Photo courtesy of Google Maps StreetView
Event slated for Aug. 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. is open to the public
It will be with a heavy heart as community members, families, and alumni gather on Saturday, Aug. 17 from 2 to 4 p.m. to say a final farewell to the Kennedy-Kenrick School Building.
The building, which is slated to be demolished in order to make room for a new housing complex to be added, does not yet have a publicly announced date for removal. However, the plans are in the works to allow the community to say goodbye.
Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School, operated by the Philadelphia Archdiocese, remained open until 2010, celebrating its final Baccalaureate Liturgy on Monday, June 1 at Visitation BVM Parish in Norristown and a final graduation for the Class of 2010 on Tuesday, June 2 at Gwynedd-Mercy College (now University) in Lower Gwynedd Township.
Suburban catholic school students after 2010 began attending Pope John Paul II High School located in Royersford, which combined the two closing schools: KKCHS and Lower Pottsgrove Township’s St. Pius X High School. While the buildings may come and go, the memories remain strong for many throughout Greater Philadelphia for the beloved high school.
Opening in September of 1993, KKCHS too was a merged school which brought together students from Archbishop Kennedy High School in Conshohocken with those from Bishop Kenrick High School in Norristown.
The Aug. 17 event will include a gathering to bid farewell to the “beloved legacy school building,” offering time to “reflect on the moments and experiences that have shaped us,” noted a Facebook post courtesy of the PJPII HS page. “Your presence would mean a great deal as we come together to commemorate the legacy of Kennedy-Kenrick High School.”
Also happening during the celebration will be the opening of a 1993 Time Capsule, as well as time to share memories and enjoy light refreshments. Admission to the event is free, and reservations are not required. However, you can find out more details on the school’s Eventbrite post here.
Due to the hazardous conditions inside the high school, the public will not be permitted to access the inside of the building. Instead, the festivities will be held outside the building in front of the main entrance.
Plans for the grounds where the building currently stands include a 325-unit residential townhouse development. Wayne-based Progressive New Homes purchased the space, which combined two pieces of land into one, from the Philadelphia Archdiocese for $3 million.
According to Progressive New Homes President Sarah Peck, the project will be done in multiple phases, with the first of them starting soon. This portion will include 90 townhomes up for sale and should take about three years to complete.
A second phase of the project will also begin in 2024 but will include four unique buildings with 200 “garden-style apartments.” This Phase Two will also include a swimming pool, as well as a clubhouse for the complex. Peck said that this second portion will begin “no later than the spring of next year” with the hopes of a year-end start in 2024.
In 2025, a third phase is planned, designed to include 35 rentable townhomes. Those houses for sale are projected to range from “the high $200,000s to the lower $400,000” once complete. Peck said that the properties are aimed at being affordable for “first-time home buyers” or those looking to downsize. Rent rates have not yet been determined for the third and final phase.
The Kennedy Kenrick Catholic High School is located at 250 E. Johnson Highway in Norristown. All ages are welcome to attend the Farewell celebration on Aug. 17 from 2 to 4 p.m.
