DEMOLITION BEGINS ON UNSOUND OCEAN CITY HOTEL

The historic Bellevue Hotel in Ocean City is coming down. Demolition begins Thursday morning on the 99-room hotel that was structurally damaged by years of neglect and recent rainstorms. Ocean City approved a contract of $158,000 to tear down the building, with asbestos removal as the first step. The 700 block of Ocean Avenue from Plymouth Place to Eight Street and the 700 block of Eighth Street will be closed to traffic in both directions.