Holmes County Approves Contract to Demolish Blighted Properties, Boosting Safety

The Holmes County Commissioners voted on March 30 to award an $86,173 contract to J. Miller & Sons Excavating for the demolition and site revitalization of three dilapidated properties across Nashville, Lakeville and Holmesville, continuing a push to strip the county of structures deemed unsafe and unsightly.

The contract is the latest action under the county's Demolition and Site Revitalization Program, an initiative conducted through the Ohio Regional Development Corporation on behalf of the county. Sealed bids were submitted to the commissioners before the award was finalized, with J. Miller & Sons Excavating emerging as the selected contractor.

The effort has been driven largely by Holmes County Planning Commissioner Arnold Oliver, who has led the charge to identify and remove deteriorating homes that have become eyesores across the county's townships and villages. The three targeted properties mark the continuation of what Oliver has built into a systematic, ongoing campaign rather than a one-off cleanup.

The Demolition and Site Revitalization Program targets structures that have aged past the point of practical rehabilitation, clearing parcels that can depress surrounding property values and create safety hazards for nearby residents. Nashville, Lakeville and Holmesville, three of the county's smaller communities, will each see at least one structure removed under this contract.

Holmes County has increasingly leaned on the program as a tool not just for aesthetics but for community safety, working in coordination with the Ohio Regional Development Corporation to move projects from bid to demolition with consistency. With the March 30 resolution now formally approved, J. Miller & Sons Excavating can proceed with teardown work across all three sites.