Another one bites the dust

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - A store that was once a smashing success is now just being smashed.

The Meijer on Harshman Road was cleared out long before its date with the wrecking ball Thursday, but it does still hold something these days, memories.

"A little piece of childhood being torn down," says Miranda Pennington.

You can still see the path worn down by families like Pennington's. She remembers many a midnight snack run with her parents.

"We'd be like, 'I'm kind of hungry, are you kind of hungry?'"  Pennington says. "Then we would take the van or jog up there real quick."

Pennington still walks the same path but now the only thing getting a bite at Meijer is the construction equipment.

"We noticed it driving up there the other day," Pennington says. "It was like, ouch."

The store was closed nearly five years ago when a new Meijer was opened in Huber Heights.

"We do miss it," says John Bowman, who lives next door. "There's not a lot of that type shopping in the area."

That's why Bowman hopes this isn't just about tearing something down, but one day building it back up.

"Any kind of store or business there to create something in there for people to shop," Bowman says.

Officials say Meijer is tearing down the building to make the property more desirable.