Eastland Mall Holdings LLC, the owners of the former Eastland Park Mall on the city’s southeast side, will face a $10,000 fine for failing to bring the property up to code.
Eastland Mall opened in 1968. At one time, it was known for its four anchor stores, Lazarus, JCPenney, Sear’s and Macy’s. New Orleans-based Eastland Holdings, LLC, bought most of the mall property for $9.7 million in 2015.
Since its closure in Dec. 2022, the city of Columbus has noted health and safety violations at the defunct mall, including broken glass, parking areas in disrepair, and high grass, weeds and debris.
Columbus Attorney Zach Klein said in a statement the mall's owners have “shown no regard for their obligations to the city.”
“Holding owners accountable is critical to ensuring this site can once again be a catalyst for jobs and economic growth as we look to the future of the east side of Columbus,” Klein said.
Klein’s office said the Franklin County Municipal Court ruled with the city in holding Eastland Mall Holdings LLC in contempt of a June 2022 court order to secure the property and bring it up to code. In addition to the base $10,000 fee, the company will face a $1,000 fee each day until code violations are addressed.
The owners also have 30 days to come up with a plan to remediate problems.
It's the second time Franklin County Municipal Court has found Eastland Mall Holdings LLC in contempt. In Sept. 2022, the court fined the owners $3,500 plus $250 a day until the property was brought into compliance. Klein’s office said that the owners have not paid any of those fines or fixed the problems.
In a Thursday document, the city of Columbus asked the court to allow a receiver to inspect the property. It’s the first step in potentially appointing a receivership, which Klein said is “on the table.”
“We have asked the court of a receiver to take a look and see if this is the right property for a receiver to take over, because the owners continue to defy the court, and it’s to the detriment of the city and the residents of the east side,” Klein said.
The city argued Eastland Mall Holdings has had more than enough time to complete repairs and remove abandoned items from the property at 2677 Hamilton Road.
While a receiver has not been appointing, that could allow the city to eventually sell the property to a new developer.
Klein said he hopes the property reaches its “maximum potential,” which could mean redevelopment either as housing or another type of development, with the input of east side residents and leaders.
“What it shouldn't be is what it is now. And that's just a dilapidated eyesore, that threatens the health and safety and economic well-being of the east side,” Klein said.
