America's third-oldest surviving McDonald's location, a squat building on Southeast Powell Boulevard with two double golden arches arcing over a sloped roof, is being demolished right now, The Oregonian/OregonLive has learned.

Original plans called for the vintage McDonald's, operated by franchise owner James Dotson, to be demolished on February 22. But the empty building sat untouched through February and March.

On Monday morning, a construction crew was using heavy equipment to tear what was left of the building down.

Though this was Portland's oldest remaining McDonald's building, it was not the city's first. An earlier location, store #203, was built in 1960 on Northeast 122nd Avenue, but that building was decommissioned in 1981, according to a McDonald's spokesperson.

The Southeast Powell Boulevard restaurant, store #425, opened near 92nd Avenue on August 30, 1962. But the building, with its distinctive design from architect Stanley Meston, outlasted all but two remaining McDonald's locations.

SE Portland McDonald's demolished America’s third oldest McDonald's is being demolished in Southeast Portland right now. Posted by The Oregonian on Monday, April 2, 2018

McDonald's "Mansard Roof" building style debuted in 1969. A building in this more modern style was built in the same Southeast Powell Boulevard parking lot as the older restaurant in 1980. Over the past few decades, the original building has been used largely as an event's space.

According to McDonald's, an even more modern location with self-order kiosks and table service will soon replace the 1980 restaurant.

-- Michael Russell