LAUREL — The original high school in Laurel will be open for the next few months, but in the fall a Clinton resident, Paul Nelson, hopes to turn the space into condominiums.
The plot of land, including the high school, gymnasium and playground is selling for about $1.1 million.
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It's not the first time an education building has been turned into condos. In 2021, the Fratt school building in downtown Billings was renovated after operating for 99 years.
The original Laurel High School is now being used for administrative offices and teacher training, and the gymnasium is abandoned.
Inside the former high school, chipped paint, brass doorknobs and wooden door frames resemble the early 20th century.
Laurel Public Schools Superintendent Matt Torix says it's time to bring it into the 21st.
"I don't feel bad getting rid of the school, because as you walk through the school you can still feel the kids, you can still hear the teaching going on. It's a really neat atmosphere, even though we haven't had kids here for 20 years," he said Thursday.
Paul Nelson, founder of Western Sport Floors, hopes to purchase the property and transform it, while still keeping the traditional style of the school. He and his team are working with Collaborative Design Architects in Billings for the plans.
He works out of Clinton, and loves his Montana roots.
"We naturally have an admiration, particularly for older stately school buildings, and this building in Laurel is really a special building," Nelson said Thursday over a virtual interview.
As beautiful as the building is, the transformation will be costly and timely. Nelson anticipates to make the space safer by installing new windows, building a new roof, and repairing the pipes.
"We have issues. It can start arising with heating systems, and as we've had issues with our heating system, we might have cut off a few rooms," Torix said.
Nelson told MTN he loves the exterior of the building, main hallway, lockers, door frames, and doorknobs and plans to keep those untouched in the remodel, if possible.
But nothing is guaranteed. Nelson said he still needs to get approval from the city for zoning changes before construction can start. As of now, the projected cost of the project and each of the condos is uncertain. However, Nelson said the condos will not be luxurious nor affordable housing.
"We're on the front end of a concept here," he said.
Because Nelson intends to keep the integrity of the building, Torix isn't afraid to move on.
"We're excited to see what he's going to do with this. We hope the community supports what he's doing. This gives people some more options," said Torix.
When the school semester ends, there will be a lot of moving. According to Torix, everything inside the building will need to be removed, and the administrative offices will be moved to South Elementary School.
The students at South Elementary will be moved to West Elementary School.
It will be a long summer, and likely years before the condominiums come to fruition. Nelson hopes to have more developed plans six to 12 months down the road.
But, it's a plan both Nelson and Torix agree on and are excited about.
"This gives us an opportunity to let this live on in a brand new way," Torix said.
