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Spurred by seismic and other safety issues, demolition of the 1955 Granger High building began Wednesday in West Valley City.

Begun after asbestos removal, the demolition is expected to continue for the new few weeks, said Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley. Students took photographs and picked through bricks set aside as souvenirs as buildings began to come down Wednesday morning.

The new $70 million Granger High opened in August, loaded with technology. It has hundreds of computers, scattered in several computer labs with state-of-the-art projectors mounted in the ceilings, expansive hallways designed for safety and crowd control, and a well-appointed 1,500 seat auditorium.

Still, to encourage a historical perspective, an alumni room near the entrance holds trophies and a full-size medieval knight in armor — the Lancer, the school's mascot.

Educators expected about 2,500 students at the new building, but they welcomed roughly 3,000 on the first day of classes, including newly added ninth-graders.

It is the second new high school to open in the Granite School District this year. The district used a voter-approved $256 million bond to build the new Granger High and the new Olympus High in Holladay, which opened in April, among other projects. —

Timeline: Granger High School

Old school • Constructed in 1955 at 3690 S. 3600 West, West Valley City.

Out of date • School being demolished because of safety and seismic issues.

New school • Built next to old building, opened this school year. But the new stadium had its first home football game in the fall of 2011.