The DePaul Catholic School plans to turn the former St. Francis of Assisi church in Germantown into a soccer field and playground, but faces opposition from a local community organization.
The school, under Independence Mission Schools, argues that the 116-year-old structure on its property is too costly to repurpose, opting for demolition instead. The school acquired the building in 2016 after the parish closed in 2012.
The demolition plan has received letters of support from Councilwoman Cindy Bass and state Sen. Art Haywood, who agree with the school’s assessment.
Independence Mission Schools CEO Gianna D’Angelo and Steve Kline, an architecht working with the school, told the Local that since acquiring the building, the school has explored every route to reuse it for school use. However, because of asbestos remediation costs and the building’s age, they feel rehabilitation is not achievable.
As the school moved forward with the plan, SoLo Germantown Civic Association submitted a historic nomination for the former church building at 48-60 W. Logan St.
If approved by the Philadelphia Historic Commission, the designation would hinder any demolition plans.
The Local spoke with neighbors and former church members who say they would be saddened to see it torn down. Many feel the church is historically significant and an important piece of Germantown history.
D’Angelo said the school has nearly 50 written letters of support for the project from parents of children who attend the school. She added that the school needs recreational space for the children. D’Angelo and Kline said they do not see the church as historically significant and ask people opposed to the plan to think of how recreation space would benefit the children who attend DePaul.
The designation is under review, with the Committee on Historic Designation to hold a hearing on Nov. 18 and the full Historical Commission to hold a hearing on Dec. 11; however, these dates are subject to change.
Look for the full article in next week’s paper.
