21-05-2025
Village of Dolton, Illinois plans to acquire house were Pope Leo XIV grew up
The Village of Dolton plans to purchase the childhood home of Pope Leo XIV.
In a letter to New York-based Paramount Realty USA, attorney Burton Odelson wrote on behalf of the village that it intends to purchase the home at 212 E. 141st Pl. either by direct purchase or by eminent domain.
The village plans to work with the Chicago Archdiocese to turn the house into a historic site that can be viewed and visited by the public, Odelson wrote.
Dolton Mayor Jason House said the village's first choice would be to negotiate with the current owner of the house — but the eminent domain option could come into play if negotiations don't work out.
"We felt like it was a proper step to notify the auction house that the village is interested. And we'll take that measure if we need to, ideally, like anything else," he said. "You want to have a good, fair negotiation with the owner. We want to be fair to him, and we also have the conflicting interest of making sure we're honoring the property."
Currently, Paramount Realty USA is planning an auction of the house, which it notes was owned by the Prevost family for nearly 50 years. The house was built in 1949, the realty company noted.
The auction is scheduled for June 18. But Odelson wrote that any prospective buyers should be told their "purchase" may be only temporary since the village plans to take over the house.
