It sits as a constant reminder of days gone by. 

Decades ago, thousands of workers packed this Endicott-Johnson shoe factory.

Years later, what many are calling an eyesore, is finally coming down.

"People have been complaining about this building forever, ever since it started deteriorating. Who knows what was in that building. When I was on the fire commission in the ‘90s, the firemen said, ‘We'll fight a fire from the outside, but we're not going in that building,’" said Dick Testa, Endicott Proud co-chairman.

During war years, EJ factories produced roughly 52 million pairs of shoes a year.

In the early ‘50s, the workforce sat at roughly 18,000.

Some believe sites like this should stand to remind us of that rich past.

"They should have made this a historic site and preserved it, made it some kind of museum. For all that Mr. Johnson did for this community, there’ll be nothing left to show it,” said Testa.

Several of the residents who stopped by grabbed bricks from the building to remember a booming time in our community that many say we might never see again.

“Endicott Johnson was a very patriarchal company. We didn’t ever have to worry about medical. My father always knew he had a job as long as the place was open. It’s not like that anymore. There’s no security. There’s no comfort,” said Antoinette Shannon, Endicott resident.

But while many are sad to see the factory go, they’re also happy to know the site will see new life.

Following the demolition, National Pipe and Plastics will be building offices and a green space.

“It’s going to be beautiful. He’s going to put his offices here, he’s going to have a park here, he’s going to have parking places for this park there. It’s all going to be good. It’s going to take a while obviously but we’re very thankful for what he did,” said Testa.

Demolition is expected to last about three weeks.