CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – The old Sugar Creek Elementary School building in Charleston, West Virginia, is being demolished.

A crew was at the site of the old school Wednesday morning and afternoon beginning the demolition.

According to online records at the Kanawha County Accessor’s Office, Sugar Creek Elementary School was sold to a private buyer 27 years ago. Then in February of this year, the City of Charleston says the building was donated to the Charleston Land Reuse Agency (CLRA). In the time in between, the building was mostly vacated.

The City told 13 News that shortly after the building was donated, an inspection determined that the building needed to be demolished.

Many neighbors who live nearby the school say they went to Sugar Creek when it was still open decades ago, including Henry Shreve. His wife and kids also attended the school, and he says Wednesday was a bittersweet day for the neighborhood.

“It’s more or less getting to be not so much of an eye sore, but then it’s something you can see, a part of your childhood, gone,” Shreve said. “Even though I went to school there, my wife went to school there, my kids went to school there, we drive by it every day in and out of the holler. But to drive by and see it gone, gonna be a big difference.”

At this time it is unknown what the land will be used for in the future.