Baltimore County plans to pay $6 million for the shuttered St. Pius X Catholic Church property on York Road and turn much of the roughly 10-acre site into an expanded Forge Park, WYPR reported Wednesday. If the deal closes as hoped by January, it would add rare ball fields, green space and parking to one of the most built-up corridors just north of the Baltimore city line.
The plan also comes with an unusual twist: deed restrictions that would bar a list of uses on the former church land. Here is what is known so far.
What is Baltimore County buying?
According to WYPR, the county would buy the St. Pius X property, about 10 acres along York Road near the city-county line, from the owner listed in the contract as “St. Pius X Roman Congregation, Inc.” The site adjoins Forge Park, a small county park, and lies in the council district of Councilman Mike Ertel.
Assistant County Attorney Jon Herbst briefed the County Council on the deal Tuesday night, WYPR reported.
“We have a real lack of athletic fields and green space and property doesn’t come up often on the York Road corridor.”
Baltimore County Councilman Mike Ertel, as quoted by WYPR
How much will it cost taxpayers?
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Purchase price | $6 million |
| State share | $3.5 million |
| Remaining cost to county | About $2.5 million (difference between price and state share) |
| Land | About 10 acres on York Road |
| Target closing | January |
WYPR did not report when, or whether, the County Council will vote on the purchase. Residents who want to follow the deal can watch council agendas on the Baltimore County government website.
What will happen to the church and school buildings?
The church building will stay, but its future use has not been decided, according to WYPR. The former elementary school building on the property is set to be demolished. Before the county takes over, the church will remove sacred items, including baptismal fonts, stained-glass windows and the Stations of the Cross.
A longtime parishioner told WYPR she was glad the site would become a park and suggested the church building could serve as a community hall. That idea, along with any other reuse, would be up to the county.
What uses would the deed restrict?
As part of the deal, the county has agreed to deed restrictions on the property. According to WYPR, the restricted uses include:
- Abortion-related activities
- Sales of birth-control products
- Adult entertainment and pornography
- Certain alcohol uses
- Gas stations
- Massage parlors or prostitution-related uses
- Marijuana or cannabis activities
WYPR did not report any objections to the restrictions at Tuesday’s briefing.
Why did St. Pius X close?
St. Pius X closed in 2024 as part of parish consolidation in the Catholic Church, WYPR reported. Parishioners appealed to the Vatican to reopen it, and they were told this past spring that the appeal had been denied. The Archdiocese of Baltimore has consolidated parishes in Baltimore and nearby areas in recent years, while also working through a bankruptcy case tied to abuse claims, as the Chronicle reported in its coverage of the archdiocese’s proposed $170 million settlement. WYPR did not link the St. Pius X sale to the bankruptcy.
What questions are still unanswered?
The briefing left several practical questions open that neighbors will likely want answered before the county takes the keys:
- The church building: Will it become a community hall, recreation space or something else, and who pays to maintain it?
- Park design: How many fields, how much parking and what kind of lighting would be added next to existing homes?
- Construction costs: The $6 million covers the land. WYPR did not report an estimate for demolition of the school or for building new fields.
- Public input: Whether the county will hold community meetings on the park plan has not been announced.
What does it mean for the York Road corridor?
For neighborhoods along York Road near Towson and the city line, open land rarely comes on the market. County officials said the purchase would let Forge Park grow and add field space and parking. Councilman Izzy Patoka also spoke in favor of more recreation space, according to WYPR.
Key next steps to watch: any council action on the purchase, the January closing, and whether the county opens a public process on how to use the church building and design the expanded park.
Featured image: Brick rowhomes in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood near York Road in Baltimore County. Photo: Quaintly / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.