The North Arlington Board of Education will no longer seek to acquire Queen of Peace’s LaSalle Center on Ridge Road — either through eminent domain or through negotiations with the Archdiocese of Newark.
North Arlington School Business Administrator Samantha Dembowski made the announcement Oct. 28 and Superintendent of Schools Stephen Yurchak forwarded a copy of a letter written to the archdiocese noting its intent to end the overall process to The Observer and other media outlets.
It appears the property and land would not have been economically viable after renovations and significant, necessary asbestos remediation.
Here’s the letter, in full, as written by North Arlington School Business Administrator Samantha Dembowski.
Dear Mr. Belloise (Archdiocese) and Ms. Allaghi (Queen of Peace Parish):
On behalf of the North Arlington Board of Education, I am writing to inform you that after careful consideration the Board has decided that it will not move forward with a potential lease or other acquisition of the La Salle Center at this time. The architect estimates that the necessary renovations to the La Salle Center would exceed $12 million. Included within this estimate is the cost of significant asbestos remediation that would need to be performed when making the necessary changes to the building’s layout to accommodate preschool classrooms. With estimates this high and the property valued at approximately $2, I million based on the Board’s appraisal, such a costly renovation project makes no economic sense. With the estimate this high, the Board believes it is in the best interest of the community to look elsewhere for additional classroom space.
The Board appreciates the willingness of the Parish and the Archdiocese to engage in conversations regarding the property as well as the access the Board received to determine whether the space could fit the District’s needs. The Board hopes that we will continue our collaboration to serve the needs of our community. In the interest of transparency given the wide public attention our conversations have generated, the Board will be releasing this letter to the press and the community so they can be informed regarding the resolution of this matter.
If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Samantha Dembowski
School Business Administrator/Board Secretary
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