Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein announced that the city of Columbus filed a lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction against Barons Bus Incorporated, the owners of the property located at 845 N. Wilson Road, that currently operates as a bus terminal for Barons and Greyhound bus lines.
Since opening in June, the westside terminal has been plagued by safety, security and sanitation concerns, and in July, city officials gave operators notice of violations and a timeline to address the issues.
With the timeline now passed, Klein is taking legal action to hold Barons accountable by urging the court to declare the property a public nuisance and order owners to bring the property into compliance or move to a more appropriate location.
“Moving a business from one location to another doesn’t give owners permission to operate a public nuisance at the expense of the surrounding neighborhoods. The city will hold bus line operators to the same standards no matter where they do business,” said Klein. “Public safety is our priority and the amount of crime at the terminal and the conditions which patrons are subjected to are unacceptable. The city attorney’s office will use every legal tool we have to ensure that any bus line operator in Columbus is safe, accessible and compliant—just like we did when we took Greyhound to court in 2021. These companies need to make significant improvements immediately or find a new location for their terminal.”
According to the city’s complaint, the property remains in violation of the city building code as no certificate for occupancy has been issued for the site’s current use as a major bus terminal. Additionally, city officials noted a number of safety and sanitation issues, including overcrowded waiting areas, unauthorized portable restroom facilities, inadequate loading and unloading zones, among other violations.
The city’s complaint also noted concerns about increased criminal activity in and around the terminal, which has seen a sharp increase in police calls for service since opening several months ago. In the six weeks prior to Barons Bus beginning operations, Columbus Police were called to the premises, or to neighboring properties for conduct related to the premises, approximately 30 times and took only one criminal offense report. In the six weeks after the terminal began operations, Columbus Police were called to the premises, or to neighboring properties for conduct related to the premises, approximately 62 times and took 14 criminal offense reports. The calls for service include complaints for assault, robbery, shots fired, and disturbances.
The city attorney is asking the court for a preliminary injunction against the owners and to declare the property a public nuisance and order Barons to bring the property into compliance with all applicable codes or face potential closure for a year.
