Belvedere no more: razing of historic hotel complete

Oklahoma Borough code enforcement officer Lee Schumaker said Monday that demolition of the former Belvedere Hotel along Route 66 has been completed.

Crews from Eveready Contracting LLC of Washington Township finished work Friday and carted away the last of the charred debris to a dump in Imperial, according to Schumaker.

The job took a little more than a week as most of the four-story, wooden hotel collapsed in a giant debris pile on what would have been the first floor.

“There were no complications,” said Schumaker, who served as coordinator of the demolition project.

Orr Avenue remained closed Monday between Hancock Avenue and Route 66. It had served as the project’s staging area. The section of road is expected to reopen later this week, according to Schumaker.

For years, Schumaker tried to raze what formerly was a Swiss Chalet-styled building constructed 115 years ago. In recent years, it leaned toward Route 66, and its state of dilapidation made it an eyesore and safety hazard.

A July 24 fire and suspected asbestos contamination hastened the hotel’s demise with Oklahoma Borough declaring the site in need of emergency action. Westmoreland County’s Redevelopment Authority stepped in and was in charge of spearheading the cleanup with assistance from the state Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT and the borough.

The project’s final cost is not yet available.