Demolition on the childhood home of Ronald Reagan began Tuesday.
Crews from Heneghan Wrecking Co. began tearing down the apartment building on Chicago's South Side at 832 E. 57th St., where Reagan and his family lived for two years when he was two years old.
The University of Chicago bought the building in 2004 as part of a plan to buy all residential property north of their hospital. They plan to install a plaque to commemorate the site.
Preservationists have been trying to save the building, but the city and university didn’t find the site historically significant, according to DNAinfo.com.
The university has no immediate plans to begin construction on the site, but despite rumors, officials said the land will not be used for a Barack Obama presidential library.
The site is part of a construction staging area to be used for the new Center for Care and Discovery and a new parking garage for the medical center, according to DNAinfo.com.
Photo Credit: Dave Fraser, NBC Chicago