Imagining Old Central Middle School Site

Long before there was a Central community, there was the Central School at the intersection of Sullivan and Canal (now Hooper) roads.
Central High was named “Central” because it was centrally located among the various one-room schoolhouses spread across the area.
Gradually, the surrounding community came to be called “Central” — after the school.  First came the school, then the community!
Central High School held its first graduating class on the site in 1913.  A new high school was built there and then another.  Finally, that school became Central Middle School.  But with age, it wore out and in 2012 it was replaced by the new Central School Complex at another location.
Now the old Central Middle School is being torn down, and the Central Community School Board is in the process of deciding what to do with the site.
Meanwhile, the City of Central has been discussing whether to develop a City Center for the City of Central and where it would be located.  Central’s new mayor, Jr. Shelton, said he wants to wait until Central Middle School has been demolished in order to allow the public to see more clearly how much land is there and be able to visualize potential uses.  One obstacle to development of a City Center on the site is Wildcat Stadium.  If it were moved to another location, almost 27 acres would be available for use.
The Central City News commissioned Charles Breard to take photos of the site.  They are reprinted above and photoshopped to show what the site might look like.