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ISHPEMING -- One big change to the city of Ishpeming--the old Bell Hospital demolition continues.

Demolition crews are starting to tear down the former Bell Hospital after a three-year contract between the hospital and a local contractor expired.

The contract said, if the hospital didn't find a use for the building within three years of its closing, it was to be torn down--and that's what will happen for the next one-and-a-half months.

"In that facility, a lot of our residents were born in that hospital. A lot of their family members have died in that hospital, so when you lose something like that, you lose a little piece of history, and you lost a little piece of yourself, I think," said Dave Aro of Bell Hospital.

The original Bell Hospital was the oldest hospital in Michigan at 90 years old. And it was the first hospital in the U.P. to have cancer treatment.

Because of the structure's role in the community, Bell Memorial Hospital wanted to use the building for something else, but was unsuccessful.

"The building was very unique, being a hospital with multiple additions. We found it very difficult to try to reuse this for many square feet in the city of Ishpeming. It used its useful life already, and we haven't been able to come up with a reuse for the facility," said Jim O'Dovero of Associated Constructors.

There's no concrete plan for the piece of land, but city officials are considering turning it over to Ishpeming High School.

For those who aren't ready to say good bye to the former Bell Memorial Hospital, you can always come to the new one, where they have a history exhibit that has pictures and other pieces of history.