COLUMBUS – The city of Columbus is getting closer to a deal with the owners of a troubled 400-unit East Side apartment complex that would require the owners of the Latitude Five25 apartments to sell the property or face a city takeover.
The deal, which is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks, would require Paxe Latitude, which owns the complex on Sawyer Boulevard, to sell the property within 90 days and pay a $50,000 contempt-of-court fine, or a court appointed receiver will immediately take over the property to improve the property and prepare it for sale, according to the office of Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein.
“While the terms of the agreement are still being finalized, the City is encouraged at the direction of these discussions and remain hopeful that within 90 days, the property will be transferred either to a new owner or a receivership group. It’s past time for current ownership to take action,” Klein said.
The city pushed for a similar arrangement at the Colonial Village Apartments previously.
According to Klein’s office, police received more than 1,000 reports of gunfire, shootings, overdoses, domestic violence, fights and other incidents from the complex since 2020 and the city’s code enforcement agency has received several complaints from residents about unsafe and unsanitary conditions, including common areas not being cleaned, insect infestations, and failure of staff to respond to maintenance requests, Klein said.
Tenants have been forced to endure significant periods without electricity, hot water or elevator service, flooding of both water and sewage, and accumulation of trash throughout the interiors of the buildings.
Klein says other options are being explored but the ultimate goal is to change ownership and improve living conditions for residents.
The owners of the complex had no comment on the pending agreement, according to their attorney.