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Chicago Tribune
10-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Dolton closes on purchase of Pope Leo XIV's boyhood home at cost of $375,000
Dolton has closed on the purchase of Pope Leo XIV's boyhood home in the village, but what will happen with the modest brick building is up in the air. The village closed Tuesday on the home, 212 East 141st Place, paying $375,000, including commission fees, Mayor Jason House said Thursday. House said a steering committee is being organized to figure out how best to use the property. 'We will then lay out the plans to trustees and the community,' the mayor said. An auction of the home by New York-based Paramount Realty USA was scheduled to close July 17, according to Paramount's website. A reserve price of $250,000 was set for the home. The auction was to close last month but was extended. But House said in May he had been in contact with the home's owner, Pawel Radzik, and said negotiations aimed at a purchase by the village were underway. The home was purchased by Radzik, a Homer Glen-based home rehabber, last year for $66,000. He then renovated the home's interior. The house recently got a new roof, with a contractor, Windy City Construction, donating the work to the owner, House said. House said the village is talking with interested partners in plans to reuse the home, and said village officials are hopeful the Chicago Archdiocese will join the village in the effort. He said restoring the home to how it appeared when Robert Francis Prevost lived there with his family 'has been part of the discussion, but nothing is firmed up at this time.' Prevost lived with his parents and sibilings for many years in the home, and it's become a tourist destination since his election as pope. Dolton has had to have police regularly patrol the neighborhood. The pope's parents — Louis Prevost, a school administrator who died in 1997, and Mildred, a librarian who died in 1990 — owned and lived in the brick house for decades. Louis Prevost sold the home in 1996 for $58,000. The future pontiff lived in the house full-time until going off to a Michigan seminary for high school in 1969.
Chicago Tribune
02-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Dolton buying Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in village, price uncertain
Dolton officials are moving ahead with plans to buy Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in the village, hoping to snap up the modest brick home that has gained international attention ahead of a planned auction. The Village Board at a special meeting Tuesday voted unanimously to move forward on buying the house at 212 East 141st Place, and said there are plans to buy an adjacent home. Mayor Jason House told reporters after the meeting he hoped the village could close on the purchase in a couple of weeks, but that the final purchase price is still up in the air. House said that the chance to buy the home is a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' and a 'historic movement moving forward' for Dolton. 'We can either seize the moment and move it forward or we can let that moment to go an investor,' House told the audience. An auction of the home by New York-based Paramount Realty USA is scheduled to close by 4 p.m. Chicago time July 17, according to Paramount's website. A reserve price of $250,000 is set for the home. The auction was to close last month but was extended. A resident filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the village from using taxpayer funds to buy the home, but a judge recently said Dolton could proceed with plans to secure the property through its current owner. Robert Francis Prevost lived with his parents and sibilings for many years in the home, and it's become a tourist destination since his election as pope. Dolton has had to have police regularly patrol the neighborhood. Before the Village Board vote, residents said they were concerned about the money being spent considering the village's financial condition, with a massive backlog of unpaid bills and streets that are in poor condition because the funds are not there to repair them. The Rev. Ryan Reese, a village resident and pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lansing, said board members 'have a difficult situation figuring our the finances of the community' and that 'we need to make sure the funding (the village has) is spent wisely.' Reese said there are numerous infrastructure issues facing the village, such as the condition of streets. 'I'm not sure this is the first priority,' he told trustees before the vote. Resident Mary Avent, recently elected as a trustee in Thornton Township, said that she too is concerned about the state of village finances and not just the initial outlay for the home but also ongoing maintenance costs. 'With the state we're in, my concern is, do we have the money?' she asked. Prevost lived in the home from his birth in 1955, and his parents lived there until they sold it in 1996.
