St. Basil Academy, a formerly private, Ukrainian Catholic, all-girls high school in Jenkintown, was officially transferred to the Fort Washington-based Toll Brothers on February 3, according to stbasils.com.
The home construction company plans to construct a 55+ active-adult community consisting of 150 home sites at 711 Fox Chase Road which “should enhance the neighborhood and increase the tax base”, the announcement said.
Toll Brothers paid $9.5 million for the property, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal. According to a letter sent to nearby residents by Abington Township Fire Marshall Chris Platz, the building is set to receive blasting work on or after April 14. Commissioner Drew Rothman said in a post that Toll Brothers will not be publicizing details of the new development until the building has been demolished.
St. Basil’s announcement notes that the sale will allow the 24 Sisters living at the Motherhouse in Jenkintown “to pay for their healthcare and other basic living expenses for the next several years. A portion of the proceeds from the transaction will be tithed to support Sisters of Saint Basil around the world, the Ukrainian Catholic Church, and community organizations.”
The Sisters have an average age of 84 and “virtually zero income”, the announcement said.
The Sisters also operate the Saint Basil Support Ministry in Abington Township, which provides food and other necessities to families in need. The Abington ministry is the only property they own.
From the announcement:
The Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great came to the United States from Ukraine in 1911, first settling at 7th and Parrish Streets in Philadelphia. They moved to Abington Township in 1926 after purchasing property from the Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy (Archdiocese) of Philadelphia. The Sisters opened SBA in 1931.
SBA was one of the Sisters’ flagship ministries for nine decades. Ultimately, like many Catholic and other private secondary schools in the area, SBA faced steep demographic and financial challenges which proved to be insurmountable. There was a sharp decrease in the number of girls of high school age in the region over the past two decades, and SBA ran substantial, six-figure operating deficits for each of its last ten years, rendering continued operation of SBA impossible. Many of the Sisters themselves are alumnae of SBA, and they, along with many of their former students, grieved the school’s closing. The Sisters are proud of SBA’s 90-year legacy and lovingly cherish its alumnae who continue the Basilian spirit.
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Photos: Stbasils.com, Google