PALISADE, Colo. (KREX) —The Town of Palisade says goodbye to its original high school with a huge teardown. After months of removing asbestos, the new medical center to be operated by Community Hospital is one step closer to reality.

Alums of the school may hate to see part of their history go, but are happy at least part of the building will have purpose again.

“I think of all the grandparents and parents and myself and couple classes after us that actually graduated from there,” Palisade High School Class of 1987 Alum Vern Gray discusses, “I think it’s a little bit bittersweet. I’m very happy that Palisade gets to have a medical center, they definitely need that.”

People have been looking toward this milestone for a while now.

“It’s a monumental day,” Palisade Town Manager Janet Hawkinson expresses, “This project has been been discussed for a year and a half, actually the high school itself for 2 1/2 years, of what to do with the land. The building has been unsalvageable, in the state it’s in.”:

Phase one is done. Now, phase two is getting started.

“Now that the big bang is done all over the campus, it’s time to hammer down on the real work,” Cora Dickey reports.

Demolishing the school completely will take six weeks, but the two contractors, Dare Case and ASCO, taking it apart won’t just dump the old building materials.

“It’ll be recycled in different ways,” Hawkinson elaborates, “It will either go to the steel go to recycling and other things will be used for fill in other areas. It’ll slowly come apart by piece, so we can recycle material”

There are so many memories to look back on. This school was home for dozens of graduating classes.

“I think of that small gym and the fact that you could pack, back of those days, probably about 300 to 350 students in,” Gray reminisces.

Luckily, a part of the old Palisade High School’s legacy will carry for those who want to save a remnant of the school’s history for themselves.

“We will have what we can salvage for people will put in our dirt parking lot so people can come and take it,” Hawkinson shares.

This construction site is active and the Town of Palisade needs people to know, trespassers will be prosecuted.