St. Joe's School Building Available for Lease

St. Joseph's School building, which closed its doors permanently as a Catholic school in June, is available for lease.

Jim Goodness, a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Newark, confirmed that the building was available for lease but could not speculate on a prospective rental rate for the two-story, 62,000-square foot building. "Certainly, we are looking for a lease that is market driven," said Goodness.

The ideal client would be an educational facility, said Goodness. "When you put a building up for lease, you look for a natural client, and the best use is as a school." Goodness elaborated, "From the logistical point of view, it is set up with classrooms, lunch rooms, and not a lot of offices." The building contains 19 classrooms, two cafeterias, a first-floor gym and parking for approximately 30 cars. "The optimal use would be some kind of educational facility."

The decision by St. Joseph parish leadership to close the school after 80 years of operation was originally announced in May, rescinded as parents worked to save the school, and then announced again in June.

Mayor Vic DeLuca told the News-Record that he would like to attract a "youth-service group" to the former school and that he had discussed the possibility with a member of the church's building committee. South Orange-Maplewood School Board President Mark Gleason told the News-Record that the school district had no plans to expand at present. The SO-M school district has experienced some overcrowding issues at the elementary school level that led to partial redistricting this past spring.