SARASOTA, Fla. — A popular staple on Lido Beach is set to be demolished following the back-to-back hurricanes.

The Sandcastle Resort sustained significant damage during both Helene and Milton.

The owner says he already had plans to demolish and rebuild even before the hurricanes, but with all the damage the building sustained in the storms, that sped up his plans by a lot.

Now, people are saying goodbye to a community gem.

Bryan and his wife, Lowis Metz, first stayed at The Sandcastle Resort in Lido Beach in 1978.

The two went there for their honeymoon when they were only 20 and 21 at the time.

“I thought it was the most beautiful thing ever, and this place just screamed Florida,” he said. “It’s sad. It’s hard to see it like this. I’m standing here, and half of me is really not seeing this. I still see what I used to see.”

And what they see now are all the memories flashing back.

“It was like two kids, reliving the memory of memory lane,” he said.

Since their first visit, they’ve made 30 trips — bringing their kids, and then their grandkids.

Their last trip was in July, about two months before Hurricane Helene hit.

“I’m so thankful to God that we were here, just here in July. This place is so special. It’s hard to describe just how special it is to us,” Lowis said.

But now, the owner plans to build a new hotel in its place, called The Opal Sandcastle, set to open in 2027.

Bryan says while it’s sad to see this place go, he is ready to make new memories.

“It will be another chapter of The Sandcastle, and it will be great and magnificent,” he said.

The couple has their 47th anniversary coming up in May, and while they can’t stay at Sandcastle, they’ll be staying at a resort nearby.