Demolitions underway at properties near Grandview Heights

GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Crews are carrying out two demolition projects in the Fifth by Northwest neighborhood near Grandview Heights, but intentions for the sites are unclear.

A company called Fifth X NW Property acquired the property at 1350 W. 5th Ave. for $0 on Aug. 8, a pattern seen at the site over the past two decades. Previously, a group named 1350 W. Fifth Ave. owned the building, also acquiring it for no money in 2005, according to the Franklin County Auditor's records. The last group to spend money to acquire it was Grandview CBS Limited, which paid $1.5 million in 2000.

While construction vehicles on-site had yet to tear into the structure as of Sunday, photos showed the glass in the building's windows had already been taken out. The railing on the handicapped entrance ramp had also been bent upward.

Demolition crews have also reduced a wide swatch of properties where buildings previously stood to dirt. From June 2021 to November 2022, Chambers Road Holdings took over multiple lots on Chambers Road between Meister's Bar and a building housing Murphy Chiropractic and THREAD clothing store. In the months since fully acquiring the space, multiple buildings along that stretch have been leveled.

The structures lost in the demolitions included the former home of Westwood Cabinetry & Millwork, as well as a bracelet shop called DLJQY. That building also hosted signage for Essex Apartments, located on the other side of the street.

As for plans for the two properties, the two companies' intentions haven't been revealed. A representative for the Columbus Department of Building and Zoning Services told NBC4 that both groups did apply to demolish the existing buildings. However, as of Wednesday, neither has filed applications for a permit to either build on or rezone the properties.