Paw Paw clean-up

The Town of Paw Paw has demolished three buildings that were dilapidated or burned out. It plans to take down two more buildings within the next two weeks, said Gina Brack, town recorder.

United Wreckers is doing the job. They are waiting to hear the demolition date from the company, she said.

One of the two buildings had been slated previously for demolition, but it was delayed due to tax lien complications.

It costs around $8,000 a building to tear it down if there’s no asbestos involved, Brack said. The town is paying for the demolitions itself by saving up the money as they can.

They’ve asked several area legislators about whether there was funding available for the demolitions, but no one has come up with any money to help them yet, she said.
One of the buildings set for demolition contains asbestos, which is more expensive to tear down and requires contractors to go through a process and take special precautions.

There are a few more houses that are questionable that could be considered for demolition, she said. They aren’t that bad yet, but could become an issue if the owners don’t do anything with them.

“It’s a public health hazard,” Brack said of abandoned, dilapidated buildings.
As part of the clean-up efforts, they were also encouraging Paw Paw residents to make sure their yards look nice for Memorial Day weekend. It’s a big weekend in Paw Paw with the annual parade on Saturday, May 26 at 1 p.m., Brack said.