OKC historic building will remain in place
Deal allows for Brockway Center to be preserved on site
Brockway Center, an eastside black landmark that was within days of being destroyed is now set to stay in place as part of a purchase agreement with the Oklahoma City
Redevelopment Authority.
The CARE Center , 1 403 Ashton Place, bought the ad joining former home of the Oklahoma Federation of Colored Women's Clubs last year and planned to tear it down to expand the CARE Center' s operations when Ward 7 Councilwoman Nikki Nice expressed concerns about the landmark earlier this year.
With a demolition permit pending and t he nonprofit
facing protests by preservationists and eastside residents, The CARE Center i nit i al l y agreed to sell the house to the redevelopment authority but only if it could be moved to a different location.
Under the terms of an agreement reached Monday, the redevelopment authority on Oct. 31 will close on purchasing the house formerly known as the Brockway Center from CARE for $400,000.
The deal calls for the home to stay i n place and for the north half of the Brockway Center t o be gi ven t o The CARE Center to allow for it to pursue alternative expansion plans.
The redevelopment authority, meanwhile, is committing to issuing a request for proposals that will require the home be preserved.
“We are very pleased that the two organizations were able to work together to find a solution”, said Cathy O'Connor, president of the redevelopment authority. “This partnership with The CARE Center expands vital community services and honors the work of the women who protested lynching, endorsed women's suffrage and marched on behalf of civil rights.”
Stacy McNeiland, CEO of The CARE Center, told reporters she was unaware of the building's history when the nonprofit bought it in
2018. The plan at the time was to tear down the house at 1440 N Everest Ave. to expand The Care Center building where services are provided to abused children.
McNeiland said the plan includes a reconfiguration of the street that runs runs through The Care Center campus, which she said will give the nonprofit required parking and more of a "campus" feel as it will unite each of its six buildings.
The 3,500- square-foot Brockway Center was built in 1915 and for a half-century was home to the local chapter of the Federation of Colored Women's Clubs, a group that helped lead in services to the black community during the segregation era
and coordinated civil rights campaigns.
Leaders of the group said they sold the home in 2011 with the belief it would not be torn down.
“We learned of the Brockway Center's history in February and since then, we have worked to find a solution that will honor the important work that was done there while expanding our vital services for abused children,” McNeiland said.
“OCR A( re development authority) provided the expertise and ideas we needed to develop a plan that benefits everyone. We've been part of this neighborhood for more than 25 years, and we expect to be part of it for generations to come.”