Constructed in 1932, with the addition of the large auditorium in 1958, the facility housed the St. Mary Academy all-girls Catholic boarding school until its closure in 1987 when the school merged with the all-boys Catholic Central High School nearby. From 1987 until 2000, the building was converted into a conference and retreat center, as well as offices for several community social service agencies.
In 2000, the building underwent a conversion to house sister residents and congregational offices for the SSIHM during the Motherhouse renovation. Since the sisters’ return to the Motherhouse in 2003, the St. Mary’s Academy property has remained vacant and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.
As the purchaser and General Contractor, KM Cornerstone is currently performing necessary due diligence and planning for the proposed mixed-use redevelopment of the approximately 16-acre property and 260,000-square-foot facility. Plans include commercial, office and residential use of the facility.
In this first phase of redevelopment, the company is conducting space utilization planning, architectural design, environmental assessment and remediation planning, and seeking support for eligible activities from various governmental agencies.
For the past 21 years, the IHM has initiated substantial outreach efforts for redevelopment, but did not find the right partner until KM Cornerstone agreed to take on the massive project in early 2024. According to IHM President Mary Jane Herb, ” This treasure has stood vacant for over 20 years, waiting for the right developer. Now, with KM Cornerstone’s involvement, the building will be brought back to life, along with various other developments that will benefit the people of Monroe.”
Following the agreement signing, KM Cornerstone President Keith Masserant said, “As a seventh-generation resident of Newport and a graduate of the Hall of the Divine Child and St. Mary’s Catholic Central, I have deeply personal appreciation for what the St. Mary Academy campus means to our community. Even after all these years, it still stands as a crown gem in our community. I’m blessed to be able to have a role in breathing new life into this property in a way that will benefit generations to come just as it did for so many of those individuals and families who walked those halls before us. I’m deeply honored and grateful to the Sisters of the IHM for entrusting me with this opportunity.”
