Dolton trustees approve purchase of two properties tied to Pope's childhood home

At a special meeting Tuesday, July 1, the Dolton Board of Trustees voted 5-0 to approve the purchase of 212 East 140th Place and 200 East 140th Place — properties associated with the Pope’s childhood home.

Board members said the acquisitions are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to preserve a locally significant site and to attract visitors, while some residents urged caution given the village’s fiscal and infrastructure needs.

Mayor (unnamed) framed the vote as a chance to “seize this moment” for the village and to pursue opportunities including enterprise zones and historic designation that could bring state and federal funds. Trustee Belcher said she does not view Dolton as a real-estate operator but supported the purchase as an exception that could benefit the community. Trustee Edward Steve described examples of other towns that receive steady tourist traffic to similar historic homes and said the village could see similar results.

Several residents spoke during the citizen’s address raising specific concerns about the purchase. Mary Avant asked “do we have the money?” and warned that even if the village could buy the properties, upkeep, utilities and other recurring costs would still fall on the municipality. Annette Morrow said the interior no longer resembles how it looked historically and opposed the purchase on that basis. Other speakers raised street and sewer conditions near Village Hall and elsewhere in Dolton and questioned whether the village should prioritize basic infrastructure before buying real estate.

Trustees and the mayor addressed those concerns in discussion. The mayor said street repairs and vendor partnerships are underway and promised visible street work “as quickly as the end of this week,” citing specific potholes and an area on King Drive. The mayor also said public works and police are already incurring costs related to the property and that ownership would allow the village to capture benefits of the site rather than leaving them to private investors.

The motion to approve the purchase was made by Trustee Edward Steve and seconded by Trustee Britney Norwood. Clerk Key called the roll; Trustees Tammy Brown, Britney Norwood, Stan Brown, Belcher and Edward Steve voted aye. The motion passed 5-0.

Discussion points: residents’ concerns about recurring maintenance costs and village staffing gaps (the board heard that Dolton currently lacks a police chief, a fire chief, an HR representative and a finance director), the potential for historic designation and tourism, and the mayor’s assertion that “you cannot cut your way out of a deficit” and that revenue-producing opportunities are required.

The board did not state a purchase price during the public meeting. Questions raised by residents about the cost of acquisition, ongoing maintenance, and specific funding sources remain unanswered in the record. Trustees said they will proceed with the planned acquisition and pursue related funding and partnerships.

The board’s action was recorded at the July 1 meeting; next steps discussed included partnerships and upkeep planning but no new contract or financing details were presented in the meeting record.