The North Arlington Board of Education says it intends to apply eminent domain to seize the La Salle Center property — part of the Queen of Peace parish on Ridge Road — to use it for public-school classrooms. However, Superintendent of Schools Steven Yurchak says he still hopes to negotiate with the parish to find an acceptable solution before using eminent domain. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark and the parish, however, say they will fight the potential property reclamation to the very end.
First, some background.
According to the Rev. Anthony DiStefano, pastor of Queen of Peace Church, the North Arlington school board approached him about leasing the LaSalle Center — once the home or “rectory” to the de La Salle Christian Brothers — as classroom space.
DiStefano says he and the parish were willing to entertain leasing the building to the board, but he says he made it clear from the onset it would be a lease only — the building was not for sale. Yurchak, meanwhile, says a short-term lease wouldn’t be enough, since substantial renovations would be needed before children could use the building for pre-K.
“After evaluating multiple properties throughout North Arlington, the board identified the La Salle Center on Ridge Road, owned by Queen of Peace Church, as the optimal location,” Yurchak said. “This determination was based on an analysis of factors including size, location, accessibility and estimated value. The La Salle Center, the board determined, represents the most cost-effective solution for taxpayers while serving our community’s needs.
“Understanding the significance of this property to Queen of Peace, the board has engaged with church officials with respect and flexibility. Initially, church representatives indicated that the La Salle Center was not needed for parish activities and offered the possibility of a long-term lease for a term as long as 50 years. As recently as May 9, 2025, the Executive Director of the Archdiocese of Newark’s property management administration confirmed in writing to our business administrator that they ‘remain willing to discuss the prospect of a short or long-term lease’ of the facility.”
So just what is eminent domain?
Over the weekend, in a statement to parishioners distributed at all Masses, DiStefano wrote a letter explaining the church’s position, which seem to conflict with the board’s.
“Despite our good-faith conversations and clear position, the BOE has now signaled its intent to seize the La Salle Center through eminent domain — a legal mechanism that allows the government to forcibly acquire private property,” DiStefano said. “In other words, they are threatening to take the La Salle Center from our parish permanently.”
Eminent domain is used sparingly by government entities. Often, it is enacted when properties have been abandoned or in cases where a piece of property is a blight to a community and in need of condemnation. It usually follows a period of good-faith negotiations that have failed.
In all cases, the government agency must demonstrate the property is needed for a legitimate public purpose, like schools or recreation facilities. The process often involves litigation and in theory, if successful, the government agency would have to offer “just compensation” for the property.
But here’s the thing — the building in question, hardly in disrepair or abandoned, serves vital purposes to the Latino community at Queen of Peace. It certainly is not in need of condemnation. And it all begs a questions — is this the only piece of land in the entire Borough of North Arlington suited to house classrooms?
Yurchak says “yes.” DeStefano says “no.”
Yurchak says a long-term lease is needed because of the required renovation work.
“Unfortunately, Queen of Peace declined the board’s purchase offer and has indicated unwillingness to engage in further negotiations regarding a potential sale,” the superintendent said. “In the board’s opinion, a voluntary agreement would benefit the board, Queen of Peace and the entire North Arlington community.
“The board would obtain the classroom space it needs; Queen of Peace would obtain the fair-market value of the property while having the opportunity to use the renovated facility during non-school hours for parish activities; and the community would have access to universal, free and high-quality preschool education. This arrangement would maximize the benefit to the entire North Arlington community, creating a partnership that would serve North Arlington families and Queen of Peace parishioners for generations.”
DiStefano, meanwhile, says the BOE is ready to counter — fast — and so the Archdiocese of Newark is prepared to fight.
“We have repeatedly expressed to the BOE the central role that the La Salle Center plays in our religious mission,” he said. “Unfortunately, our appeals have been dismissed. While there are undoubtedly other options available to the BOE for classroom space, they appear insistent in taking church property instead — and doing so swiftly!
“This action is both unacceptable and deeply troubling. It raises serious concerns about religious liberty and the rights of faith communities. I have been in contact with the archdiocese and with legal counsel, and we are prepared to defend the parish and its ministries — through legal channels, if necessary.”
Meanwhile, across the Passaic River in Newark, the chancery office of the archdiocese, through its spokeswoman, Maria Margiotta, released a statement outlining the church’s position further.
“Taking the church’s property would set a dangerous precedent,” Margiotta said. “It would be both a legal overreach and a violation of fundamental religious liberty. The government cannot simply claim church property that is actively used for worship, ministry and community service. We will vigorously defend the Church’s Constitutional and moral rights.”
Margiotta also says she hopes parishioners and non-parishioner residents of North Arlington alike will express their concerns — if this can happen to a Roman Catholic Church, will it be a protestant church or synagogue next?
“Queen of Peace Parish has faithfully served the North Arlington community for over a century. We stand united in faith, committed to our mission and resolute in the face of this challenge,” the long-time spokeswoman, who recently traveled to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis, said. “We call on the community, public officials and all people of goodwill to stand with us in opposition to the board’s plan and to insist on alternatives that respect religious freedom and the integrity of our parish mission.”
Superintendent & board hope eminent domain won’t be needed
Yurchak, meanwhile, says he hopes the archdiocese will come to an agreement with the board before the commencement of eminent domain proceedings.
“Faced with the urgent need to secure adequate educational facilities for the board’s preschool program and the exhaustion of voluntary negotiation options, the board has begun the preliminary legal steps required under New Jersey law to explore eminent domain proceedings,” he said. “This decision was not made lightly and represents a last resort after good-faith efforts to reach a mutually beneficial agreement. The board emphasizes that eminent domain would involve fair-market value compensation as determined by independent appraisal, ensuring Queen of Peace receives full financial consideration for the property.
“Despite these preliminary legal steps, the board remains fully committed to reaching a negotiated solution. The board continues to invite Queen of Peace to engage in meaningful discussions about either a purchase agreement or a creative partnership arrangement that would benefit both the board’s educational mission and Queen of Peace’s parish community. The board is confident that a collaborative solution exists and remains hopeful that continued dialogue will make eminent domain proceedings unnecessary.”
Pronti: This is not me or the council
Meanwhile, The Observer also spoke with North Arlington Mayor Daniel H. Pronti on Sunday, June 22.
Pronti wants the public to be most aware: he and the Borough Council have nothing to do with the school board’s ideas or proposals; instead, the council and board are two completely independently operated governmental agencies.
“The decision to file for condemnation of the property currently belonging to the Catholic Church, made by the elected NA BOE, is not something the mayor or Borough Council has control over,” Pronti said. “We were not consulted, nor were we asked for our opinion on the process before their decision was made to proceed. The elected board and the superintendent act as an independent body. From what I have been told, they gave the matter a lot of thought before making their decision to proceed.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out with both sides stating their case for use and ownership of the property. The church owns it and the BOE has a desire to launch a new pre-K program. Both sides have interests in the property.”
Be sure to check back at www.theobserver.com for updates to this developing story.
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.