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Oregon — In converting the former Oregon High School into Gorman & Co. Inc.’s new headquarters, Gary Gorman’s biggest challenge was saying no.

“There were some budget overruns,” Gorman, the company’s CEO, conceded. “It’s my fault. I kept saying yes.”

Of course, Gorman is not half as apologetic about his development firm’s new digs as he is excited. So the $3 million renovation was a little more expensive than he had anticipated, but what other company headquarters offer a basketball court, exercise room, 1950s diner-styled break room (complete with individual jukeboxes) and in-house pub?

“We wanted a fun, warm environment,” Gorman said. “Not just for the employees, but also for everyone that comes into the building, and when you come down here, that’s hopefully what you see.”

A lot of credit for the school’s new look, and Gorman’s inability to say no, is due to Madison-based Brownhouse Designs and its president, Laurel Brown, Gorman said.

“She was really excited by the project and kept coming up with all these ideas,” he said.

A lot of Brown’s own excitement was personal.

“I went to school there in the 1960s,” she said, “so it was a really fun experience to be back in there, and just remembering the smells and where classes used to be got me very nostalgic.

“As kids, we used to think the basement area was haunted, there were these imposing doors leading to this dungeon area. It was terrifying then, but it was fun to see that again, actually.”

Gorman said he didn’t experience any paranormal activity during the renovation.

“There were a lot of bats in the chimney,” he said, “but that’s about it.”

Gorman’s own connection to the school and town of Oregon also runs deep. The family farm in town is still a part of his family and has been for 155 years. His great uncle used to play basketball on the very floor that his employees now play on during lunch breaks.

“There’s a real attachment to the town that I feel,” he said. “I remember being a kid and when my parents would talk about going to town, that was going to the downtown area of Oregon. Fitchburg, back then, was still nothing but farm land.

“I love the small-town atmosphere here. You really feel their love and appreciation.”

The school was built in 1922 at a cost of $80,000, and when the School District Building Committee put out a request for proposals for renovating the historic structure in 2006, Gorman was one of the first to answer the call.

“It was a collaborative effort with the town,” he said, “but we were also able to get in on the state’s land trust credits and also utilize historic tax credits in renovating the building, which helped.”

Gorman’s 40 employees last week started moving into the 20,000-square-foot building, and an official opening ceremony will be held Nov. 3 for employees, Oregon residents and those involved with the renovation. The theme: a 1950s prom in the school’s gym.

“It’s a way for us to say thank you to everyone,” Gorman said.

Brown said she recently walked through the building and was thrilled by the results, especially the fact that it still retained the feel of her alma mater.

“The original sense of the school still comes through, but at the same time it looks very innovative and forward-thinking,” Brown said. “When I saw the final product I said to Gary, ‘Gosh, I wouldn’t mind coming and working for you.’”

Gorman said that’s just the point. Moreover, he’s not concerned about a decline in productivity with all the new distractions.

“Most of our folks are individually driven, so I don’t really foresee a problem,” he said. “I see this as a great recruiting and retention tool. If you go into the office and see that kind of environment, I think it makes you want to work here and stay.”