turning the page: conversion of former oklahoma city school into apartments is moving ahead despite

Recent fires at the long-closed Page Woodson school east of downtown did not cause significant damage and the developer, Ron Bradshaw, is moving forward with a $25 million redevelopment into housing.

The school, at NE 6 and Stonewall, closed in 1993 and was bought by Bradshaw for $950,000 last year at an auction by Oklahoma City Public Schools. Fencing is going up this week, and preconstruction will be starting this next month, Bradshaw said.

The Oklahoma City Fire Department put out two fires earlier this month at the school, both of which were deemed suspicious and possibly intentionally set.

“There is very little damage,” Bradshaw said, adding squatters and trespassers often have broken into the three-story building since it closed in 1993.

Bradshaw has hired security to prevent further damage at the school, though he added it won’t remain empty for much longer.

Lingo Construction is set to start renovations later this year. The same contractor has won accolades for its renovation of the Hotel Marion along Automobile Alley, the Braniff Building at SandRidge Commons, and is renovating the 99-year-old former Ford Model T assembly plant along Film Row and the Tower Theater in Uptown.

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