Demolition of old Urbandale High School Building (WHO)
It's the end of a four year $60 million project. Monday construction crews tore down parts of the 39-year old Urbandale High School building to clear the way for a new complex.
Nearly 40 years of history is scooped up and dumped into a trash bin, the final step on a long noisy journey.
"She did her job, educated a lot of grads, a lot of good people. We had to upgrade her to get her to modern times," says Urbandale High School Principal Richard Hutchinson.
The demolition completes four long years of controlled chaos. The school's small land space was a major challenge. A normal high school takes up 60-80 acres of land. But Urbandale had to fit two high schools, the old and the new, on just 33 acres.
"It's a good location. This is Urbandale they wanted it here made sure that happened."
It's caused quite a ruckus for students and staff. Some classes in the new, some in the old. Some buildings are done; some classrooms are just wires and dust. And parking? Forget about it.
"I think last year we may have had about 80 to 90 spots," says Hutchinson. Just 90 spots for 600 drivers; quite the logistics headache for the building's supervisor John Lees.
"It was a coordination nightmare but we have gotten through it." Lees say, when it's done, the mess and the fuss will have been worth it. Right now, all that remains of the aging building are the writings on the wall from students past.
"As a grad myself it's tough to see the old girl go down." Students like Lees, who sentimentally picks out a brick to keep as a memento, but rationally, can't wait for all this rubble to be cleared away.
Urbandale hopes to have the old school torn down and turned into a parking lot by the time school resumes August 24th.
Nearly 40 years of history is scooped up and dumped into a trash bin, the final step on a long noisy journey.
"She did her job, educated a lot of grads, a lot of good people. We had to upgrade her to get her to modern times," says Urbandale High School Principal Richard Hutchinson.
The demolition completes four long years of controlled chaos. The school's small land space was a major challenge. A normal high school takes up 60-80 acres of land. But Urbandale had to fit two high schools, the old and the new, on just 33 acres.
"It's a good location. This is Urbandale they wanted it here made sure that happened."
It's caused quite a ruckus for students and staff. Some classes in the new, some in the old. Some buildings are done; some classrooms are just wires and dust. And parking? Forget about it.
"I think last year we may have had about 80 to 90 spots," says Hutchinson. Just 90 spots for 600 drivers; quite the logistics headache for the building's supervisor John Lees.
"It was a coordination nightmare but we have gotten through it." Lees say, when it's done, the mess and the fuss will have been worth it. Right now, all that remains of the aging building are the writings on the wall from students past.
"As a grad myself it's tough to see the old girl go down." Students like Lees, who sentimentally picks out a brick to keep as a memento, but rationally, can't wait for all this rubble to be cleared away.
Urbandale hopes to have the old school torn down and turned into a parking lot by the time school resumes August 24th.