Business Insider
20-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
It's not too late to bid on Pope Leo XIV's childhood home
It's not too late to bid on Pope Leo XIV's childhood home, where the drama surrounding its sale is heating up. Paramount Realty USA, an agency participating in the sale of the Illinois home, extended the deadline from June 18 to July 17. A spokesperson said the extension would give potential bidders enough time to review the information, tour the property, and make submissions. The reserve price, meaning the lowest price the seller will accept, is $250,000. While the three-bedroom, three-bathroom home in Dolton appears somewhat ordinary, it gained national attention in May after Pope Leo XIV became the leader of the Catholic Church. The current owner purchased the home in May 2024 for $66,000, then put it on the market for $219,000 this January. They dropped the asking price to $199,900 in February, but still hadn't secured a buyer when the Catholic Church announced Pope Leo XIV's appointment. The revelation left the owner in shock. "It's better than winning the lotto," Steve Budzik, a real estate agent working with the home's owner, told Business Insider. "We were both very surprised and honored. It was a lot of emotions." Budzik added they'd received "steady interest" about the home before the announcement, but the excitement caused by the first American pope prompted fanfare. "It's like a collectible car they only made one of," Budzik said. Inundated with new offers, the owner decided to de-list the home that month while weighing his options. Ultimately, they decided to sell the house via auction through Paramount Realty USA. However, potential buyers will likely face off against the Village of Dolton, which has expressed interest in buying the home. Burton S. Odelson, an attorney for the village, told Business Insider the local government plans to acquire the home through direct purchase or eminent domain laws. Eminent domain laws let governments make private property available for public use. "If a direct purchase from the seller cannot be negotiated, the Village will cause Eminent Domain proceedings to be filed in Court and take the property through the legal process," Burton S. Odelson wrote in an email to BI. "The Village hopes a direct purchase is completed without court action." Odelson said the Village of Dolton has been in contact with the Chicago Archdiocese to decide how to use the space. The Village of Dolton's quest to purchase the home is facing pushback, though. A former Village of Dolton employee has filed a motion to block the motion, according to ABC 7. The outlet said the former employee cited potential misuse of taxpayer funds and financial mismanagement.
News.com.au
19-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Auction of Pope Leo XIV's childhood Chicago home extended
The highly-publicised auction of Pope Leo XIV's childhood home has been extended by a month — after it was revealed the Chicago suburb where he was raised was launching a bid to acquire the humble dwelling so it can be preserved as a local landmark. Pope Leo, who was born Robert Francis Prevost, spent several years living in a small three-bedroom, three-bathroom dwelling in Dolton, Illinois. His father, Louis Prevost, sold the property in 1996, according to records, after which it was sold on two other occasions. According to Realtor, the current owner, property flipper Pawel Radzik, acquired the three-bedroom, three-bathroom abode in March 2024 for $US66,000 ($A101,553) and had initially planned to renovate it, then sell it off — until that is, one of its former residents was chosen to succeed the late Pope Francis during the conclave in May. At the time, the property was on the market for just $US199,900 ($A307,605); however, it was swiftly delisted just hours after Pope Leo's new historical role was revealed. It was later revealed the home was being put up for auction via Paramount Realty USA — with listing agent Steve Budzik noting the decision to sell the property to the highest bidder came after his team struggled to settle on an appropriate listing price for an abode with such historical significance. However, the home's journey took another twist when the Village of Dolton, with support from the Chicago Archdiocese, announced plans to acquire the house, either by buying it, or by using eminent domain to take over ownership. 'The Village of Dolton intends to purchase this home either through direct purchase or through their eminent domain power,' Odelson wrote in a letter sent to Paramount Realty USA, according to the New York Times. 'The Village intends to work with the Chicago Archdiocese and other agencies to allow the home to be viewed and visited by the public as a historic site.' Odelson added discussions with the seller were underway, saying the Village of Dolton and the local archdiocese would prefer not to rely on eminent domain for the acquisition of the home because it would garner too much media attention. '[It] keeps the home in the news and not the light that the village or the church want,' he said. 