Lebanon school board OKs $5.25 million purchase of Lebanon Catholic property

The Lebanon school board Monday night voted 7-2 to buy the former Lebanon Catholic High School property at 1400 Chestnut St. for $5.25 million, but not before hearing some pointed criticism from its former longtime attorney.

The property has been unused since the school was closed by the Diocese of Harrisburg in 2020, and the school building was badly damaged by an arson fire in 2022.

George Christianson, who represented the district for roughly three decades and sold it the property where Northwest Elementary now sits, told the board that the price the district has agreed to pay the current owner, 1400 Chestnut LLC, is “quite frankly, outlandish. When I heard that figure, I thought they were kidding or that maybe there might be a special purpose.”

Christianson suggested that “it’s going to take three or four years to do anything with it,” and that the district will have possibly “$1 million in carrying costs” in the meantime. He said that he looked into buying the property about two years ago and figured that the demolition costs for the three buildings on the 13.28-acre tract would be around $250,000, even if no asbestos were found.

Christianson, who has also developed real estate in the city, noted that the property has an unusual topography, with the south (Walnut Street) side being 14 feet above the north (Chestnut Street) side, and that probably five to six acres would have to be taken up by stormwater management facilities.

Finally, Christianson told the board that the 19-acre tract that Northwest Elementary sits on still has nine undeveloped acres that could be used for a school or administrative offices.

No board member responded to Christianson’s remarks.

Read More: Lebanon School District to vote on buying former Lebanon Catholic School property

Before the roll-call vote, board president Robert Okonak said he favored the $5.25 million transaction because “we’ve always been there in terms of forward thinking” and that “it’s advantageous to purchase it.” He cited a number of programs, such as K4/K5, that the city schools were first in the county to implement.

At the board’s work session earlier this month, superintendent Nicole Malinoski said the district intends to demolish the existing buildings and use the land “for future educational and administrative offices,” but gave no timetable or firm plans.

Board members Okonak, Debra Bowman, Scott Barry, Janice Falk, Tracy Johnsen, Matthew Hershey, and Kerry Shuyler voted in favor of the purchase.

Board member William Eckenroth, speaking from a remote location, voted “no,” saying he was opposed to the purchase because the district “could easily add on to Northwest and Southwest elementary schools.” Board member Cedric Jordan also opposed the measure.