Grant funding moves Plainwell paper mill a step closer to demolition.
Wrecking crews may finally start demolishing parts of Plainwell’s vacant paper-mill complex later next year if city officials keep getting good news about funding.
They learned Wednesday that an application for $1 million in Community Development Block Grant funds was approved by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
“I really think we could see a wrecking ball on the mill site by next fall,” City Manager Erik Wilson said. “This grant won’t fund the entire demolition process, but it will cover a significant portion of the costs.”
Plainwell Paper Co.Mill siteView full sizeJerry Campbell | Kalamazoo GazetteFile photo of the Plainwell Paper Co.Mill site. In this photo you see the interior of one of the old production ares of the mill.Initial estimates indicate it might cost the city upwards of $2 million to “selectively demolish parts of the mill that can’t be redeveloped,” Wilson said, but that figure could change as existing conditions and the scope of work are better defined.
