EAST LONGMEADOW, MA (WGGB/WSHM) -- Demolition is underway at East Longmeadow High School, marking the end of an era as the more than six-decade-old building is torn down to make way for a new facility.

Alumni are looking back on their memories as the academic complex comes down. John Webber, a member of the class of 1972 who lives just yards from the school, stopped by the site Wednesday to record a video for a friend. “Every day, you go by the school and you’re ‘Oh yeah, I remember doing this or playing basketball,’” he said.

Webber added that he made many lifelong friendships during his four years at the school. “Just the atmosphere (and) the ritual of going to school and hearing the rings of the tardy bell,” he explained.

The tearing down of the academic complex continued Wednesday, exactly one week after students and staff walked out of the building for the last time. Excavators moved debris into piles and trucks were loaded with dirt and rubble. Years of deterioration, leaks, and safety hazards led to the decision to demolish the building.

Pete Gelinas, a class of 1982 graduate who now lives in New Jersey, also watched the demolition on Wednesday. He said watching the building come down was difficult. “I’m sad. I’m happy for the new school and the upgrades in progress, but I have a lot of good memories from life in those buildings for four years,” he explained

He added that he will always remember the cafeteria, the community, and his shop teachers. “It’s all about the people. It’s not the buildings,” Gelinas noted.

As the old school is demolished, a new building stands ready for students to return in the fall. Retiring East Longmeadow Public Schools Superintendent Gordon Smith said his own office was located in the old high school, meaning his tenure is ending alongside the building. “I’m excited because I was a big part in helping make this new building happen, which then allows for the incoming superintendent to define the new era,” he explained ina statement.

The project remains on schedule, with the new high school set to open for both students and staff on September 2.

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