, patience, and as demonstrated today, extraordinary intergovernmental partnership,” said Busch. “We have spent countless hours exploring the business operations and financial sustainability of the Forum. This, among so many other reasons, is the reason that this announcement is so exciting.”

“With the anticipated help of this new program, our finish line is in sight, and we are just starting to hit our stride,” Busch added.