Rawlins Officials to Clean Burned Salvage Yard

JUNE 16, 2025 |

Photo – Lawrence Property fire – Bigfoot99 file photo

In Rawlins, city officials have set aside funds to clean up the Lawrence Salvage Yard.

Last July, a fire broke out in central Rawlins, just south of East Spruce Street, at a former salvage yard once owned by the Lawrence family. The fire, the largest in the city’s history, scorched 4.5 acres of the 12-acre property. Investigators determined that illegal fireworks sparked the blaze.

In November, the city entered negotiations with the current property owners, Jack and Elden Cozort, to buy the land, remove all debris and scrap metal from the property, and eventually sell the 12-acre parcel to a private developer.

The purchase agreement states the property will include roughly 40 scrap vehicles and other pieces of equipment, including what is described as a 1971 Ford pickup truck filled with “seabed fossils.”

The governing body of Rawlins bought the Lawrence Property last December for $230,000. The money was taken from the city’s Dangerous Building Fund; an account specifically created to purchase and renovate abandoned and derelict properties.

At the December 17th Rawlins City Council meeting, then-Mayor Terry Weickum said revitalizing the fire-damaged property in the center of the city will bring numerous economic opportunities.

However, the city must first pay to clean the former salvage yard. Speaking at the June 3rd Rawlins City Council meeting, City Manager Tom Sarvey explained that he allocated $200,000 in the upcoming 2025 through 2026 fiscal year budget for the project.

City Manager Sarvey said he expects to recover the city’s costs by selling scrap metal found at the site and eventually the property itself. The money generated by the sale will be placed back into the Dangerous Building Fund, allowing the city to continue revitalizing abandoned and derelict properties.

The Rawlins City Council voted to approve next year’s budget with the added $200,000 to renovate the Lawrence Property. Proceeds from the parcel’s eventual sale will be used to replenish the Dangerous Building Fund back to its $500,000 threshold.