By Cristina Rojas | Times of Trenton

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Lentine said the project is a perfect example of the public and private sectors working well together. The New Jersey Economic Stimulus Act of 2009 gave TCNJ the authority to bypass public bidding laws and enter into a partnership with a PRC.

“PRC has basically become the expert in public-private partnerships in the state of New Jersey,” he said, adding that he has been approached by a number of colleges and universities. “It’s been exciting and we’re hoping that we can help other colleges do the same thing.”

A major advantage is that PRC takes on the financial risk of the project without burdening the college or taxpayers, he said.

“The college can now take the money they would have allocated to improve their dorms and facilities and put it into education,” he said.

One challenge, however, has been acknowledging that the college and developer speak two different languages.

“We want to make a decision and move forward,” Lentine said. “The university tends to want to form committees and have input from everybody.”

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