Eastland Mall declared a nuisance, repairs ordered
A Franklin County judge has declared Eastland Mall a nuisance, a ruling that could result in the city of Columbus taking control of the Southeast Side property.
In her Monday ruling, Environmental Court Judge Stephanie Mingo gave Eastland's owner, Eastland Mall Holdings, 60 days to clean up the mall or risk losing the property to the city for demolition.
Mingo found that Eastland, on the northwest corner of Refugee and South Hamilton roads, "is a public nuisance in that it is not in compliance with applicable city of Columbus building and housing codes."
Mingo's ruling was in response to Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein filing health and safety violations against the mall in March.
Mingo ordered that Eastland's owner make repairs to bring the property into compliance, including: fixing parking lot potholes; removing litter and waste; cutting grass and weeds; cleaning up graffiti; and repairing broken lighting and concrete.
Mingo gave Eastland Mall Holdings until July 13 to make all the improvements except for the parking lot problems, which must be repaired by Aug. 13.
In addition to the maintenance issues, Mingo ordered the owners to pick up litter every day on the property and maintain the grass and weeds biweekly.
Mingo set a Sept. 22 hearing to determine if Eastland Mall made the repairs.
If the problems are not fixed, Mingo authorized the city to make the repairs itself at the mall's owner's expense or demolish any buildings on the property if necessary.
Mingo's ruling is the latest move in a long dispute between the city and the mall, which was bought by Eastland Mall Holdings in 2015 for $9.7 million after years of decline. (Separate companies own the former Macy's and Sears stores, and the parking lots adjacent to those stores.)
The disputes came to a head in March, with Klein's filings. In a news release Tuesday, Klein praised Mingo's ruling.
“The conditions at Eastland Mall are a hazard to the public and immediate action must be taken to bring the property into compliance, and that begins with property owners stepping up to make improvements,” Klein said.
“Eastland Mall is important to our east side communities, and we’re prepared to pursue every legal option to hold property owners accountable and ensure the site’s long-term economic health.”
Adam Beane, a Columbus lawyer who represents Eastland Mall Holdings, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Eastland was built in 1968 by the Jacobs Group, the development firm that also built Westland and Northland malls. Eastland was originally anchored by JCPenney, Sears and Lazarus, but started declining after Columbus City Center Mall and Easton Town Center opened.
The JCPenney store closed in 2015, followed by Sears and Lazarus in 2017. While some stores remain, the mall is largely empty.
While the city has no plans to develop Eastland, it is seeking to develop a 78-acre park immediately west of the mall.
jweiker@dispatch.com
@JimWeiker
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Judge paves way for possible city takeover of Eastland Mall
