PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — As heavy machinery dug into McCoy Stadium on Wednesday, onlookers stood by and watched. "It's just heartbreaking," Gerry DeGasparre said. The lifelong Pawtucket resident remembers the first time he went to the stadium. "My mother took me because she was on the f ireworks committee," DeGasparre recalled with a smile. "I'll never forget it. I was just a little kid." McCoy's construction was completed in 1942, and the stadium brought pride to Pawtucket for generations. "I took my daughter there when she was younger because she's a softball player," DeGasparre said. "It's memories I shared with my mom and my family. It's just devastating." WATCH: Memories of McCoy The stadium put Pawtucket on the map, as many notable Red Sox players got their start at McCoy or spent time rehabbing there. "Everybody knows McCoy Stadium. Everybody knows the PawSox," DeGasparre added. "It's a sad moment for Pawtucket." Demolition of McCoy Stadium is underway (Jake Holter/ WPRI-TV) Marc Berman from Warwick also took a trip to Pawtucket on Wednesday to see the stadium again before it's too late. "Minor league ballparks like this don't exist anymore. They're all major league scale," he said. "Something this small and this fan-friendly and this personal just doesn't exist anymore. It's a shame." McCoy Stadium has been a shell since 2019, when the Pawtucket Red Sox rebranded and moved to Worcester. Following McCoy's demolition, the city plans to build a new high school where the stadium once stood. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for April 10. A row of seats from McCoy Stadium at East Providence High School (Jake Holter/ WPRI-TV) A row of seats from McCoy was recently installed at the ballfield at East Providence High School. Berman hopes the new school in Pawtucket will also pay tribute to the stadium. "I would like to see something that commemorates the park, either in the athletic complex for the high school or something the commemorates the longest game in baseball that happened here," he said. "Just something to remember it, that's all." DeGasparre believes he's not alone in his sadness over the demolition. "Everybody in Pawtucket feels the same way," he said. "If you're from Pawtucket and you've been a resident, McCoy Stadium means something to you." Thursday on 12 News This Morning at 6 a.m. — Patrick Little looks back at the history of McCoy Stadium as part of WPRI 12's 70th anniversary celebration. Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the new 12+ smart TV app. Download the WPRI 12 and Pinpoint Weather 12 apps to get breaking news and weather alerts. Follow us on social media:                     Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily Roundup SIGN UP NOW ...read more read less