Apartment owners appeal demolition of 17 buildings

Local More Local Stories US & World More US & World Stories By Earl Rinehart The Columbus Dispatch Monday February 3, 2014 5:33 AM

The owners of Metro West have asked a judge to stop the demolition of 17 apartment buildings at the West Side complex.

Attorneys for the owners filed for a temporary restraining order on Friday in federal court in Columbus against Prairie Township, which plans to have the vacant buildings demolished within the next two weeks.

Columbus attorney Robert Behal represents Metro Wests owners limited-liability partnerships the Wingates of Washington, D.C., and Showgates of New York.

Behal said his clients contend that the state law that allows the townships demolition order does not provide for an appeal, which violates their due process.

Prairie Township Administrator Tracy Hatmaker said the 17 buildings contain 408 units and are wholly in Prairie Township. The remaining five buildings are either partly or wholly in Franklin Township. The buildings are the original Californian section of the old Lincoln Park West on Georgesville Road across from the Hollywood Casino Columbus.

The township said it stepped up its effort in 2008 to have the owners bring the buildings into compliance with safety and building codes but with no success. In July, township fire and building officials asked the trustees to take action.

Hatmaker said the owners had until Dec. 10 to either begin demolition or be working with a buyer. Neither happened, he said.

We do not trust them to do anything constructive with the land, Hatmaker said.

The demolition cost of $2 million will be paid by the Columbus land bank and the state attorney generals offices fund to demolish vacant buildings.

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Apartment owners appeal demolition of 17 buildings