ASU's iconic 'Palm Walk' gets a facelift

TEMPE, Ariz. (KSAZ) - Over the past 100 years, thousands of Sun Devils have traveled through a never-changing, tree-lined thoroughfare of sorts known as "Palm Walk."

"It's easy to get from place to place, it definitely connects ASU," Nate Ferre said. "You can see your friends walking up and down."

Today, things are starting to look a lot different. Out with the old and in with the new.

"I was kinda bummed at first, but the trees did look like they were kinda dying, they've been here for like 100 years plus," Lionel Escajada said.

They were said to be planted in 1917 when ASU was called Tempe Normal School of Arizona. Student house was $17 a month and air conditioning was nonexistent.

While life has gone on, these trees have stayed the same and ASU says they've kept the 110 original Mexican Fan Palms as long as they could. As the trees reach the end of their lives, there's no more time for waiting.

They're being replaced by California Date Palms that will last just as long and they'll provide more shade and even produce Medjool Dates that ASU will eventually collect and sell.

It's a sad change for Sun Devils, but one that hopefully won't change for another 100 years.

"I'm excited for the new school year and how it's going to turn out," Escajada said.

ASU says everything is set to be completed by 2018.