ALBANY, N.Y. -- Demolition crews have a big job ahead of them as they take down the building that was heavily damaged by fire Monday night.
"It's sad. It's disheartening," said Beverly Jones, an Albany resident.
Memories are all that's left of 381 South Pearl Street after a fire on Monday.
"Maybe it means, maybe revitalize things down here. Bring things back to life, like they once were," said Jones.
"The main fire building is not structurally sound to begin," said Albany Deputy Chief Joseph Toomey.
Crews determined early Tuesday morning, the building was too far gone to be saved, and taking it down was the only option.
"That could go at any point," Toomey said.
Bystanders say it's a miracle no one was injured. In fact, the building to the right was being remodeled. The building to the left only suffered smoke and water damage.
"We kept the fire out. We did an aggressive attack in that building to keep it from extending into that building," said Toomey.
The Red Cross is helping 13 people displaced from the one building, but residents should be able to live there once again.
"When I was young, this was a great family place. It seems to have gotten lost," Jones said.
All the residents watching the building get torn down say this is the end of an era as a neighborhood monument falls, but they also say that corner could have a bright future.