Co-founded in 1997 by entrepreneur Roland Pott, Trenton Makes ® Inc., headquartered in Trenton, New Jersey, is a leading developer of commercial and mixed use properties and a catalyst for the revitalization and sustainability of thriving neighborhoods. Responding to a critical need to support the greater Trenton arts scene, Trenton Makes launched the Urban Word Café, a dynamic venue where artists
, musicians, poets, and the cultural community could gather and be showcased. The café operated from 1999 to 2003 and continues to flourish today as a restaurant, owned by Urban Word, LLLC, called Trenton Social. Trenton Social features fine food and drinks, as well as art shows by local artists and special events. Motivated by the high-profile success of the Urban Word Café, Trenton Makes expanded in 2001, opening Conduit, a state-of-the-art music club, which featured a hip design and a great vibe. Aptly named after the electric piping once sold out of its roomy industrial space, Conduit emerged as a focal point of the arts in Central New Jersey. In 2011, responding to the neighborhoods interests and the market for high-tech recording and video production, Trenton Makes leased the Conduit space to Front Row Seat Productions, LLC.
