They may have paved Paradise and put in a parking lot, as Joni Mitchell sings. But no one would confuse the Milides Building with paradise. Northampton County Council voted unanimously on June 20 to tear it down at a cost of $72,500. It will be replaced by a badly needed parking lot with room for 104 vehicles, including eight handicapped spots. Demolition will be done by Paul Giroux, Inc., a firm located locally in Wind Gap. Once permits are in place, the building will be down in a month.

“It’s no Martin Tower,” said County Administrator Charles Dertinger

The Milides building was built by prominent Easton attorney Gus Milides. In addition to its convenient location, it includes a 40-space parking lot. In 2007, a divided NorCo Council voted to buy the building for $1.5 million, with Ann McHale and Ron Angle voting No. McHale believed the price was too high while Angle said part of the property would have to be razed.

As it happens, Angle was correct. Both the former law office and its parking lot are slowly falling off a cliff. This is mostly because it was built on fill that had never been properly packed down. Stormwaters add to the erosion.

The plan is to demolish the building and place an underground tank beneath the parking lot to drain rainwater. After the property is shored up properly, a new and larger parking lot is planned. Six of the eight handicapped spaces will be van accessible.

This project has already been bid in its entirety twice, but without success. Dertinger said contractors have been reluctant to assume responsibility for shoring up the cliff because they are on the hook if there’s a problem. So bids were sought from three local firms. Paul Giroux, Inc. was the lowest.