Good Counsel Property Sold to Developer, Building Plans Undisclosed
This story has been updated. After about a year and a half of controversy over the closing of Our Lady of Good Counsel Academy High School, the fate of RDC Sisters living in the convent at 52 North Broadway, and the historic nature of the entire campus, especially The Chapel of the Divine Compassion, the sale of the White Plains Good Counsel campus was announced in a press release on the evening of November 25.
The purchaser, WP Development NB LLC, is listed as a corporation formed on November 13, 2015 in Delaware, with a CO street address at 80 State Street, Albany.
Attempts to identify the principals of the new corporation for comment on development plans for the site were unsuccessful, and agents involved in the sale are not commenting. The media release said: “The purchaser is evaluating potential future uses. The property was sold unconditionally.”
The purchase price for the 16-acre campus also was not disclosed. The property is comprised of open space and 12 buildings including the Chapel encompassing 162,000 square feet of space.
According to the press release, a key element of the sale is the preservation and enhancement of the church on the property, the Chapel of the Divine Compassion. “The Sisters will continue to use the Chapel, where religious services, community celebrations and spirituality programs will continue to be held. In addition, the purchaser is working closely with the Sisters to create a heritage space in the chapel,” the release said.
The Sisters of the Divine Compassion will also continue to maintain congregational leadership and operational offices in the building next to the Chapel.
Our Lady of Good Counsel Elementary School moved from its 52 North Broadway address this summer, opening in September at its new location in Valhalla.
According to RDC leadership, funds from the transaction will provide for the living and healthcare expenses of the Sisters over the next 30-plus years, and enable the continuation of their mission locally and globally, including ongoing education, spiritual development, compassionate care and human services in Westchester, the Hudson Valley and the Bronx.
The Sisters have owned the White Plains property for 125 years.
The reasons for selling the property, according to the congregation’s leadership, are that the members have aged, the financial burden of maintaining the campus, and the need for sufficient funding for ongoing and future retirement and healthcare needs.
The release indicated that the real estate firm hired to sell the property, Stamford-based CBRE, conducted a two-year marketing and disposition campaign.
Of the Order’s current 80 members, the 20 Sisters living on the White Plains campus have relocated to a variety of residences throughout the New York archdiocese, including homes owned by the Order as well as to Sacred Heart Convent in Yonkers. Those with ongoing healthcare needs have moved to assisted and skilled care facilities in the area.
Before announcement of the sale, the newly formed White Plains Historic Preservation Commission, made the entire 16-acre campus and its 12 buildings a priority at its first meeting in October and began discussion about the historic reasons for protecting the site at its November meeting where many members of the White Plains community came forward to express support for protection of the historic and green nature of the site. The site and buildings have been listed on the national and state historic preservation lists.
The property is located in a White Plains residential zone with building height limits at six stories and generous setbacks.
