Yes, public league used it for a couple years. Unfortunately, the stadium and school buildings were dilapidated, which is a factor why SR moved to 77th. If the 63rd street school buildings were more structurally stable, it would have been interesting whether SR followed MC's example and tried to buy property surrounding the school to create more of a campus, isolating itself from the rough surrounding neighborhood. I sure as hell wish I was a student at the 63rd street campus so I could have experienced the snakepit as a student; was there many times as a grammar school student.
There were plans to renovate old Saint Rita but they got wind that Leo was going to be acquiring Quigley and they knew that would spell doom for Saint Rita. They managed to get enough money together in enough time to buy Quigley so Leo wouldn't get it.
I remember for years it was rumored Leo was going to move to Orland Park on Lagrange Road on property the Catholics owned
I'm not sure if they still own it or not. Looking at the landscape today if Leo did move back then to Orland Park would that have killed Providence or St Laurence?
It would have taken some bite out of late 90s Providence but not killed it (PC also had to weather Coed Marist post 2003(?), but responded by being more aggressive West of the River into JCA territory), maybe it accelerates Lawrence to a point where it resembles SFDS, Bishop Noll or Marian of the Heights. Hales might still be open getting the kids who want to "keep it real", with residual+ to DeLaSalle, SFDS.
Assisi - Rita in the same campus would have been the way to go, it would have followed a key subdemo from Chicago Lawn to Lemont.
St. Rita was putting together the money for a large renovation project. Egan Hall was to get a new roof, windows, and heating and air condition plant. New roof for the Gym Bldg. Chapel Bldg. was an complete overhaul in part 2. A new building was planned for court yard North of the gym, where the statue was, for a swimming pool would have been part 3. I knew the St. Rita Alumni that would have gotten the roofing contract. When Cardinal Cody was raiding stable parishes to support poor parishes, he tried to a strong arm the different teaching orders that ran the High Schools. St. Rita was a loud no thus they had some funds.
CICS Longwood used to play at Rita. Do they still? Leo I understand had caused damage & or stold from other venues so they were running out of places to play. St.Laurence hosted them a few years. Stagg Stadium on or around 74th Yates is right there. I wonder why they don't play there?
Several Charter schools have played at St. Rita. Leo gets a very good deal. I've heard of no problems with schools using St. Rita for their home games only a CPS school losing to St., Rita trashing the locker room after a loss.
The property is now Good Shepherd cemetery just south of 159th St. That was to be the location for Leo West which was to be a co-Ed school. It would have done incredible damage to Providence and later Marist. The Sheehy family from the Sheehy funeral home and Tim McCarthy the Orland Park police chief that took a bullet for Reagan were key Leo alumni fundraising people. When the .com bubble burst in the spring of 2000, much if their pledge money dried up and the project died.
I bet that went over well but i doubt the Grand Puba did anything about it but Rita probably did
