Fate of Marian Heights Castle Takes a Positive Turn

When the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth had trouble selling close to 10 acres of their property on Monroe Turnpike, they had decided to demolish the castle on the site that had fallen into disrepair and to put it back on the market. But several people in town wanted to preserve the open land and the historic tower.

First Selectman Steve Vavrek, members of the Monroe Land Trust and community volunteers intervened and a solution may be just around the corner. Vavrek said a well-known, local developer will present a proposal to the nuns later this week.

"I really applaud the private local developer for coming up with a good plan to keep the castle intact and to keep the open space preserved," Vavrek said Tuesday.

However, Vavrek said he could not yet reveal the developer's identity nor what his plan entails at this time, adding that will come out in about two months when an application is submitted to the Planning & Zoning Department.

Though the town could not afford to purchase the property in a tough economy, the first selectman said its involvement helped to make the developer's proposal possible.

"It was a good volunteer effort to get it started," he said. "If we didn't intervene, they definitely would have taken down the building."

News of the developer's proposal came about during a meeting last Wednesday with Vavrek, Marven Moss of the Monroe Land Trust & Tree Conservancy, The Trust for Public Land, the developer, Town Planner David Killeen, the provincial treasurer of the Holy Family of Nazareth in Chicago and a Realtor.

Over the years, Vavrek said nursing homes and a number of colleges have shown interest in the property.