Pope Leo XIV’s hometown of Dolton, Illinois, plans to begin the process of obtaining the pope’s childhood home through eminent domain.
The move comes after the owner, a real estate investor, listed the home for auction last week.
A letter sent Tuesday to the auction house — Paramount Realty USA — and obtained by Homes.com News stated the village will take ownership of the home at 212 E. 141st Place through direct purchase or eminent domain, a process in which a public entity takes ownership of private property if used for public purposes.
“People inform any prospective buyers that their ‘purchase’ may only be temporary since the village intends to begin the eminent domain process very shortly,” Dolton’s attorney, Burton S. Odelson of the law firm Odelson, Murphey, Frazier, & McGrath, said in the letter.
In this case, Dolton said it will work with the Chicago Archdiocese and unstated “other agencies” to use the home as a historic site, according to the letter.
According to Illinois law, the process, called "condemnation," is permitted only when the government pays a private owner for property. That makes the situation unclear regarding 212 E. 141st, as bids are still being accepted now through June 18. Bidding in the auction begins at $250,000.
Paramount did not respond to a request to comment.
The home originally listed for $219,000 in January before the seller reduced the price to $199,900 and ultimately removed it on May 8 once the news of the new pope began reeling in multiple offers.
In a previous interview with Homes.com News, Dolton Trustee Brittney Norwood said she would like to see the home as part of the community. Overnight, the modest 1,050-square-foot property where the first American-born pope grew up has become a tourist attraction, with visitors snapping photos. Public records show the pope’s parents owned the property between 1949 and 1996.
Dolton welcomed the positive attention, with Norwood sharing that residents began submitting their own ideas for what to do with the home. She said hopes also increased for higher home values in the area to go along with the local economic benefits associated with tourism.
The seller did not contact the village prior to listing the home in the auction, but the two entities met Monday to discuss options, according to a Dolton representative.
“We have a very proactive mayor diligently working with the board and various people to figure out the best way to honor the pope’s faith and his accomplishment,” Norwood said previously. “The property, at this point, is a staple in the community. Everybody is just excited.”