St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere is hoping to demolish the 131-year-old San Damiano Friary it owns at 4123 Monona Drive.
The former home of Frank Allis, an heir to equipment manufacturer Allis-Chalmers, reportedly has structural issues beyond repair. The Abbey has not yet decided what to do with the 10 acres of prime lakefront property the friary sits upon.
According to a Wisconsin State Journal report, for years it was a home for men looking to enter the Norbertine priesthood, and later leased to a Catholic-based organization in Detroit that used it as a retreat and home for retired priests, but the last priest left in 2015 and renters have been maintaining it since.
The Monona Landmarks Commission will consider getting a demolition permit for the friary next week, but it could also delay the process in an effort to work with the Abbey on other solutions.
