For close to two decades, the former IBM Country Club has stood as a constant reminder of what was.

Originally built in the 1930s, the multi-acre property housed everything from bowling alleys and basketball courts to multiple recreation rooms for the children of IBM workers.

“I was one of the fortunate ones whose father worked at IBM, so I was able to come up here and play in the leagues and play inside and have a good time in here,” Union Supervisor Rick Materese said.

Materese is just one of the thousands who enjoyed the facility in what was the birthplace of IBM. But as the corporation slowly left the area, the building was soon forgotten about, and later began to deteriorate.

Years of promises for new life fell through and things took a dark turn in 2007, when a dispute among investors looking to revive the former country club turned deadly.

Three men from Broome County were murdered by an outside partner who was allegedly upset over losing money in the deal. It has sat vacant ever since.

“That was terrible to see and then it just went further down hill after that, so every time you looked at it, it was like, what can happen here?” said Materese.

But for the first time in decades, there’s finally some good news for the site.

A demolition is planned in the coming weeks, thanks to $2 million in American Rescue Plan funding, with a promise of a 75-unit affordable housing complex on its way. It looks to address a growing need across the region, as property values only increase.

“This will be affordable for people that don’t have those high-paying jobs, but people who have a decent job and want to be able to live here, or for retirees who want to move out of their big house and move into some place like this. So I think it’s great,” said Materese.

A groundbreaking is planned in the spring of next year, where officials will unveil a time capsule that was originally signed by Thomas J Watson. The public will be invited to take a brick from the property.