Deal reached over Greyhound bus terminal that saw Columbus mayor accused of improper talks

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A Greyhound bus terminal at the center of a controversial lawsuit will undergo several changes as part of a deal reached between city attorneys and the companies running it.

Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein announced Friday that his team, Barons Bus and Greyhound Lines have reached an agreement that would result in the companies "drastically" reducing their operations at the bus stop, located at 845 N. Wilson Rd. Within 120 days, the terminal will be required to no longer offer passenger pickups or drop-offs there.

Only ticket sales and bus transfers will be available at the Wilson Road site. Pickup and drop-off activity will move off-site to John Glenn Columbus International Airport, a spot on Ohio State University's campus and a third unannounced location, Klein said.

Additionally, Barons Bus and Greyhound Lines will have to post two licensed security guards at the bus stop at all times for the next 180 days. The companies will also have to maintain lighting, trash cleanup, security cameras and restrooms with running water at the Wilson Road stop. Klein said he expects Barons Bus and Greyhound to continue searching for "a more appropriate location for a permanent terminal."

Klein's office filed a lawsuit in August against the two groups behind the Wilson Road terminal, citing multiple code violations. From there, the city wanted a preliminary injunction to declare the bus terminal a public nuisance. If granted, Klein’s office said it would force the property owners to bring the terminal into compliance or face potential closure for a year.

In the six weeks before the terminal opened in June 2023 on Wilson Road, Columbus police received about 30 calls with one criminal offense being reported. In the six weeks after, police were called to the area 62 times, with 14 criminal complaints reported. Calls to police have included complaints of assault, robbery and shots fired.

However, the companies behind the terminal said they had an incident on public record where an elected city official had inappropriately contacted the court without notifying any other parties in the case. During a Dec. 8 hearing, they named that official as Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther. The judge, Stephanie Mingo, recused herself from the case.

“The mayor, Mayor Ginther, improperly contacted this court without notice to anybody, urging the court to grant this injunction, undermining public confidence in the court system," an attorney for Barons Bus and Greyhound Lines said before a judge.

Whitehall City Attorney Brad Nicodemus -- the same prosecutor who dropped charges against Columbus officers in the 2020 George Floyd protests -- was appointed as special prosecutor to investigate the allegations against Ginther at the end of December. However, he hasn't released his findings as of Friday.