Springfield's historic Bailey school, once shuttered, to reopen as lofts
Claudette Riley
A red brick Springfield school building constructed at the height of the Great Depression — and in use until six years ago — is set to reopen soon as urban housing.
The renovation and transformation of the Bailey School Lofts is nearly complete. Built in 1930, the former school on the National Register of Historic Places is in the 500 block of West Central Street, just west of the city's government plaza and between Commercial Street and downtown Springfield.
"The location is just the greatest. I went to look at it and thought this could be the coolest loft renovation ever," said developer Jason Murray, who acquired the property in 2016. "The building itself is so unique. I just fell in love."
Murray paid $300,000 to buy the two-story, 23,753-square-foot building from Springfield Public Schools. He has spent "north of $3 million" to renovate the two-acre property into 25 loft-style apartments.
Half the lofts have been pre-leased — mostly to young professionals working nearby — with a June 1 opening. There are lofts with one, two or three bedrooms, and monthly rent ranges from $700 to $1,350.
The building once used by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration in the 1930s — and most recently as an alternative school — was emptied, declared "surplus" property and sold by the Springfield school board.
There was high interest in Bailey and the board unanimously agreed to sell it to Murray, who owns a number of prominent loft buildings downtown, including the Union Biscuit Warehouse and other lofts near College Station.
However, shortly after Murray got the keys, the project appeared to stall. The property was left virtually untouched for more than a year while he secured tax credits available to renovate historic properties.
"It took a while to get started," he said.
Bailey School Lofts will be open to the public from 1-4 p.m. on April 27. Murray said he hopes anyone with an interest in loft living, old schools or historic renovations will stop by and take a look.
Last week, Murray gave the News-Leader a sneak peek of the project that includes the original two-story building facing Central Street and a 1960s warehouse addition on the north side that gives the building an L-shape.
There are 41 parking spots on the west side of the building and a large courtyard on the north side, which is fully fenced. Inside, there is a large pavilion, an outdoor kitchen and a dog park.
"This is a park-like setting," he said.
A greenhouse added years ago by the Springfield district is still standing. Murray said it will be renovated and available for use by residents.
For each loft, Murray is providing a refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher in the kitchen. A washer and dryer are also included.
Ten of the lofts open to the courtyard.
"In the 1960s addition, we had more free range to do what we wanted in terms of the design," he said. "We were able to be more modern."
Inside the original building, part of the multipurpose room — which served as a cafeteria, gym and auditorium — will be a commons area with the school's original bookshelves. A former stage is now the gym.
The renovation included updating the infrastructure of the building without losing historic elements including the terrazzo floors, high ceilings, tile walls, two wide stairways. There is exposed brick and ductwork, granite counters in the kitchens and bathrooms, and tile imported from Spain in the bathrooms.
Murray said while windows are new — and, in many cases, have been enlarged to allow more natural light — the wood framing is original.
On the tour, he pointed out that the original girder beams from the gym were preserved and visible in several rooms. The space that used to house a radiator was transformed into built-in bookshelves.
The former school had four hallway murals. They remain, and an artist was brought in to touch them up once the water fountains were removed.
Murray said his favorite loft is the sole three-bedroom option on the second floor, which used to be the girls bathroom. It has large windows facing west and north, overlooking the courtyard behind the building.
"I'd want this one," he said. "Not everyone gets to live in one of these historic buildings."
He said neighbors west of the former school are renovating a historic house into a bed and breakfast, and there is an effort to improve several homes in that area of the Grant Beach Neighborhood.
As part of the renovation, secure exterior doors were added. There is one main entrance and two exit doors. Murray also employs a security company to patrol his loft properties in the downtown area, and Bailey will be added to the rotation.
Lofts facing the courtyard are done. As the project enters its final weeks, there is a crew working in the main building. Landscaping and cleanup is also ongoing.
"We have to finish everyone else and then we'll refinish the terrazzo floors," he said.
A handful of former Springfield schools have been declared "surplus" in the past decade or so, but how those properties changed hands was revamped a few years ago.
Stephen Hall, chief communications officer, said the board developed a matrix for how to evaluate offers for surplus property. It weighed how the building would be used, the plan for renovating or construction, and the capacity for financing.
"This important criteria helped the district assess what implications the sale would have on SPS, the neighborhood, and the community-at-large," Hall said. "Because we are committed to serving all of our constituents, including taxpayers and property owners, SPS uses an evaluative process to seek partners who share the goal of improving Springfield and benefiting its residents."
Hall said the district is pleased to see the Bailey property, no longer needed as a school, used in a different way to serve the community. "We believe the completion of the Bailey project demonstrates the importance and the success of this ongoing work."
Want to go?
The Bailey School Lofts will be open to the public from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. For more information, go to www.springfieldloftapartments.com.