DANIA BEACH, Fla. – A hotel that stood on the corner of Dania Beach Boulevard and Federal Highway for more than 70 years was reduced to rubble Monday.
The Pirate's Inn Hotel has been shuttered since 2009, when it was declared an unsafe structure.
Recommended Videos
The hotel first opened in 1939 as the upscale Katherine Hotel. It was later renamed the Pirate's Inn Hotel and became a local hangout with the iconic Dania Jai-Alai sign on it. Eventually, the hotel fell into disrepair and became what many called an eyesore.
On the day of its demolition, many local residents stopped by the site to recall fond memories.
"It was never a high-end hotel because it was in town and the higher-end hotels were along the beach in Hollywood," said resident Clive Taylor. "This was kind of, like, an everyday person's place to stay."
"It was all right," said resident Mike Boudreau. "It was a decent place way back when I first came here in 1971, and it was pretty wild. We had some good times. I wish it would have stayed kind of a landmark. I wish they would have rebuilt it instead -- restore it to its glory days. It's, what, 70 years' worth of history down the toilet."
The future of the lot on which the hotel stood remains in question, although it is likely to remain empty for some time.