DAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. — The Treasue Island Resort in Daytona Beach Shores is finally being demolished after shutting down nearly 20 years ago. 

Crews started working Monday with a large crane and spectators looking on. 

“It’s been like this for sometime,” explained Robert Longmire, one of several nearby neighbors observing the demolition.

Longmire said he spends six months out of the year living next to the abandoned resort.

“This thing has been an eyesore for 18 to 20 years,” he continued.

That’s why watching the first steps of its removal was something he and his neighbors wanted to witness.

Once it's gone, he said it'll take some time getting used to. 

“A lot of us are just glad to see progress is happening. It was just in a dead stall.”

For years, the Treasure Island building slowly kept deteriorating after the 2004 hurricanes made it unsafe to inhabit.

City officials were able to vote on its demolition this year after plenty of previous attempts.

For people like Longmire, that’s got them excited about the location's potential in the future.

“It’s just going to be nice. It’ll probably increase the real estate out here,” said Longmire, who owns three condo’s nearby.

With the process officially started, the demolition is expected to be completed within two weeks.

After that, the property owners will have eight weeks to clear out the remaining rubble.

Once that’s finished, the city's goal is to help bring in a new hotel or multi-family development with a parking garage.

“We like nice things in the Shores,” Longmire joked.