Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The former school at the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Bristol Township’s Croydon section will be torn down and replaced with housing.
The Redevelopment Authority of Bucks County has been awarded a $120,000 in blight remediation funds through the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Financing Authority to demolish the closed school on Walnut Avenue.
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The Redevelopment Authority is working with the Catholic church and Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County on the project.
Once the building is knocked down, Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County plans to construct six single-family homes, officials said.
The St. Thomas Aquinas School closed in 2011 due to declining enrolment. The parish opened in 1922 in Croydon.
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The parish has been looking to sell the property for some time and began discussing it with the Redeveopment Authority over the past few years.
In 2019, a church bulletin provided to this news organization noted the parish was looking to offload the former school. Father David A. Fernandes wrote that the demolition of the building “will save the parish tens of thousands of dollars in maintenance costs each year.”
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Jeff Darwak, executive director of the Redevelopment Authority, said the project is exactly what the organization was created to do.
“We are proud to be a part of this project and want to thank Sen. Tommy Tomlinson and Rep. Tina Davis for their support through the application process and advocating strongly for this grant award,” Darwak said. “We look forward to working in partnership with Habitat to complete this infill redevelopment project that will result in six new homes for families that will be able to fulfill their dream of homeownership in Bucks County.”
With support from the community and organizations, Habitat for Humanity of Bucks County builds and rehabilitates homes for low-income families.
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“I am proud to work together with the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority in order to secure this funding from the Commonwealth Financing Authority. These critical funds are much needed to help continue revitalizing the Croydon section of Bristol Township. Working with Habitat for Humanity, this project will have a tremendous positive effect on the community,” said State Sen. Tommy Tomlinson, a Republican who represents Croydon.
“Economic Development, job creation and quality housing have always been my top priorities and finding developers to invest in properties that need expensive remediation is always a huge hurdle to that,” said State Rep. Tina Davis, a Democrat from Croydon.
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“130 Walnut Avenue is one such property and I applaud the efforts of the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority in working with Habitat for Humanity and Bristol Township to secure this crucial funding. This project will turn a vacant church property into one that is tax ratable while creating quality housing and homeownership opportunities here in our community,” she added.
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