Heavy equipment began removing the abandoned buildings that were part of the iconic country club complex used by thousands of IBM Endicott employees and their families.

Crews working for Gorick Construction of Binghamton started the massive demolition job at the town of Union site Tuesday morning.

Broome County officials nearly three weeks ago showed up at the property to announce the project to tear down the old structures just north of Watson Boulevard.

Seats from the IBM Country Club bowling alley were removed before demolition work started. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
Seats from the IBM Country Club bowling alley were removed before demolition work started. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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Since then, several items from the once-popular IBM Country Club were salvaged so they can be put on display in a local history center.

County officials already had set aside a cornerstone that had been placed in an addition to the complex that was built in 1951.

Efforts to redevelop the country club site failed in recent years. Broome County government last year sought proposals for the property. The county offered $2 million in federal American Rescue Plan cash to cover the cost of demolition of the old buildings.

The southwest corner of the IBM Country Club complex on November 8, 2022. Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
The southwest corner of the IBM Country Club complex on November 8, 2022. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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The county selected a proposal by Conifer Realty and LeChase Construction to construct a 75-unit apartment complex on the site.

Demolition work is expected to take several weeks to complete. Groundbreaking for the apartment project is planned for next spring.

WATCH: The WNBF News report from the town of Union.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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