The iconic 100-year-old Moore High School building will be used as a school again

Murray Evans, The Oklahoman
·4 min read
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MOORE — The old Moore High School building, a city centerpiece for almost a century, will be used as a school again.

The Moore Public Schools Board of Education voted earlier this month to approve an agreement to repurchase the building from local businessman Charles Cotton, who obtained the property about 24 years ago in a land swap with the school district. This time around, the district will pay Cotton and his wife, Debra, $965,000 for the two-story building, constructed in 1928 after a fire destroyed the original Moore school building that opened in 1899.

Moore Superintendent Robert Romines said he believes the sale will close early next year. Once it does, he said the district plans to move its alternative education school, known as Vista, into the building after renovations are complete — which could take 18-24 months. Depending on space, perhaps some other programs also could be relocated.

“But it will house students, and we are excited about that,” Romines said.

The old Moore High School building is being sold back to Moore Public Schools to be used as a home for the district's alternative school. The building is pictured Nov. 17 from the northeast corner.
The old Moore High School building is being sold back to Moore Public Schools to be used as a home for the district's alternative school. The building is pictured Nov. 17 from the northeast corner.

If the old high school isn’t the oldest building in Moore, it’s close and it’s important for the city to make sure it remains in use, said Deidre Ebrey, the city of Moore’s economic development director.

“From our perspective, having it inhabited and made new again while keeping the character of the building is a huge win for this area,” Ebrey said.

What to know about the old Moore High School and its history

Located at 201 N Broadway — next to Moore City Hall — the 29,000-square-foot building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, has 18 classrooms and a 2,500-square-foot basement. It housed Moore students from first to 12th grades from 1928 through 1958 and later was occupied by elementary students until 1983, when the school district stopped using the facility for classes.

By 1995, the city had expressed interest in buying the building with plans to remodel it as a fire and police station, but its $10,000 bid lost out that March to a $65,000 bid by Charles Cotton and a partner doing business as Continental Joint Ventures Corp. The sale was delayed for a few years, but in August 1999, the developers traded about $140,000 of land to the district in exchange for the building. That land later was used as the site of an elementary school, Romines said.

Cotton and his partner worked to remodel and revitalize the building, which now is known as the Old School Business and Events Center. A handful of small businesses occupy space inside the building, and the auditorium has been used for community functions. The auditorium still features the school’s original basketball court, which was on a stage, Romines said.

The old Moore High School building, currently known as the Old School Business and Events Center, is being sold back to Moore Public Schools.
The old Moore High School building, currently known as the Old School Business and Events Center, is being sold back to Moore Public Schools.

“We definitely are grateful for the work (Cotton) has put into the building,” Ebrey said. “Everything that has happened (since he bought it) has elevated it, and I hope this continues the process.”

Romines said the district has been interested in repurchasing the building “for quite some time and bringing it back to its original glory. It’s a beautiful building and obviously a landmark.”

Why the city has decided to move Vista into the old Moore High School

A major upcoming project in Moore played a role in the district’s decision to move Vista. Bids on the construction of a railroad underpass on SE 4 and Turner Avenue (near Broadway) will be let out in April, Ebrey said, and construction work, once started, will last about two years. Vista currently is housed in a building next to the railroad tracks, and access to the site will be an issue during the project, Romines said.

Pillars list the Class of 1930 at the main entrance of the old Moore High School building.
Pillars list the Class of 1930 at the main entrance of the old Moore High School building.

But Vista’s move won’t be immediate. Romines said a “major remodel” of the old Moore High School building will be necessary first.

“We will have to invest a lot of money in it to restore it,” Romines said. “We won’t have an idea on how much until we get architects and designers on that. Then we’ll have a better sense.”

Under the agreement approved by the Moore school board, the district won’t obtain possession of the building until Jan. 31. Romines said Vista’s move depends on how long the remodel takes, but it could be for either the 2025-26 or 2026-27 academic years.

Romines said the district will work with the businesses currently located in the building and give them sufficient time to relocate.

A stone monument and time capsule are pictured Nov. 17 in front of the old Moore High School building.
A stone monument and time capsule are pictured Nov. 17 in front of the old Moore High School building.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Moore Public Schools to buy iconic high school building to repurpose