09.15.09
Demolition near for crime-ridden vacant building near elementary school
By: Robert Vitale - Dispatch.com
The activities that neighbors say take place inside a vacant East Side apartment building are things no child should ever see.

But they take place steps away from a Columbus elementary school.

City Council members moved last night to take possession of the 51-year-old building, which has been in federal hands since 2007. The city immediately will turn the property over to Columbus schools officials. They plan to raze the building, which has hidden prostitution and drug activity, officials say.

"Our children are safe," said William Adams in response. Adams coordinates a Block Watch program in the neighborhood for the East Columbus Civic Association.

Councilman Andrew J. Ginther said the apartment building is the last of eight that used to stand along E. 6th Avenue, less than 100feet from the doors of Columbus East Elementary School.

The vacant apartments had become magnets for drugs and prostitution, Ginther said. Columbus police told him they made more runs to those eight boarded-up buildings than everywhere else in the surrounding precinct combined.

Civic association President Mayo Makinde said the effort to get rid of the troublesome properties has taken 10 years. Ownership of the last parcel reverted to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development after foreclosure two years ago.

The elementary school was rebuilt in 2006.

Columbus Development Director Boyce Safford III said Columbus schools will reimburse the city for any sale and closing costs on the building.

In other business last night, council members formally approved the city income-tax increase, set to take effect Oct. 1.

They couldn't have adopted the ordinance had voters not given approval on Aug. 4 to a ballot measure that calls for increasing the tax to 2.5percent from the current 2percent.

"Thank you for caring enough about your community to help us move forward," Council President Michael C. Mentel told voters as the council reconvened after a six-week summer recess.

Approval of the tax allowed council members to approve the payout of nearly $1.2million in grants to dozens of social-services agencies whose funding was held up during this year's budget crisis.

The money was approved as part of the city's 2009 budget, but it hadn't been disbursed. Although the brighter budget picture allowed the money to finally be paid, Councilwoman Charleta B. Tavares emphasized that the grants are not new appropriations.

Council members also approved spending $663,269 from the city's capital budget toward a bike and pedestrian bridge over the Scioto River.

Councilwoman Priscilla R. Tyson said the state will pick up 80 percent of the cost for the bridge, planned east of I-670.

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