LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) _ Fenced in and abandoned, the old planetarium building in Lafayette is set to be demolished on December 4th.

Many community members are concerned that their memories of it will fade once the walls come down.

The planetarium first opened its doors on Girard Park Drive in 1969 and relocated to downtown Lafayette in 2001, leaving only the skeleton of what used to be a fun, learning environment for many in the area.

Former planetarium director, Beverly Latimer, said, “I think we’re making a big mistake tearing that place down. I really, really do— There’s lots of memories and I’d hate to think that that’s all it’s going to be; when we die there won’t be any memories to hold.”

As the demolition date approaches, many in the Lafayette community are taking to social media to express some of their fondest memories of the planetarium.

Some of them say they’re deeply saddened to see the building torn down.

The planetarium was considered an original contemporary piece of architecture when it was built. Cydra Wingerter, the chief communications officer for the Lafayette Consolidated Government, says

She adds: “It was an interesting architectural design at the time, it’s got a kind of funky vibe to it. There are certainly some people who are attached to it, but the bottom line is that it’s just not feasible to keep it in operation.”

Demolition is set to begin next month, and according to Wingerter, the area will be turned into a public green space.