'We don't want it to be a controversy; we want it to be a sacred site.' Initially, the auction of the property was due to close on June 18. However, an update to the listing has now extended the bidding process to July 17, with Budzik explaining to via email this was done in order to 'allow more time for bidders to review, perform due diligence, and bid'. A spokesperson for Paramount Realty USA added the extended auction window will also give bidders an opportunity to 'tour the property' if they wish. Neither Budzik nor Paramount Realty USA commented on whether negotiations with the Village of Dolton had any bearing on the decision to extend the auction. After Dolton announced its plans to acquire the home, Budzik told his client was very much open to working with its representatives, as well as the Chicago Archdiocese, stating in an email: 'The seller is open to the potential opportunity of working with the Village of Dolton to purchase the property at fair market value. 'We also understand that the Chicago Archdiocese could be involved in making this a historical landmark, which is great news for the seller. We would love to come to a mutually beneficial agreement in the coming days.' To make matters more complicated, CBS News reported on June 16 a motion had been filed seeking a preliminary injunction to block the Village of Dolton from using taxpayer money in order to buy Pope Leo's childhood home. This motion is understood to have been filed as part of an ongoing wrongful termination lawsuit filed against Dolton by a former employee, Lavell Redmond, who claimed in a 2022 filing that his employers had refused to discuss terms of a settlement because the village did not have sufficient funds. In his June 15 motion, Redmond's lawyers claimed Dolton is in 'severe financial distress' and made several allegations of financial mismanagement, unresolved legal obligations, and a potential misuse of taxpayer funds. Matthew R. Custardo, the lawyer who filed the motion, stated to WGN9 the injunction was being sought in order to stop 'hypocrisy,' insisting the injunction would in no way hinder the sale of the home but rather prevent local politicians from using taxpayer funds in order to take it over. 'This isn't about stopping history. It's about stopping hypocrisy,' he said. 'You can't cry broke in court and then try to spend taxpayer funds on non-essential acquisitions.' While bids for the property start at $US250,000 ($A385,148), it is widely predicted the home could sell for much more, although experts have hesitated to put a specific value on the property in the weeks since the auction was announced. The online auction house also provides a copy of the original purchase deed from the 1949 sale of the home to Pope Leo's father, Louis, which is dated March 3 of that year.
Chicago Tribune
18-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Auction of pope's house in Dolton extended, judge denies restraining order blocking village acquisition attempt
An auction that seeks to find a possible buyer for Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in Dolton has been extended a month while a federal judge Wednesday declined to block the village from its own attempt to acquire the property. Lavelle Redmond, a former Dolton employee, had asked the judge for a temporary restraining order stopping the village from using taxpayer money to buy the home, where Robert Francis Prevost lived with his parents and sibilings for many years. U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland ruled Wednesday that Redmond lacked standing and denied the motion, according to Matthew Custardo, Redmond's attorney. 'While this particular legal avenue may have closed, the underlying issues of transparency and the village of Dolton's priorities remain important and aren't going away,' the attorney said after the judge's ruling. An auction of the home by New York-based Paramount Realty USA had been scheduled to close by Wednesday afternoon but was extended to 4 p.m. Chicago time July 17, according to Paramount's website. A reserve price of $250,000 is set for the home. Mayor Jason House has said the village may attempt to acquire the home through negotiations with the owner, and has also raised the possibility of using eminent domain and going to court to gain ownership of the house at 212 E. 141st Place. Prevost lived in the home from his birth in 1955, and his parents lived there until they sold it in 1996. Since Prevost was named the leader of the Roman Catholic Church May 8, the house has drawn significant interest from onlookers, prompting Dolton officials to have regular police patrols on the block. Steve Budzik, a real estate broker representing the home's owner, said Monday the owner is open to a sale while at the same time considering bids being submitted through the auction house. He said Monday he expected the owner would make a decision soon, once the auction deadline had passed, to make a decision on which direction he would take. Budzik was not immediately available Wednesday to comment on the extension of the auction. Redmond, who has an ongoing lawsuit against Dolton alleging wrongful termination in 2022, sought the temporary restraining order. The motion seeking the restraining order alleged the village, in seeking to buy the home, is engaging in an 'endeavor with substantial cost to taxpayers with no compelling governmental necessity.' Redmond said in the filing that Dolton 'is in severe financial distress, running large deficits while drowning in liabilities' including pending court decisions and unpaid vendor bills. House and Burt Odelson, an attorney for the village, have said that while Dolton's finances are shaky it is important for the village to gain control over the house, which could prevent any commercial use or exploitation of it. Odelson was not immediately available Wednesday to discuss the result of the court hearing or the status of Dolton's effort to acquire the home.
