Basalyga buys former Nativity convent and school in South Scranton for conversion to apartments

Jim Lockwood, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
·3 min read

Apr. 4—SCRANTON — John Basalyga revived a moribund mall, redeveloped industrial, office and commercial buildings and renovated run-down properties.

Now, he aims to repurpose the vacant, former Nativity convent and school in South Scranton into about three dozen multifamily apartments.

The purchase includes a former convent on Hemlock Street at South Webster Avenue; the former Nativity school, most recently known as Marian Catholic, on Hemock Street; a breezeway connecting the two buildings and ancillary structures in the rear; and a parking lot along Herz Court.

A firm of Basalyga's, JBAS Realty, bought this property from the Diocese of Scranton on Feb. 28 for $675,000.

The convent and school back up to the landmark Nativity of Our Lord Church of what's now called the St. John Neumann Parish and its rectory next door, both fronting on Orchard Street. The church and rectory were not part of Basalyga's purchase and remain owned and actively used by the diocese.

The entire Nativity block represents a significant property in the religious and cultural fabric of Scranton. This site hosted the first Catholic church in Scranton, named for St. Bonaventure and built in 1847 on the site of the convent and school constructed in 1933.

The Nativity of Our Lord Church, with twin steeples and rotunda, was built in 1904-05. The church, rectory, convent and school all feature distinctive architecture, stone-block construction and terra cotta tile roofs. Basalyga plans to preserve the exteriors of the convent and school.

"I have a lot of nice buildings. These might be the nicest," he said.

He also will maintain a chapel with an arched, ornate ceiling in the convent, and a spacious lobby with coffered ceiling and chandelier in the school. Hallways and stairwells also feature marble wainscoting.

The interiors of the convent and school having rooms, hallways and common areas, marble and distinct woodwork elements differ from industrial buildings with open layouts that Basalyga has renovated. As a result, repurposing the convent and school into apartments will require a defter touch, and will reduce the amount of space he can turn into apartments. Preserving materials, design and overall character are important to him.

"You couldn't duplicate this today — the skill and craftmanship" and materials employed a century ago, Basalyga said.

The church remains open and is still being used for worship as the St. John Neumann Parish, with the Rev. Jonathan Kuhar, pastor, and the Rev. Alfredo Rosario Paulino, assistant pastor, residing in the rectory, according to diocesan spokesman Eric Deabill.

The St. John Neumann Parish and St. Paul of the Cross Parish entered into a linkage with a single pastor in 2021. The faithful of both parishes continue to use the Vision 2030 pastoral planning process to explore the best ways to ensure the Catholic faith is alive and vibrant on Scranton's south side, Deabill said.

In a March 25-26 church bulletin, Kuhar told parishioners the sale of the former Marian Catholic school building and former IHM convent to Basalyga for $675,000 was formally completed March 15. After paying settlement charges, net proceeds received by St. John Neumann Parish were $638,866.34. Of that amount, $588,866.34 was deposited in a diocesan savings account, and $50,000 was placed in an operating account.

"While it is certainly sad to see our beloved school and convent sold, we should gain comfort in the knowledge that they will be used for a wonderful purpose, to provide housing in our neighborhood," Kuhar said in the statement printed in the bulletin. "These wonderful buildings will continue to provide life to our community and help reinvigorate the South Side. This is just another sign that South Side is growing and being reinvented. Let us all pray for the successful completion of the project that Mr. Basalyga is undertaking and that may it be a blessing for the South Side."

emailto:Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185; @jlockwoodTT on Twitter.