Demolition work on former Belvedere Hotel to begin next week

Demolition and cleanup of the former Belvedere Hotel in Oklahoma Borough — which was reduced to a pile of asbestos-contaminated rubble in July and is considered a “public health hazard” — will begin on Sept. 11, officials said.

The $85,000 project will close a section of Orr Avenue between Hancock Avenue and Route 66 through Sept. 30, PennDOT said. That section of Orr Avenue will serve as a staging area for workers on the project. A marked detour will use Hancock Avenue and Route 66.

McCutcheon Enterprises Inc. of Allegheny Township was awarded the contact for the project, which is expected to be completed by the end of the month. The company will be in charge of the demolition, debris removal, asbestos material handling and site clearance work.

The county’s Redevelopment Authority will be in charge of spearheading the cleanup with the assistance of the state Department of Environmental Protection and borough officials.

The cause of the July 24 fire, considered suspicious, is still under investigation by state police.