The 'old school' roots of Delray Beach's Old School Square Center for the Arts
Visitors to downtown Delray Beach cannot miss the city's crowning jewel — and achievement — that sits at the northeast intersection of Atlantic and Swinton avenues.
Now called Old School Square Center for the Arts, the 6-acre complex has a long and storied history.
With a covered outdoor stage, large lawn spaces for public gatherings, a parking garage, the property importantly hosts three historic buildings — all of which predate the great 1928 hurricane:
The Cornell Museum of Art is in the former 1913 Delray Elementary building that faces Atlantic Avenue.
On Swinton Avenue is the Crest Theatre, which occupies the former 1925 high school building.
And the Vintage Gymnasium on Northeast First Street dates to around 1925.
The site is managed by the Downtown Development Authority with the mission to "create a welcoming space" for the community while honoring the 100-year-old historic campus.
For nearly 75 years, the complex was a center of culture and education, hosting church services, community meetings and band performances. But as Delray grew, the hub changed. The high school closed in 1950 and moved to a larger facility on Seacrest Boulevard.
By the mid-1980s, the entire parcel was an eyesore. The stained and crumbling buildings, surrounded by a chain-link fence, had become a totem of despair.
When the elementary school graduated its final class on June 7, 1988, many advised just tearing it all down.
Though it's hard to imagine it now, all of downtown was similarly suffering. With little business and no nightlife to speak of, it earned the nickname "Dull-ray." But some still saw potential.
Starting in 1985, a small group, led by resident Frances Bourque, vice-chair of the city's historical society, and Mayor Doak Campbell, envisioned the old school site as a cultural hub that could spark the city's revitalization.
The hard sell was made a bit easier when voters agreed in 1989 to a $21.5 million bond referendum that promised significant street, sidewalk and drainage improvements throughout the city and set aside more than $2 million for Old School Square.
The city bought the property for $392,000 that year. The former elementary school opened in 1990 as the Cornell. The gym reopened in 1991 as a community events room. The old high school and auditorium opened in 1993 as the Crest. The remainder of the $7 million renovation was finished by 1998.
And the gamble worked: Cultural center activities, coupled with DDA and Community Redevelopment Agency programs such as Art & Jazz on the Avenue, as well as big events such as the Delray Affair and the 100-foot Christmas Tree Lighting, began drawing people back to the downtown — in droves.
By 2013, Old School Square was hosting 1,500 activities a year, and the museum's budget had grown from $230,000 in 1992 to $2.7 million.
The downtown also thrived: The Avenue brought a plethora of top chefs who opened high-end restaurants with outdoor seating along the wide sidewalks. Events were plentiful, even year-round. In fact, the city's biggest problems became crowding (especially on weekends) and parking.
But trouble was brewing — and the coronavirus pandemic brought it to a head.
Old School Square Center for the Arts, the non-profit that had managed Old School Square since its inception, navigated through the COVID lockdown to survive, barely. However, in August 2021, city commissioners abruptly terminated its lease, citing years of fiscal mismanagement.
Lawsuits and countersuits followed, with the complex being effectively shut down until the issue was settled in March 2023. The city took over management of the site, in partnership with the DDA, and retained the name Old School Square (which also had been in dispute).
Since then, things have begun to look brighter. The museum is open and mounting new art exhibits. The gymnasium hosts private events such as parties and weddings. The outdoor stage sees a steady stream of musical acts.
And the Crest Theatre has undergone renovations to its lobby, reception area and entry restrooms for guests. These projects have brought the building up to current building codes.
Improvements also were made to the theater's kitchen, including a space for culinary arts classes. More work is planned for the 323-seat auditorium, which is not currently hosting entertainment events — though big names such as The Drifters and Chris Botti and have performed there in the past.
Previous reporting by staff writer Jasmine Fernández and former staff writer Eliot Kleinberg contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Delray Beach history: Beginnings, development of Old School Square
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