Oliver seeking buildings for another demolition grant

Abandoned houses or former industrial buildings that were once thriving but are now forgotten can become blights on a community, which never helps to attract new businesses, tourism or potential families to move in.

A second round of upcoming demolition grant funding could help create a more inviting picture of a community.

Arnie Oliver, Holmes County planning commissioner, makes no bones about the joy he gets from investing grant funding into razing abandoned, dilapidated, rundown buildings in the county.

This past year has seen Holmes County utilize grant funding through the Ohio Department of Development to create the 2023 Demolition Project and tear down a dozen structures during four different projects throughout the county.

Now the option is there for Holmes County to receive an additional $500,000 in grant funding for another round of demolition projects, and Oliver is eager to connect with anyone who would like to have an aging eyesore razed to the ground at no cost to them.

The one issue that concerns Oliver is the funds are use it or lose it, so he has to present a list of properties where the funding will be put to use.

“If we don’t use it here in Holmes County, our dollars would be reallocated back to the state, and they would shuffle those funds around and they would go elsewhere,” Oliver said. “This is too good of an opportunity for our county to let that slip away. The money will be used somewhere, and if we don’t use the money, it will be put to use somewhere in Ohio. These are dollars that will in the end go to beautify our communities by tearing down old, undesirable buildings and replacing them with land that can be reintroduced to those communities that will be put to better use.”

The 2023 projects have seen a reclamation project in Nashville that paved the way to improve its water and sewer system, the removal of two homes on the corner of state Route 241 in Millersburg that could eventually make way for the Village of Millersburg to improve that tight corner, and funds earmarked for the razing of an old industrial building and an aging hotel.

Oliver said the possibilities are limitless when it comes to what type of buildings can be razed.

“I’m excited about this grant because it is designed to improve our communities, and we can take down abandoned houses, manufacturing buildings, old, dilapidated barns that are beyond hope. There’s a lot of possibilities,” Oliver said.

He said he gets questions about mobile homes, and the state has noted they can include mobile homes as long as the wheels are off the structure and it is on a permanent foundation or cabled to the ground.

While the grant doesn’t have to be submitted until April 1, 2024, Oliver said putting properties on the list and getting everything in place requires a lot of time and the process requires plenty of paperwork, so the sooner he can add properties to the list, the better grant request he can present.

“We have to make a submission that details each of the properties and includes photos,” Oliver said. “We have to show evidence of that and get preapproved by the state for any of the projects.”

Oliver said if anyone has questions as to whether or not their structure would be eligible for this service, they should call or email him to discuss the possibility of having their structure added to the list.

Oliver said he continues to drive around the county to locate prospective structures that would qualify, and he has made contacts, but the best way for the public to get involved is to simply contact him.

“We’ve seen an incredible improvement in the communities that have already been part of the demolition process, and while this second round of funding is advantageous, the state is looking into making this an ongoing program,” Oliver said. “That would be a huge benefit for our county. While there may be a bigger need for this in large cities, the funds are something that can improve our county too.”

Anyone interested in learning more or applying for the demolition grant funding can call or email Oliver at 330-674-8625 or aoliver@co.holmes.oh.us.