Judge Orders Closure Of Problem-Plagued Hilltop Apartment Building

Franklin County Environmental Court Judge Dan Hawkins has ordered a troubled Hilltop apartment building be closed for one year. The permanent injunction closes the building in the 29 hundred block of Sullivant Avenue that police say is a haven for prostitution and other crimes. The city has been working to shut the building near the Westgate neighborhood down due to criminal activity and poor living conditions that code enforcement officials say pose a health risk to tenants. Columbus police say they have made over 33 rns to the building in the last two years. The city asked the judge for the permanent injunction, saying Rankin failed to take sufficient steps to address the problems.