Portage Manor will be Sold to St. Thomas More Academy

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Today, County Commissioners voted to sell Portage Manor to St. Thomas More Academy. The school will pay $400,000 for the property and plans to invest $9 million into renovating it.

"We are truly honored to get to be the next stewards of this property for our unified campus, but also so excited to honor the residents who lived there for many years, and to have the nature preserve that's open up to the whole community," said St. Thomas More Academy Head of School Kevin Powers. "It really is a transitional moment for our school community, but the broader community."

While some neighbors opposed selling the building, the overwhelming majority of the room spoke in favor of the deal.

"Just living across from that land and seeing that it has not been cared for the way that it should be cared for for so long, and many times many people living in the woods there," said South Bend resident Zoe Regnant. "I urge your support so that there will be someone who's looking after the woods, also that's riddled with invasive species. And I know there are a lot of people at St. Thomas More who really care about just ecology and native species and preserving the land."

The sale doesn't include all of the surrounding woodlands right away, but it does give the school immediate access to a portion of the land.

"They have the acres around the school, I think it's about seven acres, the ravine property, and I think you all been under the end," said St. Joseph County Supervisor Derek Dieter. "I don't think I'm having need to come out there, but then probably another 20 acres. The north part is under their control for like a three-year time period."

School leaders say they're eager to use that natural land for educational options down the road. But another reason for the purchase comes down to space: St. Thomas More is currently spread across three separate campuses.

"So we have 300 students that go two or three blocks away to each campus, and to have all of our students in one place is going to be absolutely amazing for the community to build those relationships," said Powers.

Many parents at today's meeting said they moved to South Bend specifically for the community at St. Thomas More including one parent who relocated all the way from Florida just to teach and send their kids here